It is around eleven that Freed and Loke have everything done and Loke declares that he would be back with Lucy. He vanishes and comes back carrying her sleeping form in a princess hold with Virgo following with an I.V. bag set-up. Everyone is immediately silent as the spirits tuck her in, but she stirs anyway. "Loke? What's going on? Where's Plue?" She tries getting up.
"Shh, everything's fine. We're just back home now, so Plue is back in celestial realm."
"I'm home?" She tries getting up again. "Ow."
"See? We need to be careful, don't we? You can't get yourself hurt now." Loke sits on the edge of the bed as Virgo stands stoically beside him.
"What happened again? It's all fuzzy."
"You got stabbed by a lady named Selena, remember? I told you about it when you woke up earlier."
"But I don't remember it."
"What do you remember? I can try to fill in the gaps."
"You and Freed were talking and so I decided to take Laxus and make a meal for everyone. Where are they?"
"Right here," Freed says and Virgo moves back to let the two be seen.
"Oh. Did you finish your talk with Loke?"
"Yes, Lucy."
"What else do you remember?"
"I took Laxus to the bar on the way to get Evergreen and Bixlow and told him about Aquarius over drinks. But I didn't tell him that...well I didn't tell you either, did I? That was Capricorn, wasn't it? I asked him to keep it to himself, so never mind."
Laxus leans over to Freed. "Does she know she's speaking out loud?"
"Perhaps not."
"Is this about Aquarius's magic?" Loke asks.
Her eyes get big. "How did you know about that?"
"We'll get to that later."
"Well it was. I was going to play...no...that's not the right word. I was going to train with Juvia when I felt like talking about it. Sorry about not telling you," she says with her bottom lip poking out.
"Is Cosplayer on some kind of medication?" Bixlow asks Freed quietly.
"Why are you asking me?"
"Princess is conscious to herself and will probably remember this conversation later, but a side effect of the celestial medication is apparently that she has no wall between brain and mouth and her emotions are more...potent," Virgo says quietly from where she wandered behind the group, making them startle slightly.
"Really? I'm glad that the guild wasn't here then."
"She is going to have to stay on this medicine until she is better though since we can't mix it with earthy medicine and we won't let her be into much pain in order to switch."
"We'll delay the guild as best we can then," Freed says.
"So what happened after the bar?" She looks up at the ceiling. "I walked in Laxus's footsteps like a duck to his house, but it was tough to walk. He had the food though, so I walked in his footsteps, but he's huge! His steps are so big I feel like Levy sometimes. Oh! Don't tell her that. That would seem mean. I'm not mean. I like Levy. She's pretty awesome but I'm scared to let her read my novel."
"Lucy dear, you've sidetracked."
"But Levy-"
"What happened when you were with Laxus?"
"I had to focus."
"Focus?"
"On walking. He takes big steps."
"Yes. Where did you go?"
"To his house, silly. I've already said that. I just had to walk there because he was carrying the groceries so nicely since I drank his too. Loke! I drank five of them!" She holds out her hand with her fingers splayed.
"What?"
"Laxus counted five drinks."
"How long were you two there?"
"I dunno, an hour?"
"You let her have that much liquor in an hour? What kind of kin are you?" Freed hisses under his breath to Laxus.
"What? She stole my drink and ordered another round. Mine was a double. And it was sort of this time that I felt that tug. But that does explain the quacking."
"What do you mean?"
"She was walking close behind me with her head down and I was afraid to stop because she would run into me. Every once in a while when it was quiet she would go 'quack quack' quietly and then giggle. I didn't wan't to ask though."
"But when we got to his house, I felt so sleepy when the door opened and I must have fallen asleep. I can't remember anything specific after that."
"Did you dream?"
"A bit."
"What about?"
"It was nothing."
"Come on Lucy, tell me."
"No, I don't want to. It won-didn't happen."
"Did you dream that you were endangering us?"
"How did you-? Did I-?!"
"You didn't. But someone else used magic to use you to try."
"Like a conductor stick?"
"No, not like Hughes. Seith magic. A lady named Selena."
"Selena. And she stabbed me when I was in her control? She tried to get you guys?" Lucy looks to the others in the room in worry.
"Yes."
Lucy sits there staring at him and then years start forming in her eyes and falling down her cheeks. "Am I going to hurt you guys again?"
"Wha- No! No, you aren't going to do it again."
"You didn't even do it the first time, Blondie."
"I don't want to hurt you guys!" She starts sobbing and covers her face with her right arm.
"What the hell?" Laxus walks forward and pulls Loke and sits where he was. "Blondie, look at me." He pulls her arm down and leans over her a bit. "Open your eyes and listen up because I hate repeating myself. Are you listening Blondie?"
"Laxus, maybe you should-"
"Not now Freed. Blondie, answer me: do you trust your family?"
"Yes," she answers, still crying.
"Do you believe in them?"
"Yes."
"They are strong, right?"
"They are. V-very strong."
