It's Monday!
I mentioned a couple of chapters ago that Lyon has a has a permanent injury that gets in his way. That's actually inspired by the film. One of the things that left an impression on me from Anastasia's reunion with her grandmother was the way the old lady hobbled in with her cane, but stayed proud and strong. I thought about how I would do that here, and it occurred to me that giving Lyon a permanent injury would fit that bill. It ended up being a good choice, since it worked out conveniently for other things later on.
guest: I'm glad to see that I'm entertaining you! XD This site is my main platform for now, but one day, I hope to publish my own original fiction. (Then you won't have to wait for a weekly upload! XD) But until I get there, I appreciate your supporting through reviews and favoriting/following, or even just by reading all of my stories. It means a lot! Thanks all for the support! :)
Lily-ana: Estoy de acuerdo! Yo creo que si Jellal quiere hacer lo que sea necesario para estar con Erza, estarán muy felices juntos. Nada puede paran! :) Gracias por tu correo!
- K. Chandler
This was his last chance.
Gray had made that clear. With or without Eira, he would have one opportunity to launch an attack on the New Council before Gray had him grounded. Permanently.
Of course, Gray was right in his own way. Lyon knew that he had his limits and he knew how little he had left to give. He may have kept up his headstrong façade in front of Gray, but it was mostly so that he didn't have to admit defeat. The truth was, he had also given up on the notion of ever finding Eira.
The only reason he had kept going was because of what Eira symbolized. She was Master Ur's legacy. The product of her unwavering faith that her daughter was still alive. Lyon had taken up the mantle in his master's stead. He owed it to her to see things through to the end. He owed it to Eira to keep on trying. And as hopeless as it was, if there was even the slightest chance that Eira was sitting at Mirajane's, Lyon would walk to the ends of the earth.
Although, with the way everything hurt today, Mirajane's might as well have been the ends of the earth. Lyon cursed his useless body.
"Mirajane's, you said?" asked Lyon.
"You'll have to hurry," said Jellal.
"Aren't you coming along?"
Jellal gave a wry smile. "Ah, it's probably best if I stay away. I wouldn't want to interrupt," he said smoothly. "I'll just let myself out."
Lyon could tell a political line when he heard one. Jellal was a smooth talker, to be sure. Yet, something about him felt like a kindred spirit. He seemed like the sort of man who did what was necessary, if the circumstances dictated it. Lyon respected that.
Lyon nodded, rising out of his chair. "I'll be off then."
"Good luck," said Jellal.
Lyon hobbled out of his room, the ache in his knee like an electric pulse with every step.
Gray was putting away groceries in the kitchen. He must have run some errands while he was out earlier.
"Lyon!? Where do you think you're going?" asked Gray, looking bewildered, a carrot clutched in one hand.
"To meet our sister."
"Don't be stupid! We just talked about this!" snapped Gray, waving the carrot at him. "Lyon! Get back here! You shouldn't be—"
"Don't underestimate me, Gray. I am not an invalid, nor am I a child." Lyon gave a derisive smirk as he limped past. "You look terrifying with a root vegetable in your hand, by the way. I'm sure the Task Force would be cowering in fear if they could see you now."
Gray dropped the carrot with a huff. "At least tell me where you're going!"
"Why don't you ask the stranger with the scar? The one from the Wave Café. You're an idiot for turning him away. Just so you know."
"How do you know about that?" asked Gray.
Lyon paused to grin over his shoulder. "The walls have ears. You never know who's listening."
"Don't give me that!" growled Gray.
"Isn't that what they say these days?" deadpanned Lyon.
Since the New Council had taken over, that was truer than not. And it wasn't even the New Council that was the problem. Private Citizens had taken to doing their civic duty and reporting their neighbors. Nobody could be trusted anymore.
"Huh? You—Ugh! Lyon!"
Lyon smirked as he left a very confused Gray behind.
What would she do now? Where would she go? Could she return to Brago? Or would Simon have her arrested if she went back there?
Even if she wasn't in trouble with the Task Force, Erza wasn't sure she could go back. She'd never be able to look at things the same way after this. She felt like this journey had opened her eyes, and it was all thanks to Jellal.
Jellal.
Erza clenched her jaw so hard her teeth ached. She swept about the room, gathering her things. It didn't matter if she could go back to Brago or not. She wasn't staying here.
A sharp rap at the door interrupted her.
Jellal, probably, with another sorry excuse. Erza snorted.
"I thought I told you to leave," she said coolly. "I'm done with you."
"And after I came all this way?"
Erza turned, blinking in surprise. That wasn't Jellal. Erza dashed to the door to greet her visitor.
"I am so sorry about that," she said. "I thought you were someone else!"
"Evidently," he said. His words were clipped, but he didn't seem upset. If anything, his tone sounded amused.
