The Girl with the Celestial Tattoos
Chapter 48: The Calling
The previous night was long and hard on the two Chances. One was physically exhausted and the other, just plain old done. Still, neither siblings were willing to go back on their word to meet at sunrise for some parkour, followed by their signature intense training. Of course, that didn't mean at least one of them were cursing their decision after getting only four hours of sleep at most.
The day had carried on but when Lucy woke up with her limbs feeling like noodles, she grumbled at her competitive streak with Erza the afternoon before. They trained physically for half an hour hand-to-hand, then switched to weapons, then magic, took a break, and started the cycle all over again until one or the other dropped in exhaustion (a.k.a. defeat). Even with Lightning Chimera's conditioning, Erza had stayed with her the entire pace. Sure, she was wobbling on her feet and catching herself every half minute from her fall, but she remained standing no matter what.
Lucy smirked at the memory for how she had grabbed Erza by the hair and shoved her face into the dirt to remind the younger girl all about what she said about not hurting herself in training. Hypocrite, her mind had whispered. And so she really should've expected the response when her feet were kicked out and she fell hard on her butt beside Erza, who grinned in satisfaction at her.
Later, when they were sweaty, exhausted, and contemplating sleeping inside the dusty old barn - Lucy took one look at her comrade's shivering form. Sure they were both exhausted and freezing but there was no way Lucy would pass out at from exhaustion and get both of them sick. So, it was after midnight when Lucy and Erza stumbled inside Fairy Hills and when Lucy mistook one of the hallways as her own, they ended up choosing Erza's place to crash and before Lucy could even claim residence on the couch, the red-head wrapped an arm around her waist and all but tossed her like a sack of flour to the bed.
She looked incredulously at Erza, who did nothing but smile pleasantly like she didn't just do that, then tossed some sweatpants and a sleeveless top at her, before re-quipping into her own pajamas. Both had washed off at the ocean, and although they smelled like sea-water, it was better than the gross combination of sweat, dirt, and blood. Lucy didn't even hesitate a second longer before she stripped and re-dressed, Erza hardly paying her any attention as she sharpened her primary sword with a wet rock, then set it up on its stand when she was done. The blonde watched as Erza moved through the motions of taking care of her equipment, of how the chore put her in a state of complete relaxation.
When she was finished, Lucy already had fallen into a light rest, her body relaxed but lids barely open. She forced her natural instincts to fight - down, as she felt the bed weigh down by Erza. She remained that way as Erza considerately kept some space between them, and when her breathing had even out and formed a pattern, Lucy opened her eyes slowly and looked at the ceiling. She spent the next two hours debating the consequences of bringing The Shadow District down. She thought about the Magic Council's meddling. The way they commanded the masters of legal guilds... and how she would need to unite them before it tore them apart like last time.
She needed to erase the grudges the guilds had against the Magic Council. Lucy couldn't change the mistake's of this life's past, but she could rewrite the future and change the Magic Council into a united force the guilds could respect - and the dark guilds: fear. It was the only way she believed the guilds could face this coming war at their strongest.
She needed to learn who were her political allies and who were her enemies on the official Council. Guess some of the Heartfilia's lessons had their uses after all. She thought and wondered what laws she could pass and dismantle with the time she had. How could she infiltrate their current system and reforge it into something stronger: orderly. Lucy sighed inaudibly. A part of her felt the need to get the next ruler of Fiore in the know, Hisui.. but that was a highly unpredictable outcome and if she timed poorly - all her planning and work could be discarded as meaningless. Worse, if she didn't act in time, another Rogue or someone similar could manipulate the princess before she could reach her.
Lucy supposed that her thoughts would be worrying to anyone else, but to her, it was just a lot of work she needed to do. So much work! If Lucy was alone she would've grumbled, but as it were - when thinking about it became too much, she succumbed to sleep.
And when she slept, she dreamed. And when she dreamed...
Well, let's just say that when dawn's morning light arrived it was an unwelcome sight yet she greeted the vision like she would an old friend; A rescuer that stole from her unwanted nightmares in the night. Though her body was sore from how she trained and how overused her muscles felt from training, she took it as the next step in growing stronger. Weak now, stronger later. Her hands and feet had new callouses, her knuckles new scars. She was bruised, cut up, and sore. It was also, all, superficial. Flesh wounds. Bled more than they needed too, in her opinion. Non-fatal or something to worry about. Harmless if treated correctly. A day's rest and light training would have her recovered in three days at most.
She didn't like to often think about the way of things were in the past, another life, but she couldn't help but notice the difference in her way of thinking when it came to training. How things had changed...
So when she woke up, she let Erza sleep in while she took a quick, cool shower and redressed. She was out the door while the sky was still dark and met Kalelius's yawning self at the end of town, near one of the only apartment complexes that had an old-fashioned metal staircase; one that had adjustable ladders.
A roll of rice was handed to her and she devoured her breakfast with vigor, the action enough showing her gratefulness to her friend. He smiled tiredly at her, seemingly not a morning person for once. She supposed she should be grateful to not have an overly energetic goof-ball on her hands but really, she just wanted to ask what happened between him and Laxus. She wouldn't ask, no, she would respect his privacy but by the Celestial King's name did she want to know.
She let out a yawn herself, tears pooling in her eyes from the action.
"Morning guys!" The shout drew their eyes to the chibi form of an unusually shirt-clad Gray jogging toward them.
"Hey, Gray!" Lucy called out in return, watching as a ball of rice was sent hurdling through the air toward the boy. He caught it easily and Lucy was both surprised that it didn't collapse from the throw and glad because it would've been a waste of food otherwise. "Sup, little man," Kalelius said with a minimum effort. Lucy looked at the dark circles under his eyes. His shoulders were relaxed though, so that was good.
If his shoulders were tense that would mean he had a bad night.
A relief, truly, because parkour with an unhappy Kalelius was - Lucy shuddered at the thought, unable to even imagine.
"Thanks... is anyone else coming?" Gray asked, moving to sit with them, food half-eaten.
"No one else asked," Kalelius replied.
"So, that's a no then?" A flat look was the reply the ice mage got for his inquiry and he brought his hands up in defense. Lucy sent him a conspiring grin as she said, "Don't mind him. He just had a long night." Kalelius's dry looked became a pout at her words. "Oi, you make it sound like I've been-" He grunted then before he could finish, rubbing at his red ankle where Lucy kicked him. "So mean," he whined.
