Episode 9—10: A Fallen Star
The sun was setting.
Dear Mama,
I think I've found my real home now.
I looked out the window, admiring the streaks of orange in the slowly-dimming blue sky.
Remember when I told you about this guild that I joined? Fairy Tail?
I stood up from my desk, glancing at the sealed envelope for a brief moment before going over towards the balcony.
Well, they're great. Really. Even if I'm just a mere newbie, and even if I've caused them so much trouble...
I smelled the fresh, crisp air and felt the wind blowing my hair away.
...they protected me no matter what.
"Hey, Luigi!" Natsu called out cheerfully, coming to a stop on top of the railing just beside me.
Happy was nowhere in sight.
So I've decided that from now on, I will protect them in turn no matter what it takes. I will even risk my life if it ever comes to that.
"Natsu?" I questioned, turning my head towards him. "What are you doing here?"
He jumped down, landing agilely on his feet. "That's a silly question," he remarked, his gaze on mine. "To see how you're doing, of course."
I will hone my magic to its fullest. Because I now have so many precious people to protect.
I smiled at him. "Thank you, Natsu."
He blinked, looking momentarily confused and taken aback by my words. But then he quickly regained his composure and grinned. "No problem."
Natsu, Gray, and Erza especially. They're my team now, something that I hadn't expected initially. But now that they are, we have a bond that can never be broken.
I gave him another smile before watching the sky slowly turn dark.
"That's unexpected," he said suddenly, resting his elbows on the railing while stretching out his arms. His gaze was in the same direction as mine.
I looked at him inquisitively. "What is?"
He inclined his head towards me. "You didn't get angry when I called you Luigi."
I promise you, Mama, that I am happy with my life.
I blinked, then laughed softly. "Oh, so that's it? I didn't realize."
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "You know... You've changed a little. Gotten a bit soft."
I playfully punched his shoulder. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
He chuckled lightly. "Nothing. Just that you're really a weirdo, Luigi."
I promise that from now on, I'll live my life to the fullest.
I frowned. "You called me 'Luigi' again. Come to think of it, you're doing it on purpose, aren't you?" I sent him an accusatory glare.
He casually stretched out his arms and placed his hands against the back of his head. "You're saying weird stuff again, you weirdo."
So don't worry about me.
I smiled. "Natsu..."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
Love, Lucy.
—×ו××—
The next day, when I opened my eyes, I made my decision.
I grabbed my bag from my desk, wrote a note, and made my way out of my apartment.
—Meanwhile, back at the guild—
"Natsu, Gray," said Erza, holding up a job request with a small smile on her face. "Let's do this one."
The two males looked at each other, beads of sweat appearing on their brow. It wasn't a good idea to fight in front of Erza, so they had to do 'that' in order to survive.
"A—Aye!" Natsu squeaked out.
"S—Sure, Erza!" Gray followed.
Happy snickered silently. "Natsu and Gray are so obedient," he remarked casually.
The aforementioned two gave the blue feline a hard glare.
The redheaded woman gave a pleased smile. "It is good that you two get along so well with each other. Now, let us go to Lucy's apartment and we shall ask her to come with us."
The duo nodded in agreement, and together they went towards their destination.
"Lucy?" Erza called out, popping inside her room through the window along with Natsu, Happy, and Gray.
"She isn't home?" the latter wondered aloud, searching the surroundings for a certain blonde-haired mage.
"What's this?" Happy questioned curiously, picking up a piece of paper lying idly on Lucy's desk.
Erza went over and took it from him. Natsu and Gray were behind her, peering curiously.
"It says..." Erza said slowly, a hint of disbelief etched in her tone. "...'I'm going home'."
"WHAAAAT?!"
—×ו××—
The road towards home had never felt so nostalgic. It had really seemed so long since I'd been here, so I took my time viewing the never-changing sights: the spacious land, the wide, beautiful gardens, the big, regal mansion, and the fresh, crisp air.
"Lucy-sama!" a voice exclaimed.
I turned towards the source. "Supetto-san?" I said with a grin.
