The Girl with the Celestial Tattoos
Chapter 24: Getting Situated
Lucy looked out the window of the train as it drove her back home to Magnolia where dark clouds were coming in fast despite the night being ever so present. She was glad that they decided not to book a room in a hotel in the village after accepting the payment for taking care of the Night Stalker. They had split the jewels evenly aside from the excess ten that Erza had lent to pay for her own ticket on the way there.
Erza was surprisingly out cold across from her, armored boots hanging unceremoniously into the walkway but she and Erza were one of the few passengers on the train so the ticket man didn't seem to mind or care. Lucy was surprised by her guild mate however as Erza wasn't one to let her guard down around anyone, anywhere except when she was alone (or in her dorm room... or Lucy's apartment).
Maybe their mission had been the start of a friendship between the two, if Erza trusted Lucy enough to sleep on a train, that is.
The blonde mage yawned suddenly and stretched her arms out over her head, encouraging herself to remain awake. She knew that Erza was trusting her to watch her back - awake - and falling asleep was not apart of the contract. She looked curiously at her friend whose red hair was splayed beautifully around her like a halo and was envious how her guild mate retained her beauty (even young) while sleeping on a train.
Not to mention how on earth was Erza sleeping on a train? She could understand when Natsu did it because he was either knocked unconscious by Erza or had to deal with his motion sickness. But Erza? With that armor on? Lucy shook her head, a pleasant grin gracing her expression. Fairy Tail and her guild mates; they were truly one of a kind.
Thunder suddenly rumbled in the distance and goosebumps skittered over her arms as her heart skipped a beat. Lucy swallowed and forced her head over to look out the window, again. "Ladies and gentlemen," Lucy snapped her head away from the window towards the intercom speaker where a man's voice was being amplified through. Suddenly she wasn't in the train anymore; the seats were gone and the carpet was replaced with cement and dirt floors. The windows were gone and in its place was blood stained walls where screams were forever engraved.
Erza was no longer Erza but rather Kalelius, lying dead with blood pooling out of the wound where a sword stuck out of his torso.
Thunder roared but instead it was from the audience, appreciating the death she inflicted upon her closest and dearest friends.
"We have our winner!" A laugh echoed through the train as Crow materialized at the back of the train. A familiar poker was held in one hand while his other hand was outstretched to the side as he gave Lucy his chilling, kind smile. "I don't want to be a winner," Lucy whispered as she looked at her jailer.
Two people materialized in front of Crow. The girl from the underwater battles she nearly killed kneeled on the right and the young boy Lucy watched Crow murder personally was on his left. "And as our Saint," Lucy closed her eyes at the title in not wanting to hear it. "You have the honor of who lives to die another day in battle and who dies right now."
Lucy looked over at Kalelius's body. "I'm not going to chose," she said with tears in her eyes.
"Why not? You've defeated enough of your comrades. How is killing them any different?" Crow said and with a gesture of his hand more people appeared from the air. There was the black haired boy she fought as an apprentice, the woman who struck her down as a knight, the man who believed he was going to be set free, and so many more. "That was different," Lucy denied, her eyes focused on the body torn apart by shrapnel in the corner. Her body burned in the memory of the grenade as though she could feel the shrapnel embedded in her once more.
"You made your decision the moment you decided you would fight your way out of my guild," Crow told her and pointed towards Kalelius, the girl she brought back underwater, and then himself. A scream pierced the air as Crow pressed the poker into the girl's collar bone, right where Lucy's own guild mark was. Lucy stared into the ceiling with her heels digging into the ground as she forced herself to block out the sight.
"Look at her!" Lucy shook her head. "Look at her!" Almost as though against her will Lucy found herself looking back at the scene but instead of Crow being there he was gone, along with everyone else but the girl. Lightning Chimera's guild mark staining her rags brightly in crimson red of her blood. She was no more than two steps away from her, a hand outstretched towards her face. "You died with me that day," the girl told her softly. "You will always be a slave of Lightning Chimera."
Lucy backed herself against the wall as she tried to escape the teenager in front of her.
"Because you brought me back to life in this hell. You let me live the life of a Chimera. You are no better than Crow!" Thunder roared and suddenly Crow replaced the girl and the arm was engraved with those familiar runes. "I'll see you in hell," he told her with a promising smile before his hand lit up with Lucy's in a familiar glow.
Lightning struck.