"Would you like to sit down?" she asked quickly, noticing how the man was leaning against the door frame for support.
"Thank you."
The stranger limped inside. He didn't look old, but with his white hair and the way that he walked, Erza couldn't tell for sure. He sank down on the edge of the bed with a sigh of relief. He studied her silently, those dark eyes probing her cautiously.
His scrutiny made Erza squirm. "Do I know you from somewhere?" she asked.
"Perhaps," he said.
"What brings you here?" she asked. "I didn't know I had any friends in town," she added.
"I heard a rumor that a young woman from a prestigious magical lineage was staying here. I thought I'd check up on it myself."
Erza bit her lip, looking away. "I'm afraid to disappoint you," said Erza, once she had found her voice again.
"Oh?"
"I have no lineage to speak of. I'm a nameless nobody with no family and no home," she said bitterly.
"Is that right?" asked Lyon. "And here I thought I was dealing with my master's daughter."
"Your master?" echoed Erza. There was that word again. Ultear had used it yesterday when she was talking to Mirajane. Could he mean Guild Master?
"She was like a mother to me," the man continued, "so I suppose that would make the girl my… sister."
"Your sister…" repeated Erza.
"That's what the rumors call her, at any rate."
Erza's lips parted as she gave a soft gasp. "Then, you're…"
The man smirked. "You can call me Lyon," he said. "So, what brings you all the way to Magnolia? This isn't exactly a tourist destination."
"It's a long story…"
"I've got time."
"I met someone," confided Erza. "Someone who I didn't know as well as I thought," she added stiffly. "And he said—well, no, that's my fault. I thought that if I came to Magnolia, there was a chance that I'd learn more about my past. All I ever wanted was to know who I was," she admitted, her voice sorrowful.
"Did you find the answers you were looking for?" asked Lyon.
"No… but I don't think I'm the one you're looking for. I'm sorry this is what it came down to. I really am."
"Why don't you let me have a look at your magic?" he asked. "You do have magic, don't you?"
"Yes, but—"
"Show me."
Erza sighed and reluctantly shut her eyes. She felt the now-familiar pulse of her magic as she called upon her Frost Empress armor. Taking the sword into both hands, Erza brought it down, leaving the wall covered with a thick layer of ice. She put her armor away, returning it and the Elrys sword with a flash of light.
Lyon reached behind him, pressing his palm to the ice. His eyes narrowed as he examined it. Then he nodded, apparently satisfied.
"You're a powerful wizard," observed Lyon. "Albeit untrained, but powerful nonetheless. You really don't think you could be from one of the magical guild families of Old Fiore?"
Erza shook her head, offering a bittersweet smile. "I can't be," she whispered. "I wish it were true, but it's just not possible."
"You're a good actress. I'd almost believe you," said Lyon. Then he sighed, studying her again. "You have her smile," he pronounced finally.
Erza blinked in surprise. "Whose?"
"Your mother's. Her name was Ur."
"But, I'm not… I can't be…" said Erza, shaking her head. That couldn't be right. How could he know that when she wasn't even sure who she was?
"Can you not feel it? You belong with us, Eira," said Lyon, his voice soft. He reached for her, squeezing her shoulder.
"Eira?" asked Erza. She wasn't sure she believed him, but oh, how she wanted to!
"Eira," confirmed Lyon. "It means snow."
"Snow?" asked Erza, her mind going back to the wintry days at Rosemary Orphanage and fragments of memories in the cold, snowy mountains.
"Yes, sister," said Lyon. "Snow, like your mother's magic."
Snow. It sounded comforting. It sounded right.
Erza remembered the snow that fell near Rosemary, soft and pure.
For the first time in her life, Erza felt like she knew who she was.
Eira. That was who she was.
She was Eira.
"Come. Let's meet your new family," he said. "Help me up."
Erza supported Lyon—her brother!—as he staggered to his feet. The stairs proved to be difficult, though he managed with her help. Erza wondered how he had gotten upstairs in the first place.
She followed as he hobbled out into the pub dining room where Mirajane and Elf were waiting. Next to them, Gray scowled, his arms crossed over his chest. Jellal was there too, standing silently against the wall. But the other pub regulars were gone.
Mirajane ran up to them anxiously. "Master Lyon! Master Gray came running in asking after you and I didn't know you were here. But he insisted—"
"There you are," interrupted Gray crossly. "I thought I told you that you can't keep doing stupid stuff like that! I'm not gonna have any sympathy when you're paying for it later. We're going home."
Lyon waved him off with a disdainful snort, making Gray squawk in protest. He turned to the others, his eyes bright. "Mira, Elfman, spread the word. Let the others know that I need to speak with them."
"Yes, Master. I'll have them all here by noon tomorrow," said Mirajane.
"No, tonight. Can you do that?"
"I… I think so. But why the rush?" asked Mirajane.
