Thank you, everyone, for your encouragement. You are why I keep writing :) RxR! Enjoy!
To my Anonymous Readers:
Louise: thanks ^-^ Glad you like it!
Guitar Guy: no shame in it! it's your lucky day! You may always use the f-bomb with me, no apologies necessary :D
Disclaimer: same as always.
~OoOoO~
Lucy bolted through the door, her eyes scanning the mages that were scrambling to follow Mirajane's orders. Her gaze fluttered from face to face, looking for the familiar dark-haired mage as she stood on her toes.
"Wendy? Wendy!" Her voice was drowned out by the buzzing of voices, so she fought her way through the guild in search of the girl. She caught a glimpse of pink hair, but she was too busy to care.
"Gemini!" Lucy grunted, tugging at the key at her waist as she ran.
"Lucy-chan!" the two small spirits quipped in unison as they hovered above the ground, their heads bobbing as they took in the grim scene surrounding them.
"Gemi, Mini," Lucy nodded, her gaze flickering over them as she dodged Reedus' girth, "Come with me, I need a favor!"
"Anything for you!"
"Of course, Lucy-chan!"
When she spotted the weary dragon slayer, Lucy quickly bolted for her, doing her best to not push anyone too hard. She approached, excitedly tapping on Wendy's shoulder. The brunette turned toward the spirit mage, wiping at her brow as she did so. Lucy's smile was grim as she sympathized for the girl. Her magic was needed, and she could only push herself so far.
"Why don't you take a break, Wendy?" Lucy rested a hand on Wendy's shoulder.
Wendy's mouth fell open as she looked at the two small spirits next to Lucy. Her gaze shot up to Lucy's face as her brow furrowed in determination. "I-I can't! There are too many injuries. They need my help!"
"Then let me help, er, let them help," Lucy pointed toward Gemi and Mini, her hand trembling as she said a silent prayer of hope. She hadn't even asked her spirits if her theory would work!
"Huh?" Wendy's bewilderment showed on her face as her eyes darted back to the tiny spirits. How are they going to help?
Lucy knelt, speaking to her spirits, "Hey, you two, do you think you could do me a huge favor and help Wendy?"
"Yes!" they nodded, clapping their hands together in understanding. "You can count on us! Just command us, Lucy-chan! Do it, do it!"
"Quit sounding like perverts!" Lucy snarled. She cleared her throat as she turned to once again speak to Wendy. "These two can transform into anyone, and can take on their magic abilities, as well." Wendy stared in wide-eyed awe, nodding her understanding after a few moments of silence. Lucy continued, "They can only hold it for five minutes—"
"We can hold for longer, Lucy-chan!" Mini quipped.
"Yes, now that we have no contract, we can hold for much longer."
Lucy looked at them in surprise. "I thought you could only transform for five minutes?"
The spirits looked at one another before answering in unison, "It depends on our user."
"Eh?" Lucy was officially confused.
"With Angel, her spirit power was much less than yours, so five minutes was our maximum," Gemi informed her matter-of-factly.
Mini picked up where his twin left off, "But we have never tried with you, so it may be longer."
"But it doesn't matter now!" they jumped up and down, their voices a unique harmony.
"Right," Lucy smiled, understanding their point. Why hadn't she thought of that? "Just don't wear yourselves down too much! Help Wendy a little bit and then you can return home. I don't want anyone exhausted!"
"Yes, Lucy-chan!" they quipped together, looking at Wendy in expectation, their arms held high.
Wendy drew back reflexively. The spirits watched her, their good humor on their faces. The dragon slayer glanced at Lucy before finally shrugging her shoulders. She offered a half-hearted smile, "Why not? If Lucy trusts you..."
"She does! She does!" The two spirits wobbled up to her, placing their hands on her arms. In the blink of an eye, another Wendy appeared before them. Lucy barely registered the silence that surrounded them as the guild watched the spectacle in awe.