The train whistled. Lucy blinked through her tears and found that she was in the train compartment headed to Magnolia. She looked out the window and found the storm clouds departing as the sun began to rise. She quickly wiped her tears away but when they persisted she placed her right hand over her eyes and sobbed quietly. She didn't know if she had been dreaming or if she just imagined the whole thing but either way she felt as though she had stabbed herself through the chest.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Lucy flinched violently when the intercom turned on with those three words before reminding the passengers they had another fifteen minutes before arriving at Magnolia's station and held back a scream as her mind tried to break under the onslaught of memories. "You'll be-," she swallowed through her tears. "Okay. You'll be okay," she swore to herself as she wiped the rest of her tears away before tucking herself into the corner. She had never been so thankful that Erza slept like a rock but at the same time, she almost wished that the redhead had woken up and snapped herself out of the nightmare.
Of the life she once lived.
No. No, she had to stay strong. She had to fight this thing on her own, just as Natsu had. Right? She couldn't do this on her own but she also wasn't about to share her pain like booze in the guild. Lucy clenched her fists and jaw as she stared determinedly with a hint of anger at the roof.
Once she regained a hold on her dignity and breathing, she glanced at the window to scan her appearance and after ensuring she didn't look like the crying mess she was five minutes earlier she turned back to Erza.
"Erza? Erza, wake up." She told the redhead knowing better than to get any closer than where she was from previous (painful) instances. She couldn't blame the redhead for it now that she was rather alike (when she actually managed to get sleep in the first place) but also knew that Erza wouldn't be comfortable waking up anything other than earlier.
"Erza." She hissed more strongly, tempted to yell but knew that too was a terrible idea on its own.
"Mgh," the redhead groaned unintelligently making Lucy snicker at her guild mate. "Come on, girl. Wake up." Lucy persisted, tapping her foot every ten beats before nagging her guild mate again. The armored girl shifted slightly before sitting up and turning, eyeing the blonde through heavy lidded eyes. "How long?"
"Fifteen minutes, maybe ten considering it took five minutes to wake you up," Lucy teased easily and Erza even cracked a smile before waving her hand dismissing Lucy's statement. "Give me another five and we'll be even."
"For what?" Lucy asked disbelieving and confusing.
Erza winked (actually winked!) at her and swiftly replied, "Distracting that creature last night remember." Lucy flipped her hair over her shoulder before slapping her hands on the table startling the both of them by the noise. "Hold up, I'm the one who saved your butt back there, in case you've forgotten."
Erza narrowed her eyes at Lucy in challenge and the blonde didn't back down. Instead Erza shook her head before raising her hands in a surrendering manner. "Alright, then. I guess we're even already."
Lucy opened her mouth to reply with sarcasm before shaking her head, deciding she didn't even know what she would be arguing for anymore. While the two made themselves look half-way decent for the view (and also for Fairy Tail) they managed to be approached by a nervous looking train worker who spoke uncertainly in regards to unloading Erza's luggage who merely tipped the man a nice ten jewels and before either knew it they were on the street towards the guild where Erza was staying in Fairy Hills nearby.
"Do you think the landlord/lady will be up at this time?" Lucy asked her guild mate unsurely. Erza, unfortunately, shook her head. "I doubt it. Though Fairy Hills is named after Fairy Tail the guild has no ties with the apartment complex so approaching our landlady would be the same as waking up any other civilian at this hour."
"So not a good idea, got it." Lucy said with a downcast sigh.
The redhead halted beside Lucy causing the blonde to do the same before looking curiously at her guild mate who was shifting nervously on her feet. "You can stay with me until she's up though, if you want."
"I don't want to impose, Erza-"
Erza gave Lucy a reassuring smile and the blonde could detect the honesty in her brown eyes and so, Lucy shrugged but relented.
"Alright Erza, but just this morning. I really don't want to impose-" When Erza sent her a stern look regarding the same topic Lucy sighed with a chuckle and the two were silent for the rest of the walk.
Once they were all situated and Erza had reequipped her luggage before unloading it into her room (so that they could pass through the doorway), Lucy found herself marveling at the clearly well-cared for weapons presented on the walls. The room was average but could fit to beds all the same but at the cost of a small kitchen. There was also a bathroom with a shower that practically called out to Lucy but as Erza's guest, she ignored the call and tried not to gawk at Erza's expressive room set-up.
"You can have the bed, and I'll-" Erza began only for Lucy to firmly put her foot down. "No. I'm you're guest so I'll take the couch."
Erza, naturally, took her argument as a challenge and pushed.
"Exactly, and as my guest-"
"No-"
"Lucy!"