Gray looked between them. "Who was the oldest again?"
Although both knew it was a tease, the Chance siblings grinned at each other. "Just for that comment, I'll make today's lessons hard," Kalelius said at last. Lucy snorted in disbelief. "Okay," he relented, sending his sister a glare. "-harder than normal."
"Where do we begin?" Gray asked, getting up to stretch. Kalelius smirked at him after getting up as well. "The roof again, Kalelius?" Lucy asked exasperatingly, glancing up to where the stairway lacked the ladder nearest to them. not responding, Kalelius began with a dramatic flair. "Lesson number one," Kalelius loudly proclaimed as he took a running start toward the wall. He got three steps up the wall before his fingers hooked unto a tiny ledge about a half-inch wide.
Lucy sighed, stretching her legs out as they watched him go. Kalelius was making steady progress as he climbed up the brick wall, his fingers slipping into small fissures of the wall while his feet carried him the rest of the way up. When he finally reached a window on the second floor he looked down at them. "Stairs are for pansies," he finished, before hauling himself up.
Gray looked confused so Lucy gave him the longer version. "It's endurance training, really. Take everything as a challenge, even the little things like passing taking the stairs for literally going directly up from the wall. It also keeps you thinking on your feet since you don't want to make a mistake and fall ten stories from the ground," Lucy explained and when he looked like he got it, she followed Kalelius's example. Instead of going directly up the wall though, she took the gutter instead. Climbing up it like a lemur would climb a tree.
"And no magic!" Kalelius shouted up from the fourth floor where he was now. Six more floors to go. Lucy sighed, watching his progress as a competition to keep herself from slowing down. Her core was tight as she pulled herself up, and when she reached the second floor where there were more windows, she allowed her legs to fall with gravity and began to swing momentum. When she had enough, she allowed herself to let go at the right moment, feeling her heart drop from her chest with gravity's fright, just barely catching her calloused fingers on the sill of the window before continuing her way up, hopefully expressing no hesitation in her feats.
She was glad her fingers were longer and her hands smaller than Kalelius's since she could climb up the wall much faster. But boy, was she feeling her workout from the night before with every reach and needed leap. Her smaller size made up with sheer speed and just as Kalelius made it to the roof, she was on the seventh floor near him, with the noise of Gray's violent but quiet curses within hearing range below her. By the time she reached the roof, Kalelius had this goofy look in his eyes that Lucy couldn't help but have laughed with him and say, "you're so mean, man."
He shrugged with a lack of apology before they both looked over the side of the roof where Gray was stubbornly still going at it - but failing. She sent a side-eye look at her brother. "Think we should drop the ladder?" She asked, referring to the ladder on the sixth floor that connected to the fourth. "Give him another ten minutes. If he hasn't gotten to the fourth by then - go ahead." She nodded in understanding and they both moved away, giving Gray breathing-room away from their watchful gaze.
She wandered around the roof, looking around at the buildings and houses nearby. On a sports' view, all the roofs were thankfully mostly flat and at different heights. On an appreciative view, ignoring the drop, she was reminded of how beautiful Magnolia was as a whole. "We should teach him the landing roll when he's up here," she mentioned to Kalelius when she looped back around to him.
"So a front flip with a somersault on the roof?" He replied, both of them have learned out of do-or-die necessity rather than with experiencing any prior practice. Lucy thought back, for her it was rolling or die as buildings fell apart from explosions around her. Kalelius actually had applied skill to the movement, hence parkour, rather than the recklessness she had accustomed herself to. As much as Gray was here to learn from the both of them, Lucy was here to learn from Kalelius.
It made her glad Gray didn't have to learn the way they did but also somewhat concerned since they weren't exactly teaching material. Better than nothing, she supposed.
"I'm," Gray huffed and Lucy spun around quickly in happy surprise to see him determinedly pulling himself up the edge of the roof. Kalelius was equally surprised but grinning broadly, his eyes lit up at Gray's unexpected success. "Here," he finished pulling himself the rest of the way up, falling limply with a resounding groan, but Lucy caught the small grin tugging at the edge of his lips. Walking over to him, she offered her hand to get him on his feet, and as she met his eyes she was sent into her memories and saw the ghost of his other self - the man he would one day be great as.
He accepted her hand and dragged him to his feet, letting go allowing Kalelius to slap him proudly on the back, and grinned at his wince in glee. Both Chances knew that this was just the beginning.
"What's next?" He asked when he caught his breath, smart enough to know that was just a warm-up - good.
Kalelius grinned, rubbing his hands against each other with viscous excitement.
"You see this roof over here?" At Gray's bewildered nod, Kalelius continued in enthusiasm.
"Know how to do a somersault?"
"Yeah," Gray deadpanned. Kalelius rewarded his attitude kindly. "Then this should be easy for you," he said right before sprinting forward and propelling himself forward with both of his feet at the very edge of the roof. Lucy heard Gray gulp as Kalelius traveled quite a distance before rolling his body forward so that his feet were at just the right position to hit the roof - where he executed a somersault smoothly allowing him to halt to a stand without even a stumble.
"Break a leg," Lucy wished him luck.
Two and a half hours, one tired but happy group of three slammed the guild doors open and somehow made their way to an empty table before collapsing their sweaty selves down there. Gray found himself underneath the table, enjoying the shade, while Lucy flopped herself limply on the seat - claiming the entire bench, while Kalelius... well, she smirked as she people-watched the flushes and blushes of her guild-sisters (and even some of the men too) as they couldn't help but notice Kalelius. Even when scarred, Kalelius shared no formality or morality in stripping.
His shirt was now around his neck loosely to catch the drops of sweat from his air, baring his well-earned muscular upper-torso for all to see. The scars gave him an edge even, looking like a badass, and Lucy nearly laughed as she questioned whether he did that on purpose to get that reaction. If only she had that courage... not that she would strip randomly for a show like Gray's habit but every now and then in pride - it wouldn't hurt her ego.
As she closed her eyes to block out the eye-sore of light, she reminisced. She remembered her clothes-stripping action figure that should've been Gray. She remembered being groped and ogled by disgusting vulture like men. The way she was often seen as a treat to criminal refugees. The way she was a shadow in comparison to model-types like Mira, Erza, Millianna, or even some of the demonesses of all "people". She was considered bought and sold in business transactions back in her day, "only good for breeding" they would say.