"Wow, Lucy sure is gifted with her spirits," someone whispered.
"She's one of our strongest, of course she is," another confirmed.
"Atta girl, Lucy!" came the hoarse shout.
Lucy's attention was drawn away from the two Wendys before her as she realized what had been spoken. Her face flushed from the attention, but she couldn't deny the satisfaction she felt at hearing those words. It felt good to know that others had confidence in her, even when she didn't. She smiled at Wendy, who stared at her clone in surprise. The dragon slayer reached out and poked the newcomer, drawing back in shock of the clone's solidarity.
"It...looks just like me!" she whispered, her eyes wide.
"Oooh, he is cute, Wendy-chan!" the spirit-Wendy responded before giggling mischievously.
"Stop it," Lucy warned between her teeth. Wendy's face changed from surprise to embarrassment, and Lucy silently cursed herself for not explaining that Gemini could read their subject's thoughts. Despite their ambiguity, Lucy immediately know who the spirits were speaking of. She had suspected that the foreigner had left his mark on the dragon slayer girl...
Wendy's face turned pink. She nervously glanced at Lucy, whose chocolate stare waited patiently for instruction. After a moment, Lucy decided it may be best to prompt the dragon slayer. "Well? Tell them what you want them to do! They should be able to heal, if my assumptions were correct!" And I hope they were!
"Yes, yes! We can help, Wendy-chan!" Gemini responded, clapping. "Let us show you!" They reached out and touched Wendy, a glowing light engulfing both of them. After nearly thirty seconds, it faded, leaving a refreshed looking Wendy.
"Wow!" she breathed, her mouth curving into a smile; her first real smile of the day. "That was awesome, Lucy! It really works!"
Lucy nodded, hiding her own overwhelming relief. "Now they can help, you know, take off some of the pressure."
"Yes, I think they can," Wendy's smile grew wider. She whispered to Gemini, pointing to where they could best be utilized. The spirits were quick to follow direction, and Lucy had never been more proud of the transforming duo.
Lucy heard Wendy's name being called from the far corner, and the real Wendy turned to find Fried hovering above Evergreen. His face was ashen and shone with sweat as he maintained his magic over his fallen teammate. His eyes were weary as he croaked out Wendy's name a second time. Lucy had nearly forgotten Fried's situation, a notion that made her feel neglectful. She noticed that even Bixlow had managed to find his teammates, sitting cross-legged against the wall, his trademark grin gone. Lucy was surprised he had removed his mask, as she had seen very little of his face in the past year. She found him decently attractive without it.
"Oh no," Wendy murmured as she walked over to Evergreen, her gait unsure once again.
Lucy could see the defeat quickly making itself known on Wendy's features. The brunette grimaced as she looked over Evergreen's wounds, her earlier hesitation returning a hundred times greater. She was haunted by the faces of those she couldn't help, and she didn't want this burden to follow her, either. She glanced up, finding Fried and Bixlow watching her, anxiety and fear in their eyes.
"I-I'm not sure I can help, Fried," Wendy replied, her voice cracking as her hands trembled.
"We won't know unless you try!" the green-haired mage frantically informed her, "I was contemplating it, and I think that as long as it's not an other-wordly based magic attack, you should be able to help. It's a pure, physical injury."
"Huh?" Lucy scrunched her nose, trying to grasp what Fried was sharing.
Fried continued his explanation, "I think that you should be able to heal injuries that are not a direct cause of the monsters' magic—dark magic, that is! So anyone who's been injured, physically, may be able to be healed by you, given they aren't—" his eyes darted toward the bodies in the corner of the guild as he lowered his voice, "already dead to begin with."
Wendy looked around nervously as all eyes were suddenly on her. Her lower lip trembled, "It's unfair to say that, Fried. It's like picking and choosing who I can save. I want to save everyone!" Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Evergreen. She glanced at the bodies piled at the far wall—the fallen, too late to be saved, as she had been unfairly reminded.