"How many times have we bounced back?"
"Many t-ti-times." Her crying calms down somewhat since she is speaking.
"Who is your family?"
"Fairy Tail."
"And?"
"M-my spirits."
"Do they trust you?"
"I t-think so." Her eyes flit away from his towards the rest as they nod.
"What happened during your first fight at the GMG with that red haired gal, what's-her-name?"
"Flare? I lost."
"What did she do that made you lose?"
"Threatened Asuka."
"You threw the match to save her."
"I did."
"Because she's family, right?"
"Yes."
"Why did you stand up to Gajeel?"
"You heard about that?"
"Yes I did Blondie. So why?"
"Everyone was fighting for me."
"Who are you to them?"
"Family."
"How'd you help Flametard?"
"Sagittarius did."
"Why did you call him?"
"To help Natsu."
"So you trusted the spirit you hadn't contracted with to save your family?"
"Yes. When I got his key, he became family, contracted or not."
"Do you trust that your family can take care of one another in times of duress?"
"Yes."
"Will we lie to you?"
"No."
"If we tell you you're safe, you believe us?"
"I do."
"How about if we say we're safe?"
"Yes."
"With that logic, can you believe it when we say they we are safe from, and with, you?"
"Yes."
"Then trust me when I say you are perfectly fine. You are not responsible for what happened. The only one at fault is that Selena chick. They fixed you up in the spirt world and she will not be able to use you again. You can rest with ease and come back from this stronger. Just take it easy and don't cry; your family is helping you."
"Okay, Laxus. Thank you."
"You're welcome Blondie. You can come to me anytime. We're kin." He leans forward and kisses her forehead. He sits back and let's go of her arm.
"He's not joking Lucy," Loke says.
"Why would I joke about it? I'm sure my team would let her talk to them too."
"Yes, Laxus," the three of them say in unison.
"Well, that too, but I meant the kin thing. He wasn't joking by that."
"Again, why would I joke around about that, you stupid lion?"
"I think what Leo means is the dragon connection of yours that the Spirit King recognises, master Laxus," Virgo says. She looks to Lucy. "Princess, in pretty much all legal manner, this man is as good as your blood related family. His dragon-instinct claimed you as kin."
"Huh?"
"You're confusing Blondie now."
"So he's pretty much my big brother?"
"Yes Princess. Shall I call him Prince?"
"If you dare-"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," she seems to say offhandedly. Laxus glares at the purple-pink haired maid and the stoically sticks her tongue out at him. "Brother," Lucy tests out the word. "My brother, Laxus." The words sends sparks of pleasure off in his chest. "I've never had a brother. Or been a sister." She smiles. "Brother Laxus. And you know what?"
"What's that?"
"You're blond. We match like family too!"
"I guess so."
"Does that mean that the Master-"
"No, it does not. But he sees all of the guild as his children and grandchildren. Nothing has or will change there. It's the dragon thing that makes us kin though."
"Whatever." She smiles. "I have a big brother now. Dad may have shied away because of the whole magic thing like he did with me, but mom would have liked to know you."
"Uh..." He doesn't know what to say.
"You can still meet Aquarius though!" She grabs his arm and her eyes shine brightly into his. "We'll have to get you to meet her. She's kind of like my aunt. Mom and her got along well. She generally doesn't like people and your magic would clash, her being water and you lightning and all, but you're not much of a people person either! You have to meet all my spirits as soon as possible!" Her eyes shine brightly, and while his reflex action after years is to shoot her down, but something pulls in him and he ends up nodding, unable to refuse her.
"But you can't use your magic until you're better," Loke says, wanting to make sure she knows.
"But Loke, he needs to meet them! He's my brother and-"
"Lucy, dear, it's not going to happen right now."
"It's fine!" She looks around the best she can. "Where's my keys?"
"Lucy, I'm telling you to wait until you're well enough and able-"
"Loke, give me my keys. Right now."
"Too bad. Orders won't work on me if I don't have them."
"Where are they?!" Panic floods her eyes instantly and Laxus almost moves to take them out to make her happy and calm again.
"They are safe, Lucy, trust me," Loke says. "I know where they are, I just don't have them. You will get them when you are recovered, so you have to rest good and well."
"But my keys-"
"Are safe," Laxus says. "They are in a box only my team can open because of Freed's runes. Nothing can damage them and they won't get lost. Until you're better, rest."
"Okay," she pouts. "I'll rest."
"Good." Loke says. "Soon enough the guild will come and see you and you know how rowdy they are, so sleep now."
"I'm not tired."
"Yes, you are." Laxus argues. "Your body is aching for rest, but you're fighting it, I can tell. You have been fighting it for a while, so go ahead and sleep. We're watching over you."
"Just don't watch me sleep. That's a bit creepy."
"Just sleep, Blondie."
"You're," she yawns and her eyes close. "You're blond too, brother."
"Get some sleep, duckling."
"I'm...people." She's suddenly out.
