xiii

It was over before Meredy even realized it.

One moment she'd been clutching Ultear, praying she'd have enough strength after this attack to move and run before she felt Ultear slip out of her grasp. The child had walked out of her mother's arms of her own accord, staring up at the larger man, raising a hand out…

Meredy forgot to breathe at what came next.

The toad man lay slumped over, a thin wisp of blood trickling down his mouth. He couldn't so much as groan. His battered and beaten form hardly corresponded to the towering thug just moments ago. Both legs now thoroughly incapable of having him stand, even if he'd been conscious enough to want to. Acid pooled around in several places around Meredy, but none had touched her save for the first. The ground still hissed and burned from the attacks.

She stood up slowly, her legs still throbbing and burning. Ultear was only a few feet in front of her. So close, yet so far. She decided her trembling was because of the danger they'd been in and not from what she'd just seen before walking the few steps it took to reach her.

"Ultear…"

Meredy embraced her from behind, falling to her knees. Ultear did not turn around, but she didn't run away either. Meredy knelt like this, not saying a word, for what felt like an eternity.

"...Mom?" Ultear's quavering voice spoke. "Did I do a good job?"

Meredy sat perfectly still. Then, she ran a hand over her daughter's head, stroking her hair gently. "Yes, you did a very good job, Ultear."

"...Ok." Ultear didn't speak again after that. Pressing her closer, back still to Meredy, Ultear stood in the freezing cold, surrounded by destruction, yet untouched.

The sun had just set when they found them. Meredy was clutching Ultear, who slept in her arms. All around her were patches of burned woodland that smelled disgusting. Passed out under a tree was the same toad-like man they'd seen months ago. He was beaten and bloodied, Jellal grimly realized, probably not by Meredy's hands.

Meredy turned to look at them and started to stand, but her legs collapsed in on themselves. Jellal rushed in to help her up. He took Ultear from her, the girl looking so fragile in the pale light.

"Meredy–"

"Save it...for when we get back." She didn't appear in the physical, or mental condition to argue, so Jellal clamped his mouth shut. Erik and Macbeth behind him did the same, although he could sense Erik's itch to speak growing as they moved.

He refrained for a sigh. All of that would come later. For now, they had to get back to camp.