A thump echoed loudly throughout the room when Lucy literally sat down on the floor with her back settled comfortably against the wall. "If not the couch than I'll be on the floor. End of argument." Lucy finalized with a determined look that rendered even Erza sighing. "Alright, fine."
Lucy smirked in victory before (un-) gracefully situated herself on the couch and threw a warm green blanket over her body. She pointed her left hand at Erza with a warning look in her eyes as she told the redhead, "and if you so much as try to remove me from this couch while I'm sleeping it will not be pretty."
In response the sound of metal was replaced with silence as the requip mage redressed into her pajamas via magic and the sound of blankets ruffling assured Lucy that the redhead was indeed going to bed.
"I mean it Erza."
A sigh, and then the lights switched off. "Good night, Lucy."
The blonde smiled through the darkness before her eyes closed in exhaustion.
"Night, Erza."
Lucy didn't dream of much at all that night. Instead of the night terror she had on the train she received images that hardly made much sense to her. There were stars, clock towers, tsunamis, and monsters. All at different angles. The dream neither left her disturbed nor did it give her a sense of joy. At least she wouldn't be waking up in the familiar cold sweats she had accustomed to in Lightning Chimera. Sometimes Kalelius helped her sleep with his calm breathing alone but other times they couldn't be stopped and would leave her shivering until the heat of the battle and test of survival was high in her adrenaline.
When she did wake up she found that Erza was already up and in the shower leaving Lucy to all but throw herself into Erza's dainty kitchen where her she attempted to silence her stomach. Erza was already kind enough to allow her to stay the night, raiding her fridge of food wasn't the friendship level Erza and Lucy were at yet. That was like best friend worthy and Natsu only gained that title early because... actually, she didn't know why.
"Maybe it was just a young and stupid sort of thing," she mumbled to herself just before the bathroom door opened and Erza came out with her hair wrapped in a towel and dressed in her casual armor. "How long have you been up?" Lucy asked curiously, wondering how the redhead lacked the ever-present bags that adorned her own face.
"About an hour. Did you sleep alright on the couch?" Erza said with a stern look. Lucy snorted and rubbed her morning headache gently.
"Don't give me that look, Erza. You wanted to sleep on the couch too, you know."
Erza smirked and placed a hand on her hip before replying. "Yes, and yet I insisted on you having my bed. Did you think it was broken or something?" She said with a wink.
Lucy rolled her eyes and stood up from the counter. "No. But the way you were reacting I should think that your couch would fall through the roof."
"That's a little unethical, don't you agree?"
Lucy groaned and shuffled towards the bathroom. "Yes! Yes, Erza. I agree. Hence the entire purpose of this conversation."
"Still exhausted, I see?" Erza asked just as Lucy stepped into the bathroom.
The blonde looked over her shoulder with one hand already on the door as she replied, "Oh Erza, you have no idea." With that she closed the door behind her and breathed in the steam left from Erza's shower before turning the knob on cool to help wake her up for the day (and because hot water was costly). Lucy found herself surprised to find the casual scented products that weren't strawberry scented. Although perhaps that was why Erza enjoyed crashing baths and showers at her place so often because she used strawberry scented shampoo back then, albeit with vanilla everything else.
Lucy shook the thoughts from her mind and quickly got herself cleaned up before pulling on the same (and only) clothes she had from yesterday. Using her fingers she got rid of the tangles from her battle and sleep before splashing her face with cold water until her appearance was deemed worthy for the outside world. She stared deeply into the mirror and concentrated on the dull glint in her silver/grey eyes. "No better than Crow," she whispered as she stared at her lightning scarred arm.
A knock jolted her from her thoughts and Lucy quickly opened the door to find Erza looking at her curiously but before she could get a word out the blonde was already halfway towards the door. "Sorry, I was just fixing my hair."
Erza nodded and removed a hair tie from her wrist before placing her hair in her signature pony tail.
"I take it you can find the landlady's office on your own," Erza asked her as she opened up her door. Lucy shrugged. "How hard could it be?" Erza smiled and with a click of her boots she had turned the corner with Lucy three steps behind her. "Then I'll see you at the guild, good luck." The blonde watched as the redhead left and shook her head with a smile. "Right? How hard could it be?" Lucy muttered to herself as she took a turn in the opposite direction.
Turns out, everything wasn't as easy as Lucy expected it to be. The Fairy Hills Landlady/Keeper wasn't nearly as kind as her own at Strawberry Lane (which was implying a lot) and honestly was beginning to compare Aquarius with the woman. "And no pets!"