Her mood turned sour, she began to imagine what things would be different this time around. Would men fear and scream running in the opposite direction this time. Would her clothes stay on and not render her naked for all to see? Her one vane was her vanity, but who could blame her with the way she was raised? With the way, men drool over women in the Sorcerer's Weekly?
She was young and foolish back in her youth and now things would be different. She tried to show she didn't care about the way she knew her body was marred and her mind scarred - but she did care. Not enough to change to please but enough to hurt inside. She didn't want to just be another body to drool over or another pretty face to fight for. She would fight for her family but also for her self-respect.
She ground her teeth. Even if she was stripped down she would fight until the end and never show just how humiliated it felt. She would earn their respect and make sure they would never tarnish her or her people's name again.
She-
"Who are you?" Natsu loudly exclaimed and all of the guild's attention was on their doors at the sight of a messenger frog. Lucy blinked, making sure she was seeing things as they were, and her enhanced memory re-acquainted her with the information that these are anthropomorphous amphibians who served as employees to the Magic Council. Very alert now, she stood up quickly to have the messenger in sight and noticed she was carrying what appeared to be letters.
"Hm?" Kalelius murmured, his attention caught by her reaction no doubt.
"None of your concern, child," the being replied rudely and brushed past Natsu, either ignoring or not seeing how furious the boy looked for the disregard. Lucy held back a smile for the nostalgia of remembering just how rude they normally were to people who weren't of the Magic Council. Or perhaps they were rude to them behind their backs as well? Lucy didn't know, and she stopped wondering the moment she noticed the being was walking in their direction.
Kalelius looked tense beside her, probably thinking along the lines of why the Magic Council was looking for them. What had she gotten them into now?
Her thoughts that the messenger was indeed looking for them was confirmed when she stopped at their table, sneering at the slumbering form of Gray under the table but surprisingly didn't share the same expression when facing both her and Kalelius. In fact, dare she say it, the being looked revered.
"Lady Lucy and Lord Kalelius?" Lucy near tripped at the titles. In business to be a Lady or Lord usually meant great respect for someone of high profit in business dealings or long-lasting lines of business that had been around for generations. In this situation, especially by the people affiliated to the Magic Council, to be given such a title-
...well, at least she was pretty sure they weren't in trouble now.
"Yes, ma'am," Lucy quickly replied, snapping out of her startled silence. The amphibian woman smiled - smiled!- in return, unperturbed by her slow reply (which was a big no-no in business) and continued without further ado. Lucy didn't dare correct her and sent a quick sharp nod to Kalelius at his confusion. It would be an insult too, and only during second-meetings could they ask to be called by their first names with them.
The rest of the guild shared similar expressions of Kalelius and Lucy nearly hit herself, wondering if she was really the only one who knew about these sort of things... because if so, no wonder Fairy Tail was constantly against the Magic Council's impression of them. Half the battle was the noble's and businessmen's impression of them - the people who paid for the cover-ups and damage costs normally when towns were destroyed.
And Lucy saw then, with a horrifying thought that the reasons for the guild tax on their pay and meals were not for paying for their mages' damage control but rather what they owed over that - directly to the Magic Council, not the townspeople. After all, the society would've collapsed by the time she joined Fairy Tail the first time around if their towns and temples weren't rebuilt and paid for by their damage.
Lucy very nearly groaned out loud at the work she had to do with this realization and she hoped whatever the Magic Council needed her and her brother for was something good enough to take her mind of this. Please.
"The Magic Council asks for your presence and your reply at 0800 three days from now. I trust you will not delay," she said, straight to business as she handed two envelopes from her pile to the both of them. By the size of the pile, it looked like they may not be the only ones the Magic Council needed. This messenger could be on unrelated business to them but Lucy wasn't so sure and she was certain that depending on the details of this letter would tell just what the Council was aiming for.
She was curious though. She did not miss the subtle emphasis on 'asks' and not 'requires' which meant it was a choice. But to do so straightforwardly and with direct delivery like this... she stopped analyzing the situation when Kalelius began opening his letter, causing her to cover his plunder of disrespect by bowing gratefully to the messenger with a (sincere) pleased smile at the being. The amphibian being absolutely glowed at her reaction and bid them farewell before rushing off like the speed of sound by how loud the guild got after the messenger was gone.
"What's it say?" Gray exclaimed and Lucy jumped, having not noticed his awakening and movement at all - so lost in her thoughts and attention on the messenger. Lucy neatly opened the envelope and let the official-looking parchment fall into her hands. Her eyes widened in attention as a minuscule amount of her magic was drawn into the parchment and suddenly the blank parchment was filled with words upon words. Curious, she flashed the letter to Gray, who looked utterly bewildered. "It's blank? Why would they send you guys an empty letter?"
Meeting Kalelius's eyes, she tried to communicate without words to keep the message of the Magic Council to themselves until they could talk in private. Whatever this was, it was meant to be kept quiet between them, and Lucy wasn't foolish enough to disregard that sentiment.
A nod in return and she let out a breath, quickly reading through the letter word for word.
"Don't bother Lu-chan, there's nothing hidden there," Levy said sadly as she came up from behind her. Having sensed her close, Lucy didn't startle but had to hold back a snort for her comment.
"Stupid Council!" Natsu loudly exclaimed, obviously still touchy about being so casually brushed off and ignored by the employee. Lucy sighed, clearly easing the tension between guilds and the Magic Council would be a heavy task once confronted - and that day was not going to be today. "Yeah, looks that way," she deceived without telling a lie, subtly pocketing the letter when the attention was away from them. The rest of the day continued on without fuss, only a few slights against the Council, and although Lucy and Kalelius interacted with the guild joyously, her mind was on the contents of the letter the entire time.
Even the friendly ribbing of Erza from Mirajane after their training didn't cause her to reminiscent as it did this morning, and when the day was finally dark and the guild was close to its locking hour, she headed toward the ocean with her brother right there beside her. The world felt suddenly different now like a light was on them and a decision would be made that affected more lives than their own. A responsibility had been taken and it was so sudden and unexpected that Lucy was thrown, and no fore-knowledge of the future could have prepared her for this moment.
