xxiii.
Life was precious. This was an ideal Meredy carried deep within her, one that started on Tenrou with her fight against Juvia and continued in saving Ultear from being swallowed by the sea...and now with her again as a child.
Even so, because of her past and current operations, she was no stranger to death. It was the dark cloud that drew over most of her life, one of the many things she was striving to atone for.
So when Ultear came across a dead animal on one of her walks, Meredy couldn't begin to describe the complex emotions she felt at the toddler hesitantly studying the animal. "Deer?" she meekly asked.
"Yes, it's a deer, Ultear." Meredy paused to look at the creature. There were no obvious wounds on it, but it did look thin, its rib edges poking up against its skin. The winter here may have done it in. Luckily, no scavengers were around, leaving the whole scene quite serene in the early winter light.
Ultear's wide eyes lingered on the animal, and Meredy was left wondering what she thought of it. The group hunted animals somewhat frequently in order to sustain themselves, and while Meredy usually didn't have Ultear watch the butchering, she knew she saw the animals in their deceased state often enough. To think she may not recognize death was a bit ridiculous at this point…but it didn't stop Meredy from wanting to distance herself from those kinds of discussions. At least, for now.
"Come on, Ultear." She gently tugged her hand. "We should…leave it be."
But Ultear didn't budge from where she stood. Instead, she released her own grip from her mother's hand and took a few tentative steps forward. Shocked by her willing disobedience, Meredy gaped at her actions, too surprised to immediately call her back.
A few steps more, and Ultear was within feet of the deer. Stretching out a hand, her face scrunched up in concentration and her eyes narrowed to the point of nearly closing. The level of concentration betrayed something beyond the normal behavior of a toddler.
"U-Ultear!" Meredy's voice finally caught up with her, as she bounded the few steps between them and grabbed her shoulder. "What are you doing?"
As if caught out of a trance, Ultear's eyes snapped open and spun to look at Meredy. She turned her hands over before sadly shaking her head. "…Won't work."
"What won't work…?"
Ultear's dark eyes gazed up solemnly. "Time…can't turn it back. 'Cause it's…dead."
A chill washed over Meredy. "Y-You're right. It is dead." She tried to keep calm by stating facts. "Which is why we should leave it alone so it can rest in peace."
Ultear nodded. Without a word, she reached out to grasp Meredy's hand once again. Meredy sucked in a breath and squeezed the hand tight, leading her back down the path.
The deer soon faded into the distance, and with it the far-too-solemn look on Ultear's face. Still, even as all that passed, Meredy's heart continued hammering. Did Ultear really mean what she thought she meant? Had she really tried to "turn back time"? She glanced back and at her, a feeling of unease sinking deeper and deeper into her chest.
Still, her grip didn't waver. She resolved to keep a closer eye on her should something unexpected happen again. The idea of her trying it again was worrisome enough, but the idea that she might succeed…
Shaking her head at the thought, she led the toddler back to the campsite, her hand a firm grasp on the toddler's own. It was just another thing to keep an eye out for, after all.