"But-" Lucy tried to intervene knowing that Wendy somehow managed to smuggle Chelia into Fairy Hills.
"No pets!" The brown, curly haired woman (Hilda) denied. Her red lipstick bright in contrast to her dull (angry) green eyes. Her skin was dark but red in her fury of strict law. "No loud parties, no drinking excessively-"
"Excessively?" Lucy cut-in but the woman continued as though she hadn't spoken.
"No smoking with the windows closed, no loud noises of intercourse-" Lucy choked at those words and the woman snarled at her before continuing. "No fights, no magic, no men in the dorms or you'll be evicted before you can say 'oops'."
"No discounts, no special treatment. You can design your room the way you want so long as it does not interfere with the other tenants. You can also have multiple rooms however every room is double your rent due. If you have any concerns regarding your stay here that you do not feel comfortable sharing with me," Lucy shifted uneasily at the look the woman sent her. "You can take it up with Ruchio, the owner of Fairy Hills."
"You mean you're not the owner?" Lucy asked surprised. The woman sent her a scathing look. "That's what I said, hadn't I?"
Lucy sighed as the woman found herself in a one-sided conversation. "If you miss a day of payment you will be evicted and all your belongings will be thrown to the curb. If I catch any pets in your dorm you are gone."
When the woman finally seemed to be finished Lucy waited a moment just to ensure the landlady didn't have anything more to add. "Am I clear?"
"Crystal," she mumbled. The woman nodded pleased with herself. "Payment is up front, I'll give you the the dorm room on the sixth floor in room 61D."
"How much?" Lucy asked, hoping it would fit the mission reward she received. She wasn't looking forwards to fighting another monster like the Night Stalker any time soon. Give her another few days of relaxation and she'll be willing to go on another mission again.
"100,000 Jewels per month."
Lucy eyebrows rose in surprise. She had thought it was more than that even though her own apartment was thirty jewels less the first time around.
"Each room should be big enough to suit your interests and provide you with your own private bathroom. There is however a shared bathing room on the bottom floor on the south side, and there are no windows so you won't have to worry about any intruders," Lucy shivered slightly at the idea of some creep watching her guild mates bathe in the shadows. "Try not to make a mess in the baths. Any flooding or tile damage will be added to your dues."
Lucy thought of her body scars and decided she wasn't too fond of the idea of going to the open bath areas. "The dormitory's basement contains the Resource Room but any books you do not return or damage-"
"Goes on my rent due?" Lucy guessed. The woman eyed her thoughtfully. "You're catching on then. Good, we need more tenants that are capable of individual thought."Lucy muffled a smile at the implications of the insult towards her female guild mates. "You'll find the lobby right by the main entrance. Same rules apply there as I stated before in the dorms," the woman said with a stern look.
"If I may ask," Lucy drawled slowly. "Why aren't pets allowed?"
The woman narrowed her eyes at her before sighing - relenting. "One of our tenants previously had a separate dorm filled with animals she had been sheltering from the streets."
"That's sweet."
The woman nodded with a frown. "Sure it was, until the animals started fighting among each other and bred like cockroaches. We were finding snakes in the baths for months afterwards." Lucy bit her tongue at the reaction the tenants must've had to that. Still, she wondered how both Bisca and Wendy talked their way into having pets in their dorm rooms. Perhaps it was only a matter of time, Lucy decided.
She wasn't going to leave Rokon to live on the streets though, he's done that long enough. She'd find a way to sneak him in. After all, the worse thing that could happen would be Rokon getting caught in her room and getting evicted out of Fairy Hills. It would suck but she would live on the streets with Rokon before leaving him behind while she lived comfortably in the dorms.
"Thanks," Lucy said as she handed the jewels to Hilda. The woman pursed her lips as she double checked the jewel amount. "Don't thank me yet. You haven't seen how rowdy Fairy Tail is yet."
Lucy shook her head to hide her growing smile. She had a pretty good idea how rowdy Fairy Tail was. Her only problem was the night terrors. She wasn't a screamer after waking up from nightmares but if she was hallucinating before even a week of freedom had passed, she knew the worse was yet to occur. Maybe she could sleep as minimal as possible to keep her from having dreams. To sleep just enough to stay on her feet but not enough to leave her worn out mentally.
"Well, here are the keys to Room 61D, don't lose them!"
