Her Faithful Shadow

Lady Countryrose

Ch. 14

Lucy was out in the hallway. Waiting for her pending dome. At least that's what she felt like she was doing. She had seen Wendy, their little Sky Dragon Slayer. The healer of Fairy Tail, had rushed into the room not long ago.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO HER!" Wendy managed to loud enough to where the guild had heard her. But none knew who she was talking about.

Cobra had taken up to himself to sit in the makeshift hospital next to Hermione. Lucy didn't know why he would want to, other than being the one to catch her in her trip to Earthland. 'He has become a mystery, since Hermione came back…' She almost wanted to go in there and demand that he tell her. Why he was close to her cousin? But she knew the Poison Dragon Slayer to know that he wouldn't provide one.

Since the guild master's office was near the hospital room. Everyone that is part of the Thunder Legion was within, waiting on what's going on with Hermione. But Lucy couldn't find herself to do so. She wanted to be near. So when she woke up, she would the line of fire that she knew her would need against her anger.

When they were younger, Lucy remembered Hermione's anger quiet well. It could go of two ways. Hermione would be so silent that she wouldn't want to talk to you...even for days. Or she could flat out yell at you until she was blue in the face. Once either of those things happened, then she would start asking questions. At that stage, you better answer them or more quiet or yelling will occur if she didn't hear the right answers.

Either way, Lucy knew that she wouldn't win. All she had to do was stay nearby. Her nerves were shot, she was worried about her cousin's health. She was even waiting on Wendy to come out to tell her what was taking so long for her to heal Hermione. All she knew was that her mind was chasing too many thoughts at the same time. She was kind of relieved and surprised that Cobra hadn't came out and yell at her to be quiet.

"Your thoughts are enough to drive out that sounds of her pain!" She had heard him yell through the door.

'I guess I'm helping him more than I realize,' Lucy had thought kindly. 'What was the last time I had seen Hermione? It has been years…'

At the moment her thoughts drove her back in time. Back when all three girls were in Lucy's room. Each one of them having a book in hand. Seating at the window seat over the garden. A lightning storm was just rolling in at a distance, it was calming.

Lucy glanced up from her book of Celestial Magic History. Seeing Lacy reading a children's book about random ghost stories. While Hermione was reading an Encyclopedia book. It looked like Hermione and Lucy were about eight years old and Lacy being much younger.

"Do you really have to move, Hermione," Lucy had asked her. "Why do you have to move to another world? Why can't to stay here?"

"I don't know Lucy," answered Hermione with sorrow in her voice. "All I know is mum and dad want to move…" Her eyes became lost in focus. Moving her wild crazy hair out of her eyes, but kept trying to move back to where it was. "I just know that they had heard...about a school that I should be apart of."

"What kind of school," asked a high-pitched voice of Lacy.

"A magic school," stated Hermione with a smile gracing her lips. "A school that would teach me more than one kind of magic." She shrugged. "I can't wait to start, but sadly I won't be able to start until I'm twelve. Because they don't want anyone below the age of eleven to start. Plus school starts before my eleventh birthday."

"How do you know this school," asked Lucy. She had never heard about a school that would teach magic.

"Do you remember my mom having a gift of sight. Well," Hermione smiled fondly. "...she told me about the school is calling me. That I need to be there...and help destiny along."

It was that moment that Lucy knew that she might not see Hermione again. But some time after she had started school, she was able to send the bracelets to Lucy and Lacy. Stating that if something ever happened, they were to get a hold of her that way. She had even forced them to memorize the summoning spell that the two had used to get her to Earthland.

"WHO IN THE HELL WOULD CARVE A WORD LIKE THAT INTO LIVING FLESH," cried out Cobra. Causing everything within the guild to glance towards the hospital area.

Lucy ran towards the door that would lead her to Hermione. When she opened it, she found her cousin laying in one of the beds. It was when she saw Hermione's arm. A word that she had read from one of her letters.

"She doesn't have dirty blood," growled out Cobra. Lucy could only guess that he read her soul. "Not just yours, Bright Eyes. But I see hers as well, as well as the one that did that to her."

"Who," Lucy asked. Hearing her voice quiver for the nightmare that her cousin had gone through.

"Some crazy ass bitch that's hell-bent on making your cousin's life, a living hell. Hunting her and her friends down, before they would end the crazy's boss. A man more snake-like than me." Cobra glanced up, showing his anger in his purple eye. "Don't be surprise, if you find me following her from now on."

"Just...please…"

"I won't hurt her," he stated in a voice that she had never heard before. Full of warmth and seriousness. It was both comforting and fearful. "She's going to need someone to watch her in this world of ours."

Tears leaked out of her eyes. "Cobra…"

Wendy walked away from Hermione with her own tears. "There isn't much I can do. Even that word can't be healed by my own magic. Sadly it will stay with her." She started going through things for potions and bandages. "I'll do what else I can do but mainly, she'll have to heal on her own."

