Still don't own Mashima's Fairy Tail or Desna's Pradeshes. Or anything else for that matter. I rent.
Reviews are always welcome and make me feel pretty. Enjoy. Note at the end.
"I'm going to have to call you back," Lucy sighed, pulling her magic out of the communications lacrima. Another sharp knock on her door sounded and Lucy glared at it. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? "C'mon, Blondie, open up. You already missed dinner again." The last person she would have expected to be at her door was Laxus. Their interactions were limited since Romell. He was grieving Evergreen in his way and left her to her own devices. Granted, most of those devices were sitting and staring, trying to cry in futility, soaking in the tub, and reading. But she was doing what they wanted. She was eating at least once a day, she spoke to someone if they spoke to her first, and she left her room for more than an hour every day. Hell, she hadn't slept in the room that had been Cristoff's childhood bedroom since they'd come back.
"I already ate today. I'm not hungry. Leave me alone," she called back to the dragon slayer, her tone short. Lucy was dismayed by the fact that there weren't locks on the doors. None of them. There was nothing the Pradesh family hid from one another and there wasn't one among them that couldn't get into any room they wanted in. There was no reason for privacy theatrics like locks. With a growl, Laxus unceremoniously burst into the room, causing her to shriek in surprise. "I could have been naked!" she screamed at him, shooting to her feet from the lounge she was sitting on, nearly dropping her lacrima in the process. Papers covered the lounge, notes she had scribbled as quickly as possible.
His storm-colored eyes took in the sight. She was sitting in a nest of papers. "You aren't. Arman wants all of us in the living room. Someone had to be the asshole to get you and I got voted, so let's go." His eyes slid over the paper-littered lounge again and she noticed. She huffed audibly and tried to stand in front of her work. "If the shoe fits." In just a few strides, Lucy had closed the space between them as she put on the show of turning Laxus around. Being three times her size, he allowed it as she ushered him out of the room, closing the door behind her.
They walked silently down the breezy hallway, not bothering to small talk. Their relationship was direct, unassuming, and frankly, small talk just didn't fit with either of them. As they walked side by side, Lucy felt her anger dissipate. She couldn't stay mad at him. He'd said he drew the short straw. Did that mean they were all avoiding her? With a small shake of her head, Lucy put the thought aside. She'd probably be avoiding herself if she could. She understood their hesitance, but she wasn't ready to start trying to be normal again. And having something to throw herself into was proving to be a boon.
A delicate hand gently touched his forearm. Laxus moved his arm up around her shoulders, pulling the smaller blonde under his arm. She was family. She wasn't ok and this was how he told her he knew and understood. "Don't go getting soft on me, Blondie." He looked down at her in surprise before splitting into a grin. She hadn't made a joke yet, that he knew of. But when she looked up into his face and saw a mischievous grin, she felt reassured. She leaned into the hulking man and smiled softly, her eyes prickling again. Gods, she wished she could cry! Nothing came anymore; just the stinging of pins and needles that didn't exist.
Before they reached the end of the hall, Laxus pulled his arm back and straightened the coat that hung over his shoulders. Lucy was surprised by the sheer number of people as they turned into the large and open living room. The bookshelves that lined the only wall that windows didn't were packed full of tomes, just like every flat surface was packed with people; including Bix and Xally on the floor in front of the couch and Emi sitting half on Presca. The living room had been furnished to accommodate the eight people that had lived here when they were younger. But they were more than that now. All of the Pradesh family, Presca, Laxus, Lucy, and to her surprise, Freed. "Ah," Arman smiled as they entered the room. "There they are." He stood and adjusted the hem of his white linen shirt, gesturing for Lucy to take his place on the armchair. As the facilitator of this meeting, he would be standing.
"Welcome to the family meeting. For some of you this is the first time," he smiled lightly. "For most, it's not." The Pradesh siblings, except Zen, had been through a family meeting before. But why it left them looking so uncomfortable was beyond Lucy. A family meeting seemed like a productive and helpful tool. The grimace on Xally's face said otherwise, as did the uncomfortable fidgeting of Farron. "Before we start, some rules we'll all be following. Family meetings of the past have taught us that a few ground rules keep things more," Arman paused and titled his head slightly. "Civil." He'd chosen the word carefully; his jade eyes flashed in amusement.