She grinned back and started to wave at me with her scissors, but then she suddenly fidgeted.
I was about to ask her why she seemed so nervous all of a sudden when I spotted him.
He was inspecting the roses in the garden, but I knew better.
His eyes were looking right at me.
"I am glad you have finally come to your senses, Lucy," he drawled, straightening himself up and walking over to me with that suffocating, authoritative air of his.
I resisted the urge to take a wary step back. "Otou-san," I said stiffly, forcing myself to sound low and respectful.
His voice was stern. "I will overlook your disobedience just this once."
"Why did you attack my guild?" I asked suddenly, narrowing my eyes at the memory of so many of my friends hurt.
His eyes narrowed. "You do not belong there, Lucy. Your mother—"
"My mother would have agreed with my decision," I said firmly. "My mother would never have objected to my choice, and she would have told me that she's proud of me. I'm sorry, otou-san, but you're wrong. I do belong in Fairy Tail. The place where I truly don't belong—" Swiftly, I took the scissors out of Supetto-san's hand and, in a quick motion, cut off my hair as I stared at my father defiantly. "—is here."
"Lucy!" he barked out, furious. "What do you think you're doing, you—"
"I'm sorry, otou-san," I said quietly, solemnly. "I really am. But I'm leaving, and I don't think I'm ever coming back here again."
"Lucy—!"
"I'm going to get Mama's journals," I interrupted, my voice turning cold and icy. "And you can't stop me from doing so."
Before he could utter another word of protest, I had already disappeared towards the house.
—×ו××—
I stopped running just as I reached the door leading to the stairway up to the attic. I panted hard, my breathing coming in shallow gasps as I clutched the doorknob. My heart was pounding like mad along with the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I could not believe that I had spoken to my father like that. All my life, I respected him, constantly longing for kind words to spew out of his mouth. I wanted to feel warmth when he spoke to me, and I wanted him to drive away my fears and insecurity through a love that can only be felt by a daughter.
But those were all just impossible fantasies.
My father was a cold, cold man.
I had never, ever seen nor heard him laugh in my seventeen years of living in this empty, desolate mansion.
Taking a deep, final breath, I opened the door, walked up the stairs, and stepped into my Mama's domain.
As I expected, her whole stack of journals were here. They were all old and dusty, not having witnessed a speck of sunlight in years. Curiously, I picked one up and started leafing through the pages.
I have not yet acquired the Draco key. It is hard to find. I have to have it for my mission. E.N.D. has to be stopped at all costs.
My sacrifice is now put on hold.
Frowning, I looked at the date. The unusual entry was written about thirty years ago.
What sacrifice? What mission?
What is E.N.D.?
Hastily, I picked up another journal and flipped to a random page.
Today, I have met Zeref. He is very shy. Charming, even.
I cannot simply believe that he is a devil.
A devil who truly believes that he is an angel and is searching for forgiveness, retribution.
The next page.
Today I have learned how to manipulate the weather. It had not been easy, but I managed.
And it is beautiful.
If I ever have a daughter, I will teach her how.
That is, if I can ever fall in love.
And the next.
My guildmates figured out what I am. Some worship me, some envy me, some are scared of me, and some are simply disbelieving. I do not blame them. Their various reactions only serve to remind me just how much effort has to be exerted in order to maintain secrecy about my curse.
And the next.
I cannot fall in love. I just cannot.
If I do, the entire Earthland will fall apart and I will not be there to save it alive.
And the last.
I fell in love. He is a nice, fine man.
But now I have involved him, and we are now running away from the council.
Like criminals.
The world is ending.
And I cannot stop it.
The journal fell from my hands and I reached for it clumsily before it could reach the ground. My fingers were shaking on their own, caused by my frozen mental state at the slightest discovery of a part of the truth that held my mother captive.
If the man she wrote about in her last entry in this was my father, then that would mean...
...Father knew the truth about her all along.
But...
Why didn't he tell me?
Couldn't he have just explained it all to me?
My head was spinning in confusion. I didn't know what to do anymore. It was all too much to take in.