Wendy shook her head, "I don't think...what if it doesn't work?"
"Then she dies," Fried's eyes grew watery as he spoke the dreadful words, "Which was what would have happened had I not used this rune, anyhow." He sucked in a deep breath, his eyes steady on Wendy's face as his voice lowered an octave. "She saved Erza and she saved me. The least we can do is to try. No one will blame you, I only tried to buy her time. I trust you."
Wendy's eyes widened at Fried's words. She gawked at him, her face momentarily void of her emotions and thoughts. As if she had gained some imaginary courage, she nodded and knit her brow as she rubbed her hands together. They shot out in front of her, hovering above Evergreen. "I'll do my best. Remove the barrier, Fried."
Fried did so with shaky hands, and the low hissing of air through the chest cavitation told Lucy that Evergreen was still alive. Barely. Wendy waved her hands, the air picking up around her. Her body glowed as her hair whipped around her face, her palms face-down over Evergreen's wounds. The injured mage was growing paler by the moment, and Lucy knew that each second was valuable. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see the wound through the glowing haze enveloping both women. Wendy's magic burned her eyes, and she blinked, glancing away. Seconds seemed like hours, and Fried watched with bated breath. Bixlow stepped up beside his friend and put a hand of solace on his shoulder. The rune-using mage made no movement, his eyes steady on Evergreen's face. The light slowly faded and Evergreen remained, her physical wounds healed. Wendy nearly collapsed, but Bixlow was quick to catch her. Lucy cast a glance over the her own shoulder, and she could see Gemini healing Grey's wrist.
"Did it work?" Wendy whispered, her face pale and shining with sweat. She suddenly looked as if she had depleted all of her magic healing Evergreen's wounds.
"Dunno," Bixlow murmured, watching in anticipation. Despite his usual disinterested regard, it was obvious he cared about his teammates.
Fried knelt down, his hands searching her skin, "Her wounds are gone. That should have done it, right?" His eyes relayed his panic as he looked to Wendy for guidance.
"I...I don't know. I told you..." Wendy trailed off.
"There was nothing you could do," Bixlow softly offered, reassuringly patting her back. Wendy ignored his kind words, her head falling as she sobbed into her hands.
"Eve." Fried stared at his lap, his voice barely audible. He clenched his fists as he inhaled deeply, "Bixlow's right, it's not your fault. I had only hoped..."
"I'm so sorry!" the dragon slayer cried into Bixlow's shoulder. He looked uncomfortable by her emotional actions—as if he had no clue what to do to calm her. He patted her back, an awkward gesture on his part. "I'm so sorry I can't do anything. I'm so weak!"
"You're not weak," Lucy chimed in, feeling Wendy's sorrow.
"Yes I am! I can't even—"
She was interrupted by sucking noise as Evergreen arched her back, her hands clawing at the air in front of her as she gasped for breath. She rolled over onto her side, coughing violently as her lungs suddenly re-expanded. The color returned to her face, which was contorted into an oddly animalistic expression.
"Eve!" Fried cried out, tears running down his cheeks. Bixlow joined him, and they helped Evergreen sit upright. She continued to gasp for air, her hands encircling her throat. Her eyes watered from the odd sensation of fresh oxygen in her lungs. Soon, she was only breathing heavily, her lips pursed as her color returned.
"You two!" she rasped to her friends, her eyes were wild as she looked around, "Am I—are we all dead?"
Fried laughed, hugging her suddenly. It was the first real triumph of the day. "No! Wendy healed you!"
"Wendy?" Evergreen echoed quietly, her eyes on the girl. She tugged at her top, looking for the hideous wound. Her bare chest was exposed through the torn shirt. "It's gone...the wound is gone."
Lucy handed Evergreen a blanket to cover her bared flesh, "So Fried was right. It seems that as long as we are not injured by magical means, we can be healed by Wendy's dragon slayer magic."