Lucy nodded in understanding that it would be just another thing she would have to pay for, should she try to bend the rules. Unfortunately for Hilda, that was just something she was willing to do for Rokon. As the Keeper walked away Lucy headed towards her dorm room to check it out, and also because she wasn't just ready to return to the guild. Call it nerves, but for the first time since she joined Fairy Tail all those years ago, she never felt social anxiety until she lost them all.
And there was also the affliction with Lightning Chimera, but that was something Lucy had a feeling only time would heal.
The keys jingled as she turned the lock before opening the door to what would be her second home (Fairy Tail coming in first) and she had to say she wouldn't have to worry about feeling claustrophobic any time soon. The best way to describe the room was that it was spacious with a large floor to ceiling window on the left wall (which she noted to get curtains or blinds for) where a kitchen stuck out in the corner consisting of a simple fridge, pantry, stove/oven, and a counter. She would need to get chairs.
There was a door leading to a bathroom on the right where there were no windows and looked the same as Erza's with a slightly wider room. She was already picturing where she would sleep. She didn't think her body was ready to settle back into a bed - the floor seemed more comfortable than that. Perhaps she would stick to the couch though: her back would have to get used to it again but the floor would remind her too much of her cage.
The cage.
Maybe a desk for writing (though she wasn't sure what to write anymore) or just for a place to read. Then again she could just do that on the couch. Lucy shook her head. She would think more about decorating her room when she had the ideas and the jewels. The back wall was rather plain and Lucy supposed that was because it separated her room with the other (she hoped the walls were thick) and spotted a vent on the right side wall near the corner.
Lucy checked the window and found that despite it looking to be one window all together it actually separated individually into three panels where the middle could be opened. It was quite strange, Lucy decided as she attempted to unlock the window locks.
After a hissed curse and a bruised finger, she got the blasted window open and breathed in the fresh air of the grasslands. She looked down and winced at the rose bushes below. She wondered if they were intentionally there to ensure that no one could sneak in or out via the window. The blonde smoothed her hand over the bricks and found them even and furnished. There was no chance she wound be able to climb up the window, just as she suspected.
"This is the only way though," she muttered to herself in consideration. She would think of something though, she had to. Whatever she did she had to do it quietly and away from curious eyes or open windows.
Lucy sighed and went to the door. She needed to get out more and train or something. She wouldn't be doing anything productive sticking around here, and it would give her a reason to avoid Fairy Tail. Mavis, I sounds like such a...
"Train first, then go to Fairy Tail." She decided, locking the door behind her softly. As she wandered through the building she found herself once again enthralled by the library and the lobby, only stopping momentarily to sigh dejectedly at the open bathing area. It looked like fun but she knew her body wouldn't be welcomed there. Too many questions would be brought up and too many stares. A chill went down her spine as she imaged all those eyes staring at her, lips turned as they frowned at her.
Besides she was a child, she could easily persuade anyone who came asking that she wasn't ready for such a socially testing situation.
When she reached the lobby though she found that she was not the only one awake that early in the morning (Erza was an early riser) but the guild did open early too, so she shouldn't have been so surprised. She could at least be grateful that Mirajane had her own place rented out with her siblings but that didn't mean she wanted to face anyone from Fairy Tail just yet.
What did you expect, Lucy? It's called Fairy Hills for a reason, dingus.
She wasn't sure if she should decide whether or not it was a comfort that she didn't know any of the mages that were up or not, and had an internally debate if she should strike up a conversation or stick to solitude.
Isolation, isolation, isolation - oh, what are you doing Lucy?
However just as Lucy turned to head towards the girl another mage came out from around the couch where the girl was sitting and engaged immediately in a cheery conversation. Lucy swallowed uncertainly and took a step back hesitantly before cursing under her breath for making a fool out of herself. She shook her head and turned back towards the door, determined to leave before she did anything else that made her feel more ridiculous than she had at that moment.
"Great way to start off the day, huh Lucy?" Great, my only entertainment is a conversation with myself. What the hell am I doing, Kalelius? Lucy looked up and found that she was walking along the side of the familiar rive bank and could just hear the man on the riverboat warning her to be cautious. Lucy grinned then, despite herself when the urge to leap into the water just to say 'what the hell' seemed all too consuming.
Footsteps interrupted her musing and Lucy paused at the familiar pitter-patter sound the footsteps were making. A bark caused her heart to skip a beat and for a moment Lucy was tempted to just jump right then and there just so she could claim she was hearing things from the water in her ears. Another bark and Lucy stopped breathing all together when she heard the metallic clinks behind her that reminded her so much of wind chimes.