After a few moments, though, I forced myself to think straight. Immediately, I went to work on placing all of Mama's journals in my space storage, not letting even a single one out of my sight. I planned to unravel the whole truth back in my apartment, and then I would finally get to train efficiently with my Universe Magic.
When my work was done, I silently got out of the mansion and went towards the direction of Mama's grave. Letting out a long stretch of air I hadn't realized I'd been holding, I reached out and wiped the some dust that managed to stain the tombstone.
Mama... why are there so many secrets?
"LUUUCCYYYYYYY!"
Startled, I jolted up.
Why did you make me feel as if I were normal?
"LUIIIGIIIII~!" Natsu wailed along.
I frowned in playful irritation. "Natsu, for the last time, it's—"
"Do not worry, Lucy," Erza interrupted promptly. "I shall take care of this young man's discipline."
Why did you say that love is something that can break us?
Natsu gulped, his onyx eyes filled with fear and dread.
"...Run for it," Gray stage-whispered.
Why did you even love at all if that's the case?
"ACK! LUIGI!" Natsu suddenly exclaimed, his voice filled with shock and horror. "Y—You—"
Is our existence really eventually going to die out as a lonely, painful death?
"What is it?" I asked, puzzled.
"Y—Y—Y—YOU CUT YOUR HAIR!" he yelled in disbelief, his finger pointing towards me accusingly.
Erza promptly smacked him on the head. "It is rude to point at people, Natsu," she reprimanded.
Then, after a moment, her eyes widened, and she turned to me with a shocked expression plastered on her face.
"Y—You cut your hair, Lucy?!"
My body shook in laughter as the said sound emerged itself from my lips.
I'm not ready yet, Mama...
"...W—Well... I think you still look nice," Gray muttered, scratching the back of his head sheepishly as he averted his eyes.
I smiled. "Thank you, Gray. I, on the other hand, have only noticed its shortness just now." Daintily, I touched the blonde locks which were flowing just at the middle end of my neck. "I guess it's for the best."
Natsu looked at me with his black, black eyes. "Why did you cut it anyway, Luigi?" he asked with a serious lilt to his tone.
"I..." My voice trailed off. What was I supposed to tell them?
How was I supposed to explain to them about my father?
A reassuring hand on my shoulder broke me out of my thoughts.
"Worry not, Lucy." Erza gave me a reassuring smile. "Whatever it may be, we will still listen."
Please tell me what to do…
"Anyway, why do you want to leave?" Gray asked, looking like he was forcing a calm expression.
I gave him a puzzled stare. "Leave?" Then it dawned on me, and I giggled, earning myself confused looks from my teammates. "I'm not leaving, guys. I just went here so I can collect the rest of my things."
"Oh! So that's why!" Natsu said brightly, slamming a fist onto his palm and looking every bit like a child who had just discovered the greatness of candy.
Happy shook his head. "You're so slow, Natsu."
"Heyyy!"
I don't know what I should do…
"Did you miss me that much?" I teased.
"Hell no!" Natsu instantly denied, his cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment. "I—I already knew you don't mean to leave in the first place! Ah… Ahahaha!"
"I saw the tears," Happy piped up, grinning mischievously.
Should I leave?
Natsu pouted, turning his head away. "I didn't cry," he barked out.
"Anyway, we should get going now. We still have time for a job," Erza said, walking back to the road. "By the way, Lucy, this is a very nice village."
"Ah? Oh, no," I said, chuckling. "This is our garden. The land stretches towards those mountains over there. Anything inside these boundaries are Heartfilia territory."
I did not expect the silence that plagued the atmosphere the instant the words came out of my mouth.
"Uh, guys…?" I spoke up.
"We praise you, oh great Lucy!" Happy, Gray, and Natsu chorused.
"I... am defeated as well," Erza followed with a mutter.
I blinked rapidly at first, and then I laughed carefreely.
…Or should I stay?
—×ו××—
I lounged inside the guild, still thinking about Mama's journals. I scanned their contents briefly last night, and I had to say that I didn't understand—or rather, didn't want to understand why Mama became this way, like me. Suddenly I didn't want to tap into my other hidden, dormant abilities. I was afraid. It was just scary, knowing that I could hold the world in the palm of my hands yet I did not yet know how to.