"I did it?" Wendy whispered in awe of the situation as Fried suddenly pulled her into a hug of triumph. The startled dragon slayer weakly patted back. "I did it!" she smiled confidently as she looked at Lucy.
"Thank you so much, I owe you my life!" Fried quickly promised, holding her at arm's length. Wendy blushed.
"Your life? For what?" Evergreen shot him a look of confusion, her sarcastic nature returning.
Fried responded by grabbing her face in both hands and pulling her toward him. Everyone watched in shock at the uncharacteristic display of emotion between the two teammates. Lucy's eyes grew wide as the embrace quickly became a lingering, passionate kiss. She could feel her face growing hot as she averted her eyes. She briefly caught Natsu's glance from the doorway of Makarov's room. He quickly retreated into the darkness as Erza watched, a small smile of victory on her face.
Bixlow shook his head, the only one not looking surprised at his friends' display of affection as the guild broke into cheers of encouragement, "It's about time, you two."
Night had quickly fallen, and Wendy had finally gotten around to Juvia's wounds. Gemini had tired, though surpassing Lucy's expectations by staying a full hour. She had to admit, she felt an odd sense of accomplishment that she could help. She hadn't seen Natsu since earlier, and part of her was angry because of that. It appeared he was reverting to how he had treated her before today's battle, now that the danger had passed. There was no longer a need to protect Lucy, so he could run off and disappear.
"I-I don't think I can do much better than this," Wendy shook her head, sighing as Juvia looked at her charred skin in slight disgust.
"Juvia is grateful you tried, Wendy," she pulled her arm away, exhaling her resignation. "It will heal like a normal persons should, I suppose." Wendy's eyes misted over, but Juvia merely patted her shoulder, "I am grateful this is my only wound. Do not cry over it, I am alive. That is all I ask."
Lucy was sitting beside Grey, and she could see him ball his fist at Juvia's words. She watched Juvia begin to gingerly wrap her hand, wrist, and forearm in the moist gauze Mirajane had delivered. Damp strands of sweaty hair were matted to the water mage's head as she bit her lip to hide her pain.
"Let me help," Lucy offered.
Juvia hesitated, glancing at Grey before holding out her arm to Lucy. "Thank you, Lucy," she whispered softly. She winced, slightly, as Lucy began to continue to wrap the hideous wound.
"Don't mention it, I'm just glad you are OK," Lucy smiled as she gently covered the burned skin. She inwardly cringed, hoping that Juvia's arm would heal well. There was no doubt in her mind that Juvia would bear those scars for the rest of her life.
Elfman approached, sighing in frustration as he realized the Juvia's wounds would not heal easily. Juvia looked up at him, their eyes conveying a silent conversation. She smiled weakly, "It is alright, Elfman-sama. We have more important things to worry about. Do not worry about me, your sister needs you more than ever."
Elfman wordlessly nodded before he retreated to busy himself with other labors. Juvia watched Lucy continue to wrap her arm. After a few moments, the water mage spoke in a soft whisper. "He has been through a lot. We both lost a sibling, perhaps it's why I feel like I can talk to him."
Lucy was somewhat startled by Juvia's confession. "You...aren't, erm...?" Lucy blurted, blushing at her sudden intrusiveness and lack of manners.
"Juvia and Elfman-sama? No.." Juvia's eyes were wide as she realized what Lucy was thinking. "Oh no, no, no! He is just a friend. He reminds me," she smiled sadly, "of my older brother. He used to fret about me much like Elfman."
Her eyes flickered to Mirajane's brother, and Lucy could see the sisterly fondness in her gaze. Juvia blinked, recollecting herself. The glance she cast at Grey was not missed by Lucy, either. Juvia sighed, a mixture of defeat and hopelessness. Lucy suddenly felt very sorry for the water mage, realizing that she had never truly gotten over her crush on Grey-she had merely distracted herself with a new relationship. Though, this one was out of mutual respect. Lucy found it amusing that Grey kept watching the two women from the corner of his eye as he silently sat against the wall, pretending to sleep. She wondered if Juvia's lack of fawning and sudden seriousness about the guild was becoming more intriguing to Gray...