"First, no magic allowed. That includes defensive magic, traveling, and I'm looking to Presca specifically, no magic means no energy tampering." His gaze scanned them all over, looking for understanding in each of their faces before continuing. "Second, if a fight starts, we pause, kick them outside, and let it get sorted out before continuing. No interfering with the fighting parties. They'll work it out." Lucy's eyes grew round at that. How often did things come to blows between them all?
"Last, but most certainly not least, all conversations must be held aloud," his eyes locked on Kaleb who rolled his eyes and muttered, "I know, dad." Lucy was confused. If these were all the rules did that mean that anything else was fair game? How had she been mated into the family for two and a half years and never actually attended one? The whole premise was suddenly making her very uncomfortable. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Last thing before we begin. Not a rule, but a request. Lucy, would you please call Leo?" The sinking feeling in her gut was confirmed. This was about her. She blinked at her father-in-law a few times before stammering and nodding. "Leo," she whispered, her eyes closing for the briefest of moments.
Golden light glowed in the corner of her eye as she felt a small tug on her magic and Leo appeared. "Princess, I didn't -" he was cut off by a dozen sets of eyes landing on him all at once. His skin crawled as Lucy smiled weakly at him. He'd been thrown into the deep end and his face said it all. The pieces had fallen into place. This family meeting was about her longevity or lack thereof. Arman gestured to the couch and chairs, which Leo looked at wearily before taking a seat leaning on the armrest of Lucy's chair.
Lucy wasn't entirely sure what was worse; the growing tension in the room, or the silence that hung in the air for more time than was comfortable. The only person that seemed wholly unaffected was Arman. Lucy couldn't help but wonder if he was enjoying making them all squirm. He seemed to be. "So let's get started," Arman broke the silence at last. "I'm sure you've figured it out by now. We're here to discuss what comes next for our dear Lucy, but first I need to get something off my chest." Arman paced back and forth a few steps as he gently bumped the side of his index finger over his lips. "Our family runs on trust. Because of this, we are stronger. Secrets, half-truths, and omissions will tear us apart if we don't quell this now. I know secrets are being kept about Lucy's condition and intentions. I won't stand for it anymore. Everyone starts being honest here and now, no exceptions."
"Who wants to go first?" Arman's smile reached his jade eyes, making them dance in the low evening sun. When he was met with silence, he sighed. "Alright, then I will. Let's make sure that everyone understands the problem before trying to find a solution. Everyone is clear on how dragon slayer mating goes, correct?" Everyone in the room glanced around and found a few mildly confused expressions. Lucy blushed a deep crimson. She was hoping that everyone had understood, no explanation needed, but it looked like she wasn't going to be that lucky. Thankfully, the person who spoke up with an explanation would leave out the most embarrassing bits of the process. "For males, it's as simple as find a potential mate, bed them, bite them, and push magic through the wound. For females, it's more… Complicated." She finished after a thoughtful pause. She felt Presca's eyes on her as a blush crawled up her neck, but she didn't turn to face him.
"Potential mate?" Zen asked, his purple gaze dropping down to his sister from his position on the back of the couch. "It's a soul bond, right? So how can a slayer have more than one mate?" Emi rolled her eyes. "Nothing is so definitive, or so Nurem taught us. What if my one and only mate were to die before I met him? Would I deserve to walk the world alone, never feeling the completeness that mating brings?" Lucy blinked at her. That had never occurred to her. Slayers had a choice in who they mated to. He had chosen her.
From her position in the room, Lucy could see Emzadi had Presca's attention. She thought she recognized the look of a man equally intrigued and terrified. Lucy made a mental note to up her wager with Vander on the two of them. Zen just blinked. With a sigh, Emzadi continued. "The mating is a soul bond. It transcends time, space, everything. Their souls are linked forever. But dragon magic has a physical effect too. Part of their souls are exchanged."