But I did catch a phrase from a journal that held my attention.
The One Magic.
It wasn't love, Mama mentioned.
It was—
I heard the sound of the guild doors opening, snapping me out of my thoughts. I spun around from my position in front of the bulletin board, seeing Loke walk in casually.
However, when he spotted me, he warded off immediately, looking terrified as he did. I only blinked, and then he was gone.
What was that about? I thought.
"Oh my," Mira remarked from behind me, covering her mouth as she gave a slight giggle. "I apologize again for Loke, Lucy."
"Why is he always acting that way around me?" I asked her, confused. Did I smell bad or something? My team had never mentioned anything of the sort… or maybe they were too shy to do so?
"Well, Loke had a rather… bad history with a Celestial Mage in the past, you see," Mira explained.
Hmm… My eyes rested on the now-closed guild doors.
Loke aside, I felt considerably refreshed now. I had managed to get Mama's journals and I cut off my hair, effectively releasing about a fourth of my chains connecting to the past, which consisted of the dreary mansion and my father. Right now I wore a yellow blouse with a white blazer along with an equally white skirt. I had taken a liking to very bright colours nowadays, especially because it lightened my mood somewhat. My hair, which now only reached a little down my chin, looked pretty good.
"Lucy," Erza called out at that moment from my side. "I have found us an interesting job."
I walked over to her in quick, short steps and took the request from her hands, reading its contents out loud. "Capture someone with an astrology reading compatible to the planet Mercury and bring that person to me. Reward is—" My eyes widened into the size of saucers. "—…4,000,000 Jewels?! That much!?"
"Whoa," Gray breathed out in awe from a nearby table. "That's a lot of loot."
"What? This'll be a piece of cake!" Natsu said confidently, showing up with Happy at his side.
"I don't think it is that simple a mission, Natsu," Erza interjected, taking the paper from my hands and reading it again, apparently analyzing the request. "It is said here that we must… capture someone. It did not state anything about persuasion or any of the sort. It simply says that we take someone against their will, whether or not they may be a civilian or not."
"Oh, you're right," I said in realization. "Meaning if we do find the person, it will be impossible to persuade them to come with us somewhere without any meaningful reason."
Happy gasped in horror. "What if the client is actually a psychotic serial killer?!"
I could practically feel the blood draining from my face. "Th—That's really scary…!" I whimpered.
"I don't think that might be the case," Erza said, still focused on the mission request. "See? The address is clearly listed here. Before guilds accept requests, they usually investigate suspicious cases like blatant kidnapping and the like. Also, the client will be put in danger otherwise, because his hiding place has been revealed. In other words, there must be some sort of reason as to why we have to capture this person."
"But I've read a lot of astrology books before, and there should be a number of people around the world who has that kind of planetary compatibility. It's not a unique kind. From what I've read so far in some books, only the zodiac signs Gemini and Virgo have an affiliation to Mercury," I said, narrowing my eyes. "There must be something fishy about this…"
Gray stood up from his seat, placing his hands inside the pockets of his coat. "Well then, let's go meet with the client first. We'll pry some more details before beginning the job."
"Good idea, Gray." Erza gave a small smile before walking towards the guild doors. "We shall leave in twenty minutes. Be prepared."
I watched her retreating back and sweatdropped. "W—Wait… We're really doing this request?!"
"Why not?" Natsu grinned, smacking a fist into his open palm. "This kidnapping job should be fun!"
"That's your idea of fun…?" I muttered.
—×ו××—
"Let's go!" Erza commanded, dragging a cart full of luggage as we trudged along the streets of Magnolia.
"A—Are we going on vacation…?" I said, gaping at the huge sizes of different kinds of bags.
"That's Erza for you," Gray remarked, smirking.
"So where's this guy's location at?" Natsu asked.
"At some town called Persion," Erza answered promptly.
"Do you know where that is?" Gray asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No. But we can ask around."
"I know where it is," I said quickly. "It's only a train ride away. We'll only get off at the last stop."