Before she could speculate farther, her attention was drawn elsewhere as the front entrance creaked as it slowly opened. She watched Adie quietly slip through the main door.
"She's gifted with weapons, no?" Juvia whispered under her breath, her eyes narrowed as she studied the demi-spirit.
"She is. She's also an amazing blacksmith," Lucy confessed as Adie stood awkwardly by the door, looking at a loss for what to do with herself, oblivious to Lucy and Juvia's conversation.
"The guild doesn't have one of those, do they? Erza-san does not have anyone to fix her weapons..." Juvia absentmindedly babbled.
Lucy's eyes grew round as Juvia's words triggered an idea. Why hadn't I thought of that before?
"That's it!" Lucy cried aloud, turning to Juvia and grabbing the mage by her slender shoulders, "Juvia, you are a genius! I don't know what we'd do without you!" She leaned down and kissed the blue-haired woman on the cheek before turning away.
"What did Juvia do?" the water mage looked baffled as Lucy stalked off. She traced the cheek where Lucy had haphazardly thanked her.
"Mirajane!" Lucy called out, approaching the siblings as they were deep in conversation.
"Huh? Oh, Lucy, what can I do for you?" the pale-haired mage asked in her normal motherly tone as she spun around.
"Can you make an announcement that anyone needing weapons can commission Adie to do it?" Lucy asked, subtly jerking her head toward the entrance. She watched Mirajane raise her eyes and glance past her.
The new guild master's eyes flickered back to the Lucy's face. "Sure...I don't see why not. But, we don't have a place for her to do so," Mirajane confessed carefully. Elfman puffed out his cheeks and tapped his chin, thoughtfully.
Lucy opened her mouth to speak, quickly realizing she hadn't thought of that. Crap, she silently cursed. Way to go, Lucy!
"Actually," came the wearied voice, "We do."
All eyes were on Levy as she slowly approached, Droy at her side. She looked at Lucy, giving her a sad smile that told Lucy that she would be alright; she simply needed time to heal. Lucy nodded her understanding, not daring to ask the question aloud. Levy's eyes were puffy from crying, and her nose red from wiping. Droy's eyes were also red and swollen from his mourning.
"I think I would have known about that—" Mirajane raised an eyebrow skeptically.
Levy shook her head, "It was pending. I saw the blueprints and had spoken to Master Makarov about it. Said it was a birthday present. For Erza." All eyes moved to where the ex-quipping mage was in deep conversation outside of the Makarov's room. Lucy felt a knot in her stomach as she caught Erza, Wendy, Porlyusica and Natsu speaking in hushed tones. The pink-haired mage's back was to her, but she could tell, from the slump of his shoulders, that he did not like what was being discussed.
"He wanted Erza to always have a place, here, to have her weapons modified—so she didn't have to travel all the way to wherever she takes them! Master Makarov was even trying to convince Heart Kreuz to send one of their smithies here," she admitted, her voice falling flat. "I think there is enough hardware in the smithy that it could be in working order if needed."
Lucy watched Mirajane raise both eyebrows as she glanced toward the blonde spirit mage. "Very well, Lucy. Looks like you'll have your way!" She faced the rest of the mages, using her forefinger and thumb to create a shrill whistle that would gather the crowd's attention. Lucy beamed as Mirajane's voice bellowed throughout the guild. "Listen up, everyone! Anyone in need of armor or weapons, including repair, please inform Adassandra." She pointed toward Adie, whose eyes grew round as her face reddened.
I'm sorry, Lucy mouthed as the demi-spirit's shocked gaze met her own. She really wasn't.
"So, if you need anything...just ask her!" Mirajane pointed, smiling brightly as the guild broke into murmurs.