She almost didn't turn around but she surprised herself by doing exactly that and she found herself looking at a large black dog with a ring of silver and gold keys clinking against each other in his mouth. "Rokon!" The dog that resembled a wolf so much leaped at her right then and there. Next thing she knew her back was hitting the water with a heavy but comforting weight on her and she gasped for air the moment her head broke through the surface and all but tackled her long-missed friend in the water, splashing water all over the place.
The wolf-dog was no longer the small pup she was forced to leave behind a year ago. Instead he was the size of a wolf and barked joyfully at her showing off his sharp, strong white teeth that seemed like they could bite through metal if he tried.
The blonde found herself speechless and all but hugged her lost companion tightly, her smile sincere in the rarest of moments as she welcomed her friend's return from what was no doubt the longest journey he faced since her disappearance. When Lucy pulled away she pulled herself up on the ledge, ignoring the cool air that caused her to shiver and helped pull Rokon up as well, scratching the dog behind his ears as he panted through the key ring.
"Thank you for taking care of my keys, Rokon." She told him softly, gently taking the keys from his mouth and held them softly but firmly in her grasp. "I knew I'd find you one day. What kind of best friend would I be if I let you down by losing them?" He told her with a bark making Lucy laugh lightly before shaking her hair of water followed by Rokon doing the same with his fur. "You would be my best friend either way. But you have no - well, actually you do know how much my celestial spirits mean to me. So, thank you." Rokon just nudged her shoulder in reply and Lucy stood up, looking at the state of her clothes: which were very wet.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out Pisces's key before adding it to her key ring with her other keys and smiled wistfully at her silver and gold friends. "Which one is that?" Rokon asked her after he shook the water out of his coat for the last time. "Pisces. Rokon, I've got a tale to tell you," she said as she took off her jacket in an attempt to twist the water out some more. A wet nose touched her lightning scarred hand and Lucy's eyes softened considerably as she took in Rokon's sad eyes.
"I'm okay, Rokon. Scars show that I'm moving on with my life, and besides I have you and Kalelius as my best friends to keep me going anyways." She told him with a smile as she pulled on the jacket once more. "Who's Kalelius?" Rokon asked curiously.
Lucy titled her head to the side before motioning the wolf-pup to follow her after she took a step forward. "Let's go on a walk, Rokon, and I'll tell you about it. It'll help dry my clothes, and your fur too."
Rokon lifted himself up to stand before following her in a light jog. "Alright, but afterwards we need to get some food. I've been traveling non-stop since I heard the news that you were here. Nice trick in finding me, by the way."
Lucy chuckled but nodded in agreement. "What can I say I'm a clever girl," when Rokon snorted at the comment Lucy gently knocked into the dog making him shake his head as he laughed.
"It's clever dog, not clever girl."
"Since when?" Lucy asked teasingly.
Rokon barked loudly, gaining some of the passing citizen's attention and the blonde was tempted to thrown him back into the river but managed to restrain herself.
"It's good to be by your side again, Luce."
Lucy smiled softly at her friend before looking into the cloudless blue sky in joy.
"It's good to have you back Rokon. It's been too long... too long."
Rokon sniffed slightly before jogging ahead of her. "You smell like a wet dog now though," he told her with a bark. Lucy narrowed her eyes but her smile betrayed what she was thinking. "And whose fault is that?" She asked before running after Rokon, grinning the entire way across Magnolia.
Perhaps it wasn't a bad start of the day after all. She had a place to stay, a guild (a family), friends, Kalelius (wherever he may be), Rokon, and all her keys. What was there to be upset about?
A sudden shiver rushed through her as a certain key glinted almost maliciously in the sunlight.
Aquarius... she beats Chimera any day.
This chapter was a bit relaxed but every story has them now and then. So, Lucy's handling a lot of things now but hey, Rokon's back! Tell me what you all think of the growing friendship between Erza and Lucy. Also, a quick note that (in case anyone needs to know) this is an AU so there will be some 'minor' changes. For instance Hilda is still alive (she died the previous year in the canon), a potential side effect of Lucy's capture in Lightning Chimera. Every change causes a chain reaction - so expect the unexpected!
I want to thank the following reviewers (Purple Marshmellows, Madiline Magnolia, raynisia, TheAliceHuntt, the real narnia, Scilar Avia, Mizuki00, Otaku Princess 04, xXLunarRayneXx, sable-rover, Natzed202, Guest) and all those who have followed and favorited!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail!
- Gothic Rain