"We've found her," he said, grinning.
"What?!" sighed Gray. "What are you talking about?"
"Gray, there's someone I need you to meet," said Lyon. He steered Erza forwards, his hands on her shoulders.
"Oh, my goodness," breathed Mirajane, her eyes sparkling with the start of tears.
"You mean this…? She's really…?" asked Gray awkwardly.
Lyon nodded.
Erza couldn't help but flinch back when Gray's eyes met hers. His brusque manner and explosive temper made her uneasy. She remembered what he had said when Jellal caught him at the café earlier.
This wouldn't go well.
But with Lyon at her back, Erza couldn't retreat. He gave Erza a gentle push forward. Erza took a deep breath, bracing herself for Gray's inevitable rejection.
When Erza looked again, she was surprised to catch a glimpse of something raw and guilty in Gray's eyes. Then Gray's face crumpled and Erza found herself being pulled into a fierce hug.
"You have no idea how long we've waited for you…" whispered Gray. "Welcome home, Eira."
She hugged him back hard. His words filled Erza with a warmth like she had never known before.
Mirajane and Elfman both welcomed her with hugs as well.
Erza's heart had never felt so full. So, this is what it was like to have a family!
It hadn't taken long for word to spread about their emergency meeting. Everyone was here. Even Toby and Yuka had found time to attend. Through the partition, Lyon could hear the commotion next door. The room would be packed. He hoped that wouldn't make Erza—he just couldn't think of her as Eira, not when he knew the truth—too uncomfortable.
When they were ready to begin, Lyon sent Gray to bring Erza down to the dining room. One trip up and down those stairs was more than enough exercise for today. A second would probably do him in.
Gray had volunteered so quickly that Lyon wasn't sure whether Gray was trying to protect Erza or him.
Gray had been so attentive to their new-found 'sister,' since they had met that afternoon. Despite his somewhat prickly disposition, Gray was caring and protective of all those he cared about. A regular papa bear.
Lyon sighed. Gray had a bad habit of trying to shoulder everyone else's burdens. He was probably being extra nice to Erza to make up for his pessimism about trying to find her.
Of course, Lyon couldn't fault Gray for that. Guilt was a feeling that he, himself, knew all too well.
"Are you ready?" asked Gray, as he led Erza into the room.
"I think so," said Erza. "Where is everyone?"
"Brace yourself," advised Gray, the ghost of a grin playing at his lips.
Lyon nodded. "Go ahead, Elfman. Why don't you open it up?"
Elfman rubbed his hands together before latching onto what looked like a dent in one of the wooden panels. With a grunt, he heaved the wall aside, sliding it back to reveal a second, much larger, dining room.
Erza gave a gasp, her eyes going wide.
"You're okay," whispered Gray. "This is where we like to hang out. It's sort of like a secret club room. Nothing to be afraid of. We can even come hang out here tomorrow and I'll introduce you to everyone."
Lyon stepped forward, raising a hand for quiet. The room fell into a hush.
"We have found her!" announced Lyon. "At long last. I'd like to introduce you to Eira, the daughter of Ur Milkovich." Lyon waved at Erza, who wore a solemn expression on her face, though she wrung her hands nervously.
Lyon turned to Erza. "Why don't you go ahead and show them," he said.
Eyes wide in her pale face, Erza summoned her magic. Like she had shown him earlier, she Requipped into her Frost Empress armor, sword in hand. Then she brought it down in a wide, sweeping arc, letting the ice magic freeze its way down the walls and across the floor, coating it in a layer of frost. Then, she in the wall behind her, she conjured the crest of old Fiore.
The other wizards broke into cheers. Bickslow and Loke bumped fists and Sherry hugged the closest person she could reach, which turned out to be Freed.
The undercurrent of excitement in the room was palpable. Something had gone right for the Resistance. For once, it felt like they had a chance.
Lyon's eyes fell on Jellal, as he stood alone in the back of the room. He gave the other man a nod as they exchanged glances. Jellal had been right. This was the right thing to do.
She may not have been the real Eira, but Erza's presence had raised their spirits. The Resistance gained a champion, and a lost girl gained a home.
But why was he feeling so unsettled about it?
Lyon scanned the crowd again. Elfman was patting Gray on the back. Sherry had pulled Erza into a hug. Mira's eyes were filled with tears of joy.
Joy and renewed hope swept through the room. But there something else.
Lyon could feel something in the air, something cold and hateful. He scanned the room, trying to find the source of the strange aura of malice. And it was there, there in a dark corner of the room he found it, the one face that he thought he'd never see again.
A young woman with cold eyes glared at him with her murderous gaze.
"Eira…" he breathed.
For, how could he forget the face of the girl that he'd lost?
After all these years, Ultear and Lyon reunite.
Next time, in Journey to the Past, we find out what really happened between them.
Stop back next Monday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.