"Yes! I've been meaning to have my brass knuckles fixed," Lucy heard Miki chirp, as the girl jumped up and down in excitement.
Adie slowly approached, her bewildered look melting into something akin to annoyance as she leaned near Lucy, "Coulda warned me about that! I never said I'd do it!"
"You said you wanted to help," Lucy reminded her, "So here's how you can help!"
Adie stood back, looking over the few mages that were hesitantly approaching the guild's newest visitor. She glanced back to Lucy, "But I don't have anything with me!"
"It's alright, Levy said that Master Makarov had just built a new place. So, pending it is not fully destroyed, you should have everything you could ever need," Lucy shot back, "Think of this as...payback."
Adie closed her eyes for a moment, a smile tugging at her lips, "You can be ruthless when you want to."
"So I've been told," Lucy sighed in mock exasperation. "You can thank me later." She glanced around, noticing that even Erza had paid attention to that announcement, interest visible in her features. "Looks like you're gonna be busy. I'll leave you to it!" Lucy bowed, quickly moving away as a the mages began crowding around Adie.
"Can you fix this?" A dagger was offered.
"How about this wrench?"
"Oooh, ooh! My brass knuckles, please?" Miki pushed herself to the front of the crowd.
Lucy smiled as the demi-spirit was suddenly too engrossed in her trade to notice Lucy's retreat. She slipped over to where the smaller bunch was crowded around Makarov's room. Her smile faded as she saw the sorrowful expressions as well as Wendy's tears.
"Whats...going on? How is he?" she asked, her voice soft. Natsu said nothing, averting his eyes and trying to blink away the tears as Wendy softly sobbed and shook her head in frustration.
"He's being stubborn, as expected," Porlyusica tsked, pursing her lips.
"Huh?" Lucy looked around the small group.
"It's like before...but much worse," Erza grimly responded. "Even Wendy's magic failed to help him. It's as if he's resigned himself to—"
"Don't say it, Erza!" Natsu growled as Grey approached.
"We have to face it!" Erza's voice was sharp.
Grey and Lucy exchanged worried glances as Natsu refused to back down, "He's gonna make it, he just has to hold on!"
Erza shook her head, "Grow up, Natsu. Even you can sense it. He's given up!"
"No! He would never give up. He loves us too much!"
"That spell does horrible things to the caster," Porlyusica sternly reminded them, her eyes betraying her harsh words. "There is no way to predict what will happen to him now, so I'd advise you listen to the girl!"
Natsu pouted, his fists clenched at his sides. Lucy rubbed his arm in understanding, her own tears stinging her eyes. He pulled his arm away, turning around and stalking off. He stopped a few feet away, spinning around and glaring at Porlyusica.
"What about Happy?" he asked through his teeth.
"Who?" she replied cautiously.
"Happy," Natsu repeated.
"The cat," Erza explained. "Natsu's best friend."
"What about him?" Porlyusica calmly queried as she studied the dragon slayer.
"His eye. Can you fix it like you fixed Erza's?" he asked, pointing to his own eye socket as well as the red-head's.
Porlyusica's eyes wandered over Erza's face, her voice soft after a few moments of hesitation, "Oh yes, the magical eye that can't shed tears." Erza nodded, a small smile on her face. "I don't know if it'll work for the cat, but I can try, child."
"Do whatever it takes," Natsu growled before stomping into the kitchen. The doors swung wildly on their hinges a he stalked off. Lucy watched him, wondering if she should follow. Would he even speak to her? She decided against it for the moment.
Suddenly, the front door was kicked open, falling forward and slamming on the floor with a deafening crack as the wood split into two pieces. Everyone's attention was once again directed to the hall's main entrance. Two pairs of eyes returned the questioning stares.
"Lyon?" Grey whispered under his breath.
"And Sherry," Lucy nodded, taking a tentative step toward the two newcomers.