"Hmm? So it's actually near here, then?" Gray mused.
I hummed in agreement. "My father—" I immediately cut myself off, suddenly realizing what I had just said. "—He used to conduct a separate business there once. When I was little—when Mama was still alive—he brought me there along with her. It's a beautiful town. Almost hypnotizing."
I closed my eyes then and turned away, not wanting to see the looks of pity on my teammates' faces. I didn't want to relieve my past any further than that; I only brought it up for the mission request. Nothing more than that.
I ignored the deepest recesses of my mind taunting me that I, in truth, felt nostalgic and wanted to go back to those old days once more.
Those days when I was happy.
When I didn't know what kind of burden was in store for me.
"It sounds like a marvelous place, Lucy." Erza's voice was gentle. "After the mission, we should travel around town for a while."
"I agree," Gray said in agreement. The smile was evident in his voice.
"Oi, oi… Are we really gonna ride a t—train…?" Natsu sounded green, consequently making a puking sound.
"There's no other way, Natsu," Happy remarked.
"Ugh…"
I smiled gratefully, hiding it with my hand. Everyone, thank you…
—×ו××—
When we arrived at Persion Town, it was exactly as I remembered.
The buildings were lavish and tall, covering most of the perimeter. Beautiful sorts of flowers enchanted the cities as they grew mostly everywhere, and visible white sparkles seemed to hover over them. The road was clean and cemented modernly, along with happy, bustling crowds going about their business.
"Wow…" Gray breathed out, looking clearly dazzled. "It is a beautiful town."
There seemed to be sparkles in Natsu's eyes as he surveyed the surroundings excitedly. "Whoa! This is amazing!"
"Fish! There are fish everywhere!" Happy drooled as he watched the flying fishes in the shimmering rivers.
Erza's jaw dropped. I watched her in horror, not knowing whether to fix her mouth back into its normal shape or to stay still.
"C—C—C—CAKE…!" she yelled with hearts in her eyes as she stared at the numerous bakeshops.
I sweatdropped. "E—Erza…?!"
"Ooh!" Gray suddenly shouted enthusiastically. My head whipped towards him and froze as I saw him looking at a Make-Your-Own-Ice-Cones store.
"I've never seen a shop like that before! I gotta go there right now!" And in a flash, he was gone. And so were his clothes.
"Gray! Your pants!" I yelled with a furious blush on my face out of embarrassment as I held up the offending article in my flailing hand.
"You can have it, Lucy!" he shouted back, apparently not even caring in the least due to his growing excitement.
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT I EVEN WANT IT?!" I yelled angrily.
"Lucy, I apologize." Erza's voice drifted into my ears. I turned to her, relieved that at least one member had the decency not to abandon the request behind—
"I am sorry, but I must go to my one true love! We can go to the client tomorrow! For now, I must make haste!"
And in a flash, she was gone, too.
"HUH?!" I said, my eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. "Gray…?! Erza…?! Hey, Natsu, Happy—"
I stared at the empty space where the two should have been.
"EVERYBODY! DON'T JUST ABANDON THE JOB!"
—×ו××—
Huffing to myself, I dragged my legs towards the said address of the client. I wanted to go to my favourite places in this town, too, but the mystery behind the job request was too beguiling. I had to find out why the client wanted someone affiliated with the planet Mercury.
"Excuse me?" I called out after I knocked on the door three times. "Is someone home?"
The door promptly opened, revealing a man with a stern glare etched on his face. He had messy black hair and sharp brown eyes, his face was shaped rather nicely, and he had a tall, lean build along with tanned skin.
"Who are you?" he asked in an angry voice.
"I—I'm sorry…!" I said immediately, afraid of the aura he was emitting. "I—I'm from Fairy Tail! I'm h—here for the request you sent!"
"Huh?" He raised an eyebrow at me suspiciously. "Fairy Tail sent only one mage for this job?"
"W—Well… it was my companions' first time coming to this town, so they're kinda… preoccupied with the sights right now…" I explained, still freaked out by the angry vibes coming off of him.