"She's going to hate me," whispered Lucy, as she leaned against the wall.

"Bright Eyes," growled the Poison Dragon Slayer. "I hope you don't get into a habit of saying that!" He had taken a deep breath. "From what I could see and hear from the tidbits of her soul. She doesn't hate you…"

Lucy was about to say something but her raised his hand. Causing her to stop. "But...she could be anger because of her wanting to help her friend with the war. But she won't hate you…"

"What war," she asked with a hint of fear in her voice.

"Between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort." Lucy gasped as her skin became pale. Covering her mouth with her hand. As images of letters flashed through her mind's eye. "Between the fated boy and the dark wizard that she wrote about." The sound of his voice became dark and raspy. "More dark and twisted than Brain was…"

Lucy nodded as she closed her eyes. "I know who you're talking about… Harry was Hermione's best friend turned brother. According to Hermione's letters, Voldemort had targeted Harry since a baby. Killing off Harry's parents and friends...all because of a prophecy stating that Harry. Had the power in stopping the dark wizard…"

Cobra nodded, "I've seen as much from her soul." He glanced up when Lucy had opened her brown eyes. "Did you know that her and her friends had faced evil things since the ages of eleven and twelve?"

"Yeah," she shook her head with sorrow in her eyes. "It was something that we would argue in our letters. Her saying that she couldn't turn her back on her friends. While I'm yelling at her that she needed to tell her parents everything. She would answer that they would take her out of a place that her heart-felt like she belonged."

Lucy took a deep breath, while tears leaked out of her eyes. "I don't know if she knew that she was killing me slowly… Not knowing if I would ever see my beloved cousin alive again." She wrapped her arms around her, hoping to feel something...anything. "It felt like I was losing her in someway… I just hoped it wasn't through death."

"Heartfilia," the Poison Dragon Slayer's soft voice caused Lucy to jerk up to see him looking at her. "Don't give up on her...not when you see her breathing...living. She's right her...allow your faith of her knowing that she will live."

"Why," she gasped out. "Why are you helping, Cobra? What are you not telling me," she demanded as he looked into his dark purple eye. Making her know that she would testing his patience with her.

When she didn't get an answer from Cobra, like she wanted. It was Wendy that spoke. "It's because he wasn't raised by a dragon," causing the two to look at her. "He doesn't know...that your cousin is his mate…"

Cobra gaped at Wendy, making Lucy feel a little better knowing. That he truly didn't know. "You better be joking squirt, because I don't do romance…"

Wendy gave him a knowing smile before coming over to the sleeping girl. She gave Hermione potion after potion before going to the engraved word on the right arm. She then put some paste before wrapping it up.

"I'm not joking, Cobra. She's you're mate, the one that you're inner dragon will only see as your love interest." Wendy gave a slight wiggle of a shake, once she was done wrapping Hermione's arm. "Oh, this is so exciting," she blushed kindly. "It's not everyday that one finds their mate…"

Lucy glanced at Cobra with worry and saw him gaping at the small Dragon Slayer. It was almost comical, if she was willing to laugh. But she wasn't brave to do so. Not when the Poison Dragon Slayer could kill anyone within reach. She saw that Cobra was really having a hard time with it. Because he had gotten up and started pacing the room, it was when everyone knew not to get in his way.

"Shit," he grumbled loud enough for Lucy to hear him. "What am I going to do? This changes things…"

Lucy glanced down, when she noticed that Hermione was moving around a little bit. 'Does this mean that Cobra has started to having feeling for my cousin?' She glanced up for a moment. She could tell that he hadn't heard her or it was ignoring her. Either way, she was glad that he didn't lash out at her.

Hermione's eyes popped open after a while of her moving from side to side. Her eyes moved to where Lucy was sitting. Causing the blonde to sit still, she didn't know what kind of mood that her cousin had woke up being. She just hope it wasn't enough to cause harm.

Something must have caused Cobra to stop pacing. Then he glanced at Hermione with a raised eyebrow. It was the only warning she had, because Hermione waved her wand towards Lucy. Within a split second a yelp left Lucy's lips before her clothes changed before everyone eyes. Turning her skirt into shorts, as well as moving her shirt around to where it was covering her cleavage.

"That's for not having enough clothes on," growled Hermione as she sat up in bed. Glaring at the blonde with heat in her eyes. Then she waved her wand again, causing Lucy to fall down upon the ground. "That is for taking me away from my friends before my war was over!"

Cobra started chuckling, "Oh! I like you, sweetheart!" His lips pulled into a smirk, leaning against something, trying to look cool. "It's about time that someone put Bright Eyes in her place."

Hermione's brown eyes turned to focus on the man within the room. "Great, another man who has to have a nickname or pet names for everyone."

"Ooooh, darling." His purple eye sparkling at her. "I love it when you're feisty," he purred at her.