She was glad her brother was here with her too, facing this with her, because without his advice she wasn't sure how long she would've stared at their identical letters without a thought or word about it aloud. Upon reaching the docks, she got comfortable and pulled out the letter, the words appearing on the page with a touch of her magic signature (when they filled out their paperwork, she had realized) and glowing silver was seen in the dark of the night.
And then she read.
To Lady Lucy L. Chance
It has come to our attention that you do not desire to remain in the background after your experiences with one of the Dark Guilds. We apologize for any inconveniences we may have caused you for this misunderstanding. If you truly wish to take a stand against the Dark Guilds and Blackstream's influence, we offer you a place among the newly formed Legion, where victims of the dark guilds aware of the threat to the king's land are invited to fight against them; to be trained by our elite soldiers whether you are a registered mage or a civilian.
Understand that The Legion is a different form of military than the Rune Knights, and as such you will have different oaths and expectations made of you. Should you chose to accept, meet the rest of your comrades at Training Ground 12 behind the highest tower of our headquarters a week from today to learn more of this group. Do note that the contents of this letter cannot be shared by others and if you make a sincere attempt to do so, your invitation will be retracted.
We hope to be seeing you soon.
Signed,
Seinryuu (5th Wizard Saint and Rune Knight General; representative of The Legion)
It was short and to the point and as much as Lucy wanted to whoop in joy at the Magic Council's commitment to fighting the Dark guilds, one thing in the letter stood out the strongest to her.
Blackstream, she thought, finally having a name for the chain of dark guilds that have been working against them in the very foundations of the land. Reminding herself of the letter's warning to not speak or reveal the contents of the letter aloud, she shifted to face Kalelius and waited for him to finish reading his own letter, idly wandering if his letter contents were different than her own.
When his eyes finally left the letter the meet her own, she gestured to the letter and asked about the elephant in the room, "What do you think?"
He paused, glancing back down at the letter open in his hands before folding it neatly to stick in his pocket. "It's unexpected."
"They probably got tired of their plans being constantly interfered by me," Lucy said, cracking an amused smile. Kalelius rolled his eyes and knocked her shoulder lightly. "You give yourself too much credit," he told her and Lucy snorted, thinking she was doing nothing of the sort.
"I think I'm the first person they ever apologized to," Lucy elaborated, just barely catching herself from flashing the letter to him. "I wonder how much it hurt their pride to say it to a Fairy Tail mage nonetheless!" She cackled, enjoying it way too much.
Kalelius sighed at her but with skill refined in three-hundred and sixty-five days, she ignored him.
Calming down after a prolonged minute to further revel in the action, she took a deep breath to stifle any further laughter and said, "it'll be interesting though."
Her brother rose an eyebrow at her wording. "You have already made your decision." He stated, still thinking about the offer himself.
Lucy looked at him perplexed. "Yes," determination foretold in her tone alone. "This way I don't have to worry about any ulterior motivations for missions. I can be closer to the Magic Council's influence to change the tides of opinion. I can work among other guild mages and civilians to bind us together through friendship. A friendship that will hopefully help end the century-long feuds between the guilds or the discrimination between civilians and mages. I can push my training farther without worrying about my guildmates or lying to them... I," she took a steadying breath. "I can do what I came here to do, Kalelius! I can be me..." she said with longing and a sad glint in her eyes that she refused to call tears.
Her brother looked at her, staring her directly in the eyes as though inspecting her soul. Her intentions.
Then, he nodded. "Then I'm coming with you."
Lucy smiled, touched that her brother would be doing this by her side. Together, they could do anything.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
Dusk had fallen and the air was cool. Lucy breathed in a deep breath as an attempt to settle her nerves. She was standing on the docks of her comfort place: the barn, her training grounds. The night was going to be chilly, she knew, as the wind whipped by her every minute or so - causing goosebumps to rise on her arms and her neck to twitch in an attempt to make her body accustomed to the change in temperature.
As she looked up into the darkening skies to the sight of distant stars, she valiantly hoped for a light rain as she waited for her guild mate to arrive. She thought back to the morning earlier which now felt so long ago. How she had longed to know the details of Kalelius's confrontation of Laxus alone on a night similar to this.
Now that she knew the context though, she wasn't so sure about how to feel about this. About the favor Kalelius called for behind her back. Her mind was at war with itself, arguing about whether or not this was a good thing. Sure, she knew Kalelius was only doing what he thought was best for her - she knew it was a good idea, too - but with him?
She would never admit it out loud but Laxus made her uncomfortable. Always had, really. He wasn't the type of guy anyone could just walk up to and have idle conversation with. She could practically feel the electric power that rushed underneath his skin, the deadliness he had honed that power into, and she knew that half his appearance was designed to intimidate - to not get close to.
Lucy considered Laxus a mage with great potential at his threshold. Someone who would acquire greatness not many could achieve once he would let go of the hatred in his heart and the expectations loomed over his shoulders. The amount of change he went through in her first life was admirable, but this time around the world didn't have that kind of change.
Would he make it still? In the future would she be able to trust him to have her back like she wanted to be able to trust Erza, Natsu, Grey, Levy, Mirajane and so many others? She didn't know. And right now, she wondered if the changes she was making were causing Laxus to change too soon?
She sighed. It didn't matter, she supposed. She couldn't slow down or stop now. Laxus would just have to adapt with the way things were going and if he didn't... well, Lucy couldn't afford to think of the what-ifs or what-could-be's.
"Hey," a deep voice called out from the distance and Lucy exhaled slowly, inaudibly, as she scrounged up a considerable measure of courage before turning around to face the man who was called to help her with her problem.
"Hey," she greeted back, and like how she felt the lightning in him she practically tasted the seriousness in the air. This meeting would be unlike any before. Neither of them were trying to get under the other's skin nor were they testing the other's measure of self control. Perhaps it was something she should consider as "just business" where all personal affairs and feelings were swept to the side as they focused on what needed to be.
It was... different from what she was expecting, but pleasing that she didn't have to restrain herself from fighting with him. Lucy had to remind herself that Laxus was older than all the guild children. In fact, he wasn't even a child anymore. He was a young adult, barely a year into governing his own responsibilities, but he was an adult nonetheless.