He glared at me once more before his expression suddenly cleared. "I see, I see!" He laughed, and I watched him in shock. Suddenly, his face was bright and friendly, and the aura he gave off was now warm and hospitable. "Well, come in, young lady! Let us talk about that request I sent, shall we?"
I stood there in the doorway, still frozen in shock at the instant change in his demeanour. M—Mood swings…? I thought, sweatdropping comically.
"Hey, girlie." Suddenly the furious aura was back, and he was glaring at me like never before. "Don't just stand there looking like a stupid blonde! It's rude not to enter someone's house after giving them permission, remember that!"
My jaw dropped. Yep, he's actually bipolar! Oh my gawd. What on Earthland have we gotten ourselves into…?
And just one more thing—I AM blonde!
—×ו××—
"My name is Ran Kiltey. I am the son of the mayor in this town," he introduced as he poured tea for both of us. "I asked guilds for help because I am deeply in need for someone whose astrology is connected with the planet Mercury."
"Why would you need someone like that?" I asked, puzzled.
"I cannot state my reasons, and for that, I apologize, Fairy Tail wizard." His expression was pained. "However, I assure you that I have no intentions of causing harm to that person. What I can only tell you is that my family is a huge believer in superstitions. We take pride in our motto: 'There is bad luck in those who reside in endless time and dimensions, and those who affiliate are just as doomed. Bad luck must be destroyed, must be fixed, for the end justifies the means.'"
"…That is an eerie motto," I said quietly, gauging his expression. Something about what he said gave me the chills. Also, there was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind, a feeling of… foreboding?
Maybe we shouldn't have taken this job after all…
"All right," I said, giving him a determined stare. "We'll get on it right away. How can we find this person? Does it have to be a very specific one?"
…but a Fairy Tail mage does not give up so easily.
Besides, if it is something that endangers others, I must look into it and take care of it as quickly as possible.
I exist solely for that reason, after all.
Ran's face melted into a relieved smile. "Thank you so much. I am in your debt. And yes, it is someone specific." His hand slid inside his pocket, and a few seconds later he revealed an elegant-looking bracelet with a transparent gem in the center. "It is someone whom I've known for years. It is necessary that I find him as soon as possible. This jewelry will help you find him. I have heard that he sometimes comes to this town, so it will be a matter of chance. It will glow green when he is nearby. His name is Markov."
I took the bracelet from his hands. "We will find him, I assure you."
He smiled. "I am sure you will." Immediately, he gave a burning glare. "What're you still doing here then, huh?! Get out, will ya?!"
"Haiiiiii~!" I said instantly, completely freaked out.
—×ו××—
"Where are they?" I sighed, still looking for my teammates. I had searched the shops and the places they were excited to go to, but they weren't there anymore.
Where could they be?
Suddenly, I felt a kind of sizzle on my wrist. My eyes locked onto the bracelet and I saw that it was glowing.
Markov is somewhere around here…! I realized, scouring the perimeter. But there were a lot of people around, and most of them were women. It was then that I spotted a man walking around alone and began to go towards him.
Apparently, there was a fallen bag on the ground, so I tripped on it. Rather ungracefully, I might add.
I braced myself for the impact, but it never came. Opening my eyes, I stared at the face of my rescuer.
To my surprise, it was Loke. His arm was wrapped around my waist, and his eyes were wide.
"Lucy!" he exclaimed, as if only just realizing that it was me. He immediately took a few steps away from me, looking terrified as he did so. "I—I—You—You should be more careful next time! Bye!"
"Wait!" I called out, running towards him as fast as I could. I grabbed him by the wrist so that he wouldn't go any farther. "Wait! I have something to ask you!"
He sobered up almost immediately, searching my eyes. "Wh—What is it…?" he asked hesitantly, but made no move to run away. He must have seen the seriousness in my expression.
"Are you familiar with your astrology?" I asked, looking at him straight in the eyes.
His face instantly harboured a shocked and horrified expression. "…What did you just say?" He almost stumbled in his words.
"I'm looking for someone whose astrology is associated with the planet Mercury," I elaborated. "Are you?"