Hermione waved her wand towards Lucy again. Allowing the blonde to get back to her feet again. Glaring at Hermione, "I've worked so hard on a look that was my own!"

"Tell me," stated Hermione with a huff. "Did you pick that look because your father wouldn't approve of that? Or was it because you wanted people to notice you?"

"I guess," Lucy thought for a moment. "A little bit of both."

"Has anyone tried to rip your clothes off," asked Hermione.

Cobra laughed. "That is one of the reasons why Salamander had burned your clothes off," replied the Poison Dragon Slayer.

The young woman in the bed glanced at the blonde. Lucy sighed, "I guess there is a lot of things for you to catch up on." She waved towards the maroon haired male that was in the room. "His name is Cobra…"

"Erik," he corrected. "My real name is Erik."

The blonde growled, as she closed her eyes for a moment. "Erik...is what our would call a Poison Dragon Slayer."

"A dragon slayer," asked Hermione with a thoughtful look. "As...to kill dragons?"

"To put it simply, yes," answered Cobra. "Unlike normal mages, we each have an element that we have our dragon slaying abilities from. For instance, since I'm a poison element, I can eat all kinds of poisons...even bleach."

"Fascinating," Hermione stated dryly. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, groaning. "Ah, I'm not not liking this pain." She took a deep breath, placing her hands on her ribs. "How in the hell did I get hurt?"

Lucy gave a slight smile. "It's a good thing I brought you back home." Her eyes shone with warmth. "Or you could find yourself dead or something." Hearing her tone become a hint of a chill to it, seeing as Hermione shivered before her eyes.

Hermione fell back against the headboard with a massive sigh. "Well...I guess there is that," she stated with hollowness in her voice. After awhile of whatever was running through her head. Her focus was back to Lucy. "So, why did you call me?"

"My magic is about to destroy this world, Hermione!"

The other worldly woman gave a slight glare. "Can you explain that to me, without so little information?"

Lucy grumbled, but managed to calm herself down. "There are some bad people out there that had found an artifact that deals with Celestial magic. They're looking for a key that would get them to that artifact that would cause the end of the world…"

"Do you even know what this artifact is or what else it does?"

"We found," Lucy glanced away shyly. "That the artifact is made of silver and gold, a flute that was once made to bring light into this world. A light that also had brought life. Life that also brought the first...of everything to the world."

Hermione nodded, closing her eyes for a moment. "Who...used this life of the world flute?"

"The gods..." Lucy didn't know if Hermione would listen to her about any of it. There were many things that were written about legends that many of them didn't make sense.

"Other than you," stated Hermione, as she opened her eyes. "Who else is going after this flute? I can only imagine that many are going along on this...adventure."

Lucy nodded, "You would be right. But you need you're rest, Hermione. There is no reason for you to hurry up and get more hurt."

"Wrong," the brown-haired woman stated harshly. "If it's important for you to call me HERE! Then it's important for me to get out of this BED and find this flute. Now...when do we leave?"

The door opened to the built-in hospital room. Showing many people standing around the door. A massive blonde-haired male gave a smirk. "We leave at first light," stated Laxus before glancing towards Lucy. "I agree with your cousin, Blondie. It's better to go and find it, then wait around for it to cause issues later."

"That wasn't the point, Laxus and you know it!" She waved her hand towards the woman in bed. "She's still healing!"

Cobra spoke up, "I can carry her, while she heals, Bright Eyes. That way, we can still head out. And I can only imagine that Pip Squeak here," he pointed towards Wendy. "...will be coming with us anyway."

"Yep," answered the young Dragon Slayer. "You're healing nicely, but want to keep on a few of your wounds. Especially the one on your arm."

Hermione turned towards the area of which the young...lady was talking about. The carved word that forever labeled her of what she was. A blood status that she had no control of being. All because her parents were muggles. Images flashed through her head, it was enough to where she heard Cobra growling near her.

"What's wrong," asked Lucy with worry in her voice.

"Images of her war," answered Cobra with deep hatred in his voice. "Believe me sweetheart," he looked into Hermione's eyes. "If I knew them...I would kill them for you."

Hermione didn't know if she should be happy to hear those word. Or feel sick, knowing that there was someone who would do something against those that hurt her. She just didn't know how to feel. Except to scoot back down the bed and lay down. Allowing sleep to overtake her. Knowing that she would have a long night of nightmares to face...sooner or later.

"Come on everyone," stated Laxus at the door. "Let the girl sleep. Something tells me, she may not get much of it."

"I'll stay with her," growled Cobra in low tones. "I don't want her to be alone." From that moment everyone agreed. Hermione shouldn't be alone.

As Lucy walked away from the hospital room. One of the few thoughts that were rushing within her head. 'Have I done the right thing? By ripping her away from her friends...when they needed her too?' She had hoped that in the end, she had done what was right.