"Did your brother let you know what's supposed to be going on?" He asked her, and Lucy was further surprised by how professional he was being, if that was the right word to use, in the way he spoke without feeling like it was a heavy task or beneath him. He spoke to her like they were equals or something similar, and it took Lucy a moment to reply.
"He did," Lucy said, stomping down her anxiety of what that would entail. Laxus moved to cross his arms them suddenly aborted the movement causing Lucy to raise an eyebrow in bewilderment. And now that she really looked at him, she knew something was different about him.
She sighed, seeing Kalelius written all over the strange change in Laxus behavior. If he got her this far... got Laxus this far... she would just have to continue to trust him. It wasn't easy to do so but for her brother - she would.
"Well he hadn't with me. Kalelius just mentioned that you could use my help with something, but whatever that is you'll have to be the one to tell me," Laxus said with a question in his voice, as though he couldn't fathom why Kalelius hadn't just flat-out told him.
Lucy smiled though at the consideration of her brother. She let out a relieved breath she didn't know she was holding in seeing the choice Kalelius had given her. She had the chance to recover from her weakness with the called-in-favor from Laxus or she could work on something else, learn something different from the S-class mage if she wasn't ready to confront her fears yet.
And she wasn't ready yet. The crackle of lightning during a storm still sent her into her memories twisted by fears, doubts, and nightmares. The rumble of thunder made her anxiety rise to the unseen threat coming her way overhead. She still smelt the burning of human flesh at the sight of lightning; felt the phantom shocks go up her killed-nerves arm.
She wasn't ready yet. Lucy doubted she would ever be.
Her decision made, she took a deep breath to prepare herself for the honesty that was to spill from her lips and said, "Truth is I went through something not too long ago. Kalelius and I had a run in with a Dark mage who favored runes. In short, he managed to bind my magic under his control and if I ever attempted to use it, I would be electrocuted."
She looked up and met Laxus's eyes, determined to maintain eye contact as she told him this. To tell him how serious this was to her - and to Kalelius.
"Kalelius was bound to but you might've noticed his magic is much more subtle than mine," she smirked, and gained a nod of acknowledgment from Laxus, whose eyes were intensely focused on her's.
"The only thing we could think of to break the connection at the time was to turn the enchantments against him. I was able to make contact with him - I grabbed a hold of him and tried to access my magic while knowing full-well of what it would do. We were both electrocuted. I held onto him for as long as I could. The bindings were broken and my brother and I were free but I was not the same after that." She showed him her lichtenberg figure on her arm and his eyes followed the movement before he paused, his eyes clearly showing he was making his mind up on something.
"So you need my help to overcome your fear?" Laxus asked, although it was more rhetoric to Lucy than anything. Still, she shrugged, accepting things as they were. She supposed she didn't have to worry about Laxus using this against her now that he was here for a favor. That, and Kalelius would likely kill him for it.
The S-class mage sighed and Lucy studied him as he looked away from her, fully aware that he knew she was while he thought about things. Now that she got a good look at him, the heavy stuff out of the way and no longer distracting her, she noted that he was dressed for a workout meaning he was committed to the favor he owes her brother.
The blonde almost smiled at that, realizing that Laxus was not as bad as the one she first met in her other life - he still had a sense of honor and responsibility. It made working through this more bearable - likely for the both of them.
"Okay, that makes sense. I'll help you but," Laxus let out an annoyed breath, leaning back a little as he stared out a the sea over her shoulder. "I've never done anything like this before. I don't know if you coming to me was a good idea. All I know is combat - not healing," but as he said it Lucy was suddenly hit with an idea.
It may backfire because it was either stupidly genius or ingeniously stupid but it brought hope in this situation and like fear, hope runs deep.
"That'll work, actually," Lucy cut in, her mind already going through several scenarios of how they could go about this. "When I'm fighting, it's instinctual. I'm completely focused on what's happening that there's no place for fear or doubt. My biggest fear is that this weakness will stop that. That I'll be in a storm during a battle or face against another lightning mage and I'll freeze. That it'll be my fault people die," she sighed, her heart aching in her chest at the familiar feeling.
Laxus lifted his chin, considering her words with his eyelids lowered in thought.
"If I can prove to myself that I can fight against lightning when fighting, maybe I'll start to instinctively know this is something I can overcome," Lucy finished, suddenly antsy to get to work, wanting to test her theory out even if she's filled with dread at the same time.
"Okay... Okay. Just let me know when you want to stop - I won't hold back," Laxus said, eyes lit in ferocity. Lucy's eyes narrowed as she met his own but with a smirk gracing her features. "I would never ask you to," she replied smoothly but even as they stepped into the ring that she dubbed the training grounds where there were fissures and blood stains on the ground, when she met her guild mate's eyes she saw something that lit a fire inside her soul.
Even as Laxus stood across from her, his stance appearing laid-back but tense in preperation of a fight, she saw something in his gunmetal eyes that made her muscles tense and teeth clench, her own eyes glinting like silver lightning, chips of cold steel, glacier in their intent.
His cayenne eyes said that she couldn't do it. That this wasn't something she would be able to overcome. That this wasn't something that could be healed.
In return, her eyes replied: I'll fucking show you.
And from then on, Laxus would rue the day he doubted Kalelius words that she was stronger than him.
"Again!"
Lucy wheezed as she stumbled to her feet, her eyes unfocused from her latest visit to a flashback but still she kept her balance. The blonde wiped her chin, smearing blood across the broken skin there to meet the form of Laxus who was sporting several shades of skin across from her, out of breath but as stubborn as Lucy - and still standing firm.
Two days had passed since their first meeting and each "session" was as hardcore as the last, if not more so, in realizing what the other was capable of. Laxus could hardly believe the girl across from her after they first fought. How her body would practically seize at the first touch of his lightning on her skin, her eyes rolled up in the back of her head only showing whites, the pure agony across her features that even made him gulp nervously.
And then it was over and she would slump down to her knees. He would watch her take a deep, shuddering breath and then watch as though someone else stepped in her body as she steadily rose to her feet, a fire in her eyes as she continued to fight him despite what it was causing her.
He didn't understand her and yet he kept coming back, meeting her after dusk to fight with her in some unorthodox method of psychological healing. He would give it to her though, the brat had heart. He wondered at times in the guild as he laid back on the couch upstairs and thought about how things had changed since Kalelius called in that favor to him.