Lyon's hair was much longer than Lucy remembered, his pale strands pulled back into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. He wore a cape that was secured over his shoulders, and his left arm in a makeshift sling over his chest. His nose and eye were swollen, and Lucy could see the remains of a gruesome injury that spanned the right side of his face in a crescent pattern. Sherry was at his side, her long red hair unwashed and in disarray. She was carrying something small in her arms as she walked closely to Lyon.
"I heard," Lyon's eyes studied the mages before him, "That we could seek refuge here. Until we fight those bastards again." A few gruff cheers rang out at Lyon's rousing words. Lucy knew he was referring to Hibiki's message. She wondered how far it had reached...
"That's right," Mirajane was the first to recover, her palms outstretched in welcome, "Please come in! I am Mirajane, the Guild Master at the moment."
Lyon's eyes wandered over her face, "So where's the old man?"
"He's resting," Mirajane replied calmly, her voice holding steady. "Do come in."
"Thank you...Mirajane," Sherry replied, smiling wearily. "Please do not mind our appearances."
Lyon nodded his thanks, his eyes continuing to scan the crowd until he found his childhood friend. "Grey! I'll be damned, you lived through the attack."
"Of course I did," Grey replied quickly. "And it looks like you took the worst of it."
"Eh, this is nothing," Lyon grinned, "Shoulda seen what I did to them! This only made me perfect my one-handed technique."
"Hmph," Grey grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. He wouldn't share that he had been utilizing that same technique much earlier that day. It would give Lyon too much satisfaction.
The bundle in Sherry's arms squirmed and she looked down quickly, "Oh dear, you're finally awake?"
People began to murmur, their interest in the newcomers fading as Mirajane spoke to Lyon. Lucy stood on tiptoe to see what was in cradled Sherry's arms. Lucy could see the bow on its tail, and she gasped in realization of what the soiled ball of fur really was.
"Charle!" Wendy cried out.
Lucy heard the flapping of wings and she saw Happy speeding toward the entrance, "Charle? Where is she?"
"I'm right here," the cat groaned, "Please put me down." She waved a hand in the air.
"Oh, y-yes!" Sherry nodded, doing as she was instructed. She glanced at Lucy as the spirit mage approached, "We found her outside of the village. We couldn't leave her, not in that condition."
"Thank you!" Wendy cried, dropping to her knees and ecstatically pulling the dirty cat into her arms. Charle softly patted the dragon slayer's head.
"Now now, don't cry. I'm fine." Charle softly tsked, though Lucy could see her fondness for the dragon slayer.
"I was so w-worried about you!" Wendy hiccuped between sobs, tears streaking her face.
"Charle!" Happy called out, his wings disappearing as he tackled the cat in a hug.
"Tom cat!" she huffed as the air was knocked out of her. "Not you, too!" Her eyes grew wides a she looked at Happy's appearance. She tenderly reached out and touched his ear. "Wendy will fix this."
"Aye," Happy wiped away his tears, "We were all so worried about you!"
"I was trying to get a good look," Charle admitted, looking at her feet. She brushed herself off, glancing around the guild sheepishly.
"Good look?" Wendy echoed, unsure of what her friend was sharing.
"My visions." Charle pointed to her head, her eyes still on Happy's gruesome wounds.
Happy nodded. He had been aware that Charle had been building her ability. They had experimented, and he fully believed in the accuracy of her foresight. "She's looking into the future, aye," he solemnly told Wendy.
"Is it true?" Wendy asked, looking somewhat hurt that this information was not shared with her. Lucy could empathize with Wendy's pain.
"It is, Wendy."
"What did you see?" Lucy blurted. She received an annoyed look from the female cat. Charle glanced around the guild, her eyes falling on Lyon and Sherry.
"That we will meet more mages, like them. They will come from all over," Charle's eyes returned to Wendy's face. "And, in four days..." She trailed off, her voice growing faint as her eyes became glazed with a far away look. The guild awaited with bated breath.
"In four days...Grimoire Heart will come for us. We must prepare ourselves."