I didn't know if I was imagining the poorly concealed relief in his expression, but it faded just as quickly as it appeared.
"No," he said softly. "I am more inclined towards the sun."
"Oh." I let go of him, giving him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for grabbing you like that. It's just that… you always run away when you see me."
"I—I'm sorry as well…" He looked sheepish, and it struck me at that moment that he looked nothing like the notorious playboy he was known for. "I can't help it. You're so…—"
I tilted my head, wondering why he left his sentence hanging in the air. "I'm… what…?"
"Never mind. It wasn't that important," he said, looking away. "Ne, Lucy…"
"…Yes?"
He looked so conflicted with himself that I felt sorry for him. Just what had happened to him that made him be this broken? Was it the Celestial Mage that Mira talked about?
Is that why he's so cautious around me? Does he think that I'm like that person?
"I… never mind me again, Lucy. I'd better go. I'm currently on a job right now. Bye!"
He was gone before I could even question him.
Loke… He was definitely a mystery.
"Lucy!"
I turned my head towards the source of the voice and found myself looking at an irritated-looking Gray holding up a sleeping Natsu and Happy (who was perched on the former's shoulder).
"I found him dozing off in the streets with his stomach full. Damn idiot, wouldn't budge even after I kicked him…" Gray said, annoyed.
Despite myself, I giggled. "Would you like some help?" I offered.
"Nah," he declined. "He's pretty heavy. I can take him."
"Have you seen Erza anywhere, though?" I asked.
"We met up earlier. She said that she's going to check us in at the May Hotel. I was just about to drop these two off there and look for you. I'm glad I found you on the way," Gray said, giving me a smile.
"Well, let's get going, then," I said, walking with him side by side. "By the way, I met up with the client."
He gave me a sidelong glance. "So? How did it go?"
"He gave me this bracelet to track down the person. It glowed earlier, but I was… occupied," I said vaguely, not finding it in myself to talk about my weird encounter with Loke. "I'll fill you guys in later. We'll just start the search tomorrow morning. It's more efficient if all of us look for him together, especially if he's dangerous."
Gray nodded. "You've got a point there."
—×ו××—
Tomorrow came faster than we thought. In the early morning, the five of us searched the town, but to no avail. It was then decided that we find Markov in the nearby forest; maybe he was just leaving the city.
"You know, Lucy," Erza began as we trudged the hard sands, "I do not trust the words of the client."
I turned to her in surprise, yet I was interested in hearing her answer. "Why do you say that, Erza?"
"'Those who reside in endless times and dimensions…" Gray muttered. "Doesn't he mean some sort of time traveler?"
"Or someone who lives an eternal life, perhaps?" Erza added.
My blood instantly ran cold.
Before I could think about it, though, a beam of light hit the ground just about a hair's breadth away from us. It was shocking; none of us had even sensed it coming!
What is this magic...?
Natsu immediately went alert and surveyed his surroundings. "Hey..." he said, sounding confused. "I can't smell anybody here..."
"...My body temperature... Ugh, it's hot...!" Gray exclaimed in disbelief.
"Hey, it's cold!" Natsu yelled. "What the hell's goin' on?!"
It was then that I felt it. Something foreign inside my body...
Oh my g—
"Natsu! Gray!" I shouted. "Try using your magic!"
Both boys looked at me for a moment before nodding.
"Fire Dragon's Fist!"
"Ice Make: Shield!"
Then they both chorused: "WHAAAAAT!?"
Erza and I stared at the scene before us, our eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.
Natsu's fists were not laden with fire; instead, ice covered them.
Gray's hands were not emitting ice; instead, flames were exerted from his palms.
Their magic... was swapped...!
END of EPISODE 9—10
Next time: Episode 11—Revelation
A/N: Woohoo! An arc I'm a little excited about! It covers the Loke arc as well, so stay tuned! Thank you so much to my faithful readers, and I'm sorry for my long absence. It's very complicated for me to explain, but I do have a reason.
By the way, [SPOILER ALERT] I know that E.N.D. is Natsu, but... well, you'll see.