He would think about his teammates who he had now officially formed a team with; Bickslow, Freed, and Evergreen. He named them "Kaminari" the roar of god, he thought it fitting because thunder signaled the approach of lightning right before it hit: quick and lethal in all intents.
He would remember the way Freed absolutely lit up in excitement, how Bickslow stuck out his tongue in astonishment, and how Evergreen squealed like it was a dream come true for her. Friends, he would think, maybe aren't so bad.
Then the second day they met, Lucy asked him to change tactics. For him to hide in the trees and fire lightning at her while she tried to pinpoint his location. He witnessed her breakdown and fight hallucinations more than once that night but like every other time she continued; fighting through her inner demons with a fire he would usually only associate with Natsu: Stubborn, determined, and a little bit reckless.
Laxus would go back to the guild the next day and look at his guildmates below in a new light. The closeness between members making him furrow his eyebrows as he tried to look for what was missing. He would witness how the tone in the room would change and seem to turn excited as Lucy and Kalelius stumbled into the room exhausted from what was likely training, with Gray sometimes stumbling along inside with them.
He had also learned of the animosity between Lucy and Mirajane at first, the way they got along like fire and water, even going as far as getting into a fight (if a little one-sided). He'd see them now all buddy-buddy and wonder how things were changing so quickly by just one - then he'd see Kalelius and remember that night - two people could change the atmosphere of the guild so much in so little time.
Seeing Lucy now, shouting again and again after every fall, no matter how much weaker she got every time, he thought he begun to realize what he'd been missing. Something that existed within himself as well; this eternal drive to never give up no matter who looked at them like they couldn't do it.
"Again," Lucy huffed, visibly pushing herself off the ground in order to stand. She was covered in dirt, tears streaking paths through the brown - now dried. Blood decorated her outfit from cuts by his lightning-enhanced fists yet minuscule in comparison to the scars and marks visible on her body.
She was wearing just a tank-top and shorts, clearly in the full-training session mode and not even bothering with covering skin knowing she'd be sweating through every pores and Laxus really couldn't argue with that considering he had shed his casual clothes from the first day into a sweatsuit because although her hand-to-hand combat needed some refinery - she was fast-acting, precise her in attacks, and hit surprisingly brutally. He hadn't lied when he said he wouldn't hold back and now he was beginning to understand what her brother told him about her.
He let out a breath, charging his body with his lightning again to an audible degree. Lucy cringed but her eyes remained clear. Progress, he noted, and leaped at her again. He kept pace with her as she bent around his form like a snake, somehow managing to dodge his attacks even when he altered them to be dodged.
Then, he hit home and got lucky, his leg colliding into her side when she was too out of fuel to make a leap away from him. The lightning shocked her, causing her to be pushed back, and for a moment Lucy wavered in front of him. Her arm - the lightning scarred one - twitched once then her hands turned into a fist. He leaped away when her eyes became hooded, making the steel glints in her eyes seem to become weapons, and with one final shudder she clenched her jaw before practically throwing her body forward.
His eyebrows rose in surprise. He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen her do it.
She had actually managed to shake off the effects.
He let his lightning sink back in his body right as he caught her fist, firmly now to keep her from pulling away for a counter-attack. "That's it for today, if you wear yourself out further you'll forget what you just did there," he told her firmly but idly wondered why he cared in the back of his head.
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, her eyes honing in on him as though just then noticing he was no longer charged with his lightning. "What?" She managed to utter, still trying to catch her breath after countless brutal strikes to the diaphragm.
"You're leaving tomorrow morning with your brother, like you said. You should start heading back to your dorm, moron," he teased her, lightly now in comparison to his cruel humored one.
Again, he wondered why the change now. What made these two so different from everyone else?
Lucy yanked her hand away and took a few steps back to keep herself from falling, all while looking at him strangely. Laxus couldn't blame her, he'd look at him strangely too if he could.
Instead, he just tucked his hands into the pockets of his shorts and leveled her a stern look (which he caught Mirajane using on her siblings more than once) managing to look like a scolding sibling or guardian. At least nothing like his grandfather, anyway.
Whatever effect he was hoping it would garner on Lucy, it didn't turn out the way he aimed because she suddenly burst into a fit of laughter with her mouth blown wide in a grin she couldn't muffle even if she tried.
"You-" she tried to speak but was overrun by her roaring laughter, enough so that Laxus could feel heat rush to his cheeks and he had to turn his head away in a vain attempt to hide it.
Lucy suddenly snorted, pulling herself into another fit of laughter right as he thought she managed to stop and he groaned aloud, his chin falling down in defeat knowing he'd brought this on himself. Clearly he should practice these new expressions in a mirror before trying this again.
Finally, Lucy coughed forcefully to dispel her laughter but the smile was still in her eyes. "Okay, man, I'll get going," she said as she moved over to the branch where her jacket was hanging. He turned away to pick up his water bottle as she did that, hoping that a cool drink will help with the affronting blush but right as he took a sip he heard, "Oh and maybe practice that tone before trying it on someone else again," he heard her chuckle. "If that was an impersonation of Mirajane... oh man, that just made my day."
He sighed, regretting his actions early with his very soul even as he felt a chuckle grow in his own throat - he just barely managed to stop in time.
As he listened to her footsteps begin to fade he finally turned around to see her short stature disappearing into the shadows of the forest. He swallowed the water in his mouth and begun to stroll back the way he came when he heard the distantly soft-spoken voice of the younger Chance.
"And thanks," she said, whether she knew he would hear her with his dragon enhanced hearing or not he didn't know but without even realizing it at first, he felt his lips lift up into a smile.
He admitted to himself surrounded by the quietness of the forest they had moved their training sessions to that if Fairy Tail really was a family, he didn't mind seeing Lucy as a younger sister to him.
...even if she was a little shit at times.
A petulant whine rang out in the room the following morning as Lucy hurried to get the last of her belongings together. The blonde at the receiving end of the whine huffed before spinning around to face her stubborn companion and everything about her expression portrayed that her answer would remain the same.
Yet still the dog persisted.
"No, Rokon, you know you have to stay here."
A grumble met her reply as wide intense eyes stared up at her.
"I don't get why you're fighting me on this, Ro. You'll have Levy, Cana, Mirajane, Erza, and even Gray to couch-surf with while we're gone."
A bark broke through the conversation; loud and piercing. Lucy exhaled harshly through her nose, nostrils flaring like an angry bull before charging. Rokon's lips lifted revealing a snarl, eyes meeting Lucy's issuing a challenge.
After a full minute of glaring at the other the Celestial mage finally had enough and snapped, "What is this really about Ro?"
The wolfdog looked down, letting out a sad whine. "I miss you Luce. You're always going away."
The heat was extinguished by the admission and Lucy let the intensity in her words relax, taking the bite out of them. She brushed a hand through her hair, slowly lowering herself to her knees to pet her friend. "I know, and I understand, Rokon. I've just been so caught up in everything that has been happening, I- no, but that's no excuse."
She sighed again for what felt like the millionth time before continuing.
"Where Kalelius and I are going is really important and it's something we must do alone," She scratched Ro under the chin, staring into his eyes to express both the importance in what she is saying but also the sincerity she means to convey in her words.
"But never forget how each moment I spend with you is cherished. I will never take you for granted, boy, and I promise that as soon as I get back, I make time for us to play. Sound good?" In reply, her friend gave her an affectionate lick on her arm and Lucy grinned.
"On four legs?" He asked, and Lucy smiled at the reference of the last time they ran together as canines.
"And howling to the moon," she finished, giving Rokon one last affectionate petting before rising so that she could return to her packing.
Half an hour later a knock sounded on her door and Lucy looked up from her cup of hot coffee. "Come in!" She called, and muffled her smile into her mug when she saw it was Cana who once again strolled in like she owned the place but at least this time learned from last time.
"Hey girl, don't you got a train to catch?" Cana asked, but by the way she drawled the word train Lucy knew the impending conversation before it even started. Clearly, her friends were taking her triggers very seriously and this wasn't the first time they tried to talk her out of riding on one.
"Yes, it leaves in an hour. I'll be leaving in fifteen," Lucy said sharply, conveying her opinion on what her friends may otherwise think. She was glad that they cared, really, but any other forms of transportation cost energy she wasn't willing to spare.
She heard Cana sigh before she spoke, "But maybe-"
"Look," Lucy snapped and then exhaled slowly to calm down, taking a long sip from her coffee in an attempt to prepare herself for this conversation. "It'll be alright. I have Kalelius with me, remember? He knows me best and honestly with him on the journey with me, I doubt I'll even notice I'm on a train in the first place."
Her friend settled down at the mention of her brother but still inspected her thoroughly, as though assuring herself that she is sincere.
"Alright, fine, but if anything happens know that when you come back I'll be waiting right here with an 'I told you so,' got it?" Lucy grinned because even though Cana sounds annoyed at the situation, a smile was tugging at the corners of her lips too.
"Got it."
It was late afternoon by the time the siblings arrived at the town called Era, home of the Magic Council, but the sky was tinted as though it was just before dusk. Storms stewed on the cold horizon ensuring nothing but the cool caress of the wind flying harshly through the man-made structures outside.
Lucy stepped albeit hesitantly outside the warmth of the train and into the pitiful shelter that served as the roof of the station platform. She sighed, pulling her arm up to keep some of the weight of her dufflebag off of her back while she found a place to sit on a bench as Kalelius went to the cargo for their heaviest bags (most which contained their combat gear).
She cast her eyes up to look at the charcoal sky, her attention captured by a golden streak slithering in between the layers of the clouds where the sun valiantly struggled to stream its rays through while rain showered overhead relentlessly but not forcefully.
There could be worse days than this, she supposed, and despite the state of the weather her recent "sessions" with Laxus had at least helped her deal with the sound of thunder, with thankfully no lightning in sight.
"You..." A soft-spoken voice broke through the melody of the wind and Lucy looked up, past the downpour of the rain, and found a tall woman standing a little ways ahead of her. Familiarity rang in the back of her head and she tried to pinpoint the face in her database of memories.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" She asked not unkindly, standing up from where she had been sitting. Lucy took a step closer, trying to see the stranger more clearly. Dark brown hair framed her face; wet and stuck to the sides of her face. Light skin, scarred with white lines of battle were visible with the lacrimas lighting the station. Her eyes were sharp and rich with experience yet they were not made of cold-steel, instead a gentle color of lavender.
Lucy swore she had never met this woman before but she also had a pretty good idea where this woman knew her from.
The woman smiled, unperturbed by the lack of recognition and lifted her arm in greeting. "I suppose not. My name is Julianna, I was one of the survivors of Lightning Chimera."
Lucy's eyes lit in understanding and she smiled as shook hands with a fellow survivor (honestly she liked that term better than free-slave). "Glad to see you alive and well," she replied kindly. "You may just call me Lucy. Lucy Chance."
Julianna nodded, the smile unwavering and she gestured toward the bench Lucy had been sitting at before. "Do you mind if I sit with you?"
Lucy shook her head, liking the woman across from her and not just because of the familiarity. "I don't mind. I'm just waiting for my brother."
The woman nodded as they both sat back down on the bench, their bags now laid at their feet, and they stared out at the city laid before them; rain swept towards the city by the wind, and the tall mountain settled in the center of the town where the headquarters of the Magic Council stood proud above.
"If you don't mind my assumption: your brother's name is Kalelius, yes?" Julianna asked and Lucy turned to her surprise, an eyebrow risen in inquiry as to how she knew.
"I met the two of you after the fall of that old bird," it took Lucy a moment longer than it should've to realize she was taking about Crow, and the blonde wondered if it was to keep their conversation from being overheard by eavesdroppers.
The woman's eyes looked her up and down, pausing only at her scarred arm before meeting her eyes again. "You healed well," the woman said at last, and that sentence made everything make sense.
"You brought me back, hadn't you?" Lucy questioned, eyes glinting in realization.
Julianna nodded her head in admission. "It was the least I could do, after everything you had done for us. To put everyone else even before you're own life. Few would have done such a thing, Lucy."
Lucy made a low sound in the back of her throat, absorbing the information.
"Well, I thank you. For, you know," she trailed off, trying to convey how much it meant to her that she hadn't stayed dead - that the plan for their freedom worked out in every way they planned it to.
"You honor me, but I imagine you would do the same for me," the woman stood then as she got ready to leave. "If you need anything, Lucy, just ask. I'll be there as your sword or your shield, in whatever way you need an extra hand."
Lucy swallowed, standing with her, knowing exactly how meaningful those words are. "I will," she promised.
"I hope we will be seeing each other soon," Julianna said and begun to walk away, opening an umbrella in one hand before stopping suddenly to look over her shoulder. "Give your brother my regards," she asked, and then continued on her way with a final smile and a wave over her shoulder.
"Chance!" Kalelius's voice called out to her and Lucy turned around to see her brother jogging over to her, the heavy bags weighing over his shoulder like they weighed nothing as he approached her.
"Ready to go?" He asked her. Lucy nodded in reply as she picked up her own bag to sling over her shoulder.
"A woman just approached me. She was from LC too," Lucy begun after they left the station, walking through an empty street toward the hotel they were staying at for the meanwhile.
"Really? Did you know her?" Kalelius inquired.
Lucy shook her head. "No, but she knew me. You know her too, though," she said to keep it a mystery.
"I did?" Kalelius sounded truly puzzled, brows furrowed in deep thought while he seemed to rack his brain for someone like that.
"Yes, her name is Julianna. She was the one... the medic who helped bring me back," Lucy supplied, gratitude in her tone.
Kalelius stumbled then and Lucy snapped her head around sharply to stare at him baffled. Her brother blushed and looked away, clearing his throat distractedly.
The blonde bit her lip but failed to hide her smile when she realized what was happening.
"Somebody has a crush," she sing-songed at him, laughter in her eyes as she danced out of his way when he swept at her.
"I do not," he refuted, but the blush told her otherwise and Lucy laughed at him.
"Sure, sure. Hey, if we see her again soon I promise to give you two as much alone time as possible," she teased, laughing as he tripped over his feet again.
"You will not!"
Lucy stuck her tongue out at him, both knowing she certainly would. Kalelius groaned then, shoulders slumping in defeat in knowing there was no fighting her on this.
"Can you blame me?" He mumbled, sounded like a lost little puppy. Lucy punched his shoulder lightly in what was somehow meant to be encouraging.
"She is beautiful... but maybe I'm biased since she gave me the gift of life and all," Lucy grinned at Kalelius. "But not to worry, my friend, I'm sure she'll give you the kiss of life if you drop dead too!"
A resounding groan echoed through the street followed by maniac laughter. The sounds out of place in the prestigious state of the town but muffled by the downpour of the storm. Kalelius was only slightly less mortified that this conversation could not be overheard but also dismayed because his sister took full advantage of the lack of interference.
It would be a long night and worse, the man knew Lucy would never let him live this down.
He sighed, half hoping and half dreading meeting Julianna face-to-face again.
The possibilities!
...If only his little sister wasn't such a match-maker.
Hey everyone!
I know it's been a while (almost four months) since I last updated and I want to say I've had a lot going on, which although is true isn't nothing I haven't overcome before. The real reason I've been offline for so long is due to stress and an effort to deal with my anxiety.
So, although the stress is something I can work through on my own, if anyone has any homemade/natural remedies for anxiety, let me know and maybe we can get my update schedule back on the road.
On another note, I've been getting a lot of reviews asking for Laxy/LaxusxLucy for a ship and I'm just going to say what I've said from the start how this is a ship-free story for main characters because I don't want to deal with ship-wars when this story isn't even centered on romance anyways. For those that want is so badly, feel free to write your own story, it's not a bad ship - it's just not for this story.
I've also got some new stories coming in soon. I know a lot of people believe in focusing on just one story but for me, things are different, my muse and I need different things going through our brains in order to keep our imagination ongoing. Writing for one of my new stories actually got my muse back on-board for this story which is why a new chapter got posted in the first place. Hopefully these stories as well as the continuation of some of my older stories will keep you all entertained while this story is in progression.
scotty eyett, in regards to my story... thank you so much. I am glad that my story inspires you to write your own stories (it's really the way of things) and that my story structure is smooth. It's a relief to know it hasn't lost Fairy Tail's core foundations in it's progression. I equally love long chapters because it's something you can relax while reading :) I appreciate your regards to this story's genre and feel free to "go on a mirage on how [my] work inspires [your] own anytime! I love hearing from you all and hope this year goes better than the last for sure.
erojas emilyb, in regards to only on chapter seven... wow, really? You think it's well-down that early on? I cringe at my early chapters because my standard has risen so much since then so it means so much to hear you think so! Sometimes when I go back to reread this story looking for things to edit I pause and think: shit, I wrote that? Haha, it keeps things in perspective. And yes, you right, I've done a lot of research to make the plot and this story work together and I'm grateful you have recognized that!
Perfect Memories, in regards to my way of writing... thanks so much! Glad to know it's different and that the twists are working out well. I like my rather unorthodox stories and am glad I'm not the only one, haha. Hope to see you stay tuned!
CherryColaMyst, thank you so much for loving this story so much! I'm pretty sure you've been with me since the start of this story and it means a lot knowing you haven't grown tired of it after all this time!
SpSlimShady, in regards to "It was good till the future reveal"... even though I highly doubt you're ever going to read this, for anyone else who feels the same... well, action/tragedy isn't for everyone. Read the tags, people. Maybe then you'll be complaining less.
PrettyPansexual, thank you for following me with this story for so long! I'm glad you love my every update and hope my absence hasn't deterred that!
StarOfTime, in regards to "I think you misunderstood Aquarius's sacrifice"... I haven't at all, actually. See, there's this thing called first person perspective and at the start (seeing as you were at chapter 10 at this time) Lucy still hadn't fully understood what had happened. Survivor's guilt, PTSD, insecurities... all that jazz had been affecting Lucy and would probably be for anyone else. I think people often forget what we feel in that moment. We understand sacrifices after they have happened but in that moment it's the most terrible feeling. And as the story progressed, so did Lucy begin to understand. On another, separate note, read my Author's Notes and you'll know there's this story divergence to canon called AU. In other words, not everything is as it appears.
DoubleBeast, gotta love the feels right? No time-skips, no way. Haha, glad to have someone understanding this story's way of things :)
Love you all and your support!
Sincerely,
- Gothic Rain
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail of the following below.
Word of the Day: Mazarine (n.) - a rich blue color.
Quote of the Day: "What do you fear, lady?" Aragorn asked. "A cage," Éowyn said. "To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire." - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King.
Music of the Day: Within Temptation - Stand My Ground