"That's why my chest always hurts now," Lucy said softly. "The piece of his soul that was in mine is gone?" She looked to Bickslow for confirmation. He nodded without looking at her, her eyes starting to sting again. Arman crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you see, Bix?" he asked. Bickslow's crimson eyes snapped up to his father and he looked like he wanted to be absorbed by the plush rug that was partially under the couch. Still, without looking at her, Bix answered, "Your soul has had a chunk ripped from it. It was the part that Cristoff left there. And now," Bix stopped looking down at his fingers that were laced together in his lap. It was obvious from his body language that he would probably give one of those fingers to not finish his sentence. Lucy implored him to look at her. Her chocolate eyes bored into him. Like he heard her silent pleas, Bix turned to look at her before continuing. "Now your soul is leaking. It's usually this vibrant, beautiful gold. But since Cristoff… well, it's smaller. Not as bright either. It's like it's leaking out and making it smaller, less stable." Lucy blinked stupidly at him. Her soul was leaking away? "Well what happens if too much leaks out?" she asked, her voice panicking.
Kaleb had sat back in the armchair he occupied. "I have a theory on that," he spoke up. "I think that's why mates and dragons don't make it without one another. They aren't aware that their souls are leaking out and die because of the drain. But you have the benefit of a Seith mage who can keep an eye on things." There was a pregnant silence. No one in the living room spoke or even seemed to breathe too deep. It was Xally who broke the silence. "That makes perfect sense. If the damage to her soul is what can take her life, then we need to find a way to stop it." Bix eyed his sister before replying, "You think I haven't tried? I've never seen a soul damaged like that. I don't think I can just fix it. I slowed it down a couple of weeks ago. It's way better than it was."
"Would another mate stop the leak?" Everyone looked slowly at Freed. His brow was furrowed in thought, looking to all of them for a possible answer. The sting in Lucy's eyes increased again. "Freed," Laxus grumbled softly. The seeming lack of sensitivity was unexpected, but then, Freed was a member of Fairy Tail. It wasn't like years of exposure to their guildmates' tactlessness couldn't have rubbed off on him. Lucy's eyes grew wide and round and she sat upright in her chair. She could hardly believe what she had heard. "He's been gone for two weeks and you expect me to find someone else?! I'll get right on that. Start dating tomorrow!" Her voice was shrill and furious. She couldn't begin to wrap her mind around what he'd said. Freed held his composure. "We are supposed to be discussing options of keeping you alive, correct? Why dismiss any possibility?" She saw Leo shift uncomfortably again. "What?" she snapped at him, leveling a gaze full of rage on one of her favorite people, spirit or human alike.
"Nothing," he muttered, shaking his head lightly. She narrowed her eyes at him. "It's one of the things you can't talk about isn't it?" Leo grimaced. He hated that he couldn't tell her everything he knew, help her in every way he could, but she knew what it would mean for him to do so. She'd missed him terribly the two weeks he was being punished. "Well, we're gonna need to come back to that. If she were to mate with someone else, it couldn't be a dragon slayer," Laxus joined the conversation, eyeing Leo suspiciously. "Even if her soul wasn't already damaged, potential mates don't overlap with us. Keeps us from tearing each other apart over mates." He folded his arms across his massive chest. "But there are other types of magic that create soul bonds," Farron added. His face betrayed his comment. He hated this conversation and he was doing little to hide it.
Lucy stared at them all. She still couldn't process that they were talking about replacing her soul bond with another. There were no words for her onslaught of feelings. Arman looked curiously at his son. "What are you suggesting?" he asked. Farron looked away, a look close to shame crossing his face. "Me," Zen said simply, his baritone creating silence again. Lucy knew that the past three weeks had been spent buried in books for Zen. He'd been learning everything that he could about his magic. "That's why we can't stand to be around each other. The pull to bond or mate. I don't think it will ever let up. But it could save you." He sighed. He hated the bond and mate aspect of his magic.
Before he could continue, Lucy found her voice. "Out of the question," she stated firmly. Her eyes met his startled gaze. "I won't ever ask you to become a slave to a bond you don't want to be a part of and I won't let anyone else either." Her doe-like eyes shone fiercely. She would not entertain the idea of turning the now free man who'd spent his life in the gladiator pits as a slave become a slave again. "So are you going to suggest something or just continue shooting everything down?" Presca's voice was even, slightly bored sounding. "I'm not dismissing everything," Lucy said indignantly. But then she had been. A new mate, Zen, all of it.
"There is an option that no one has brought up." Everyone's attention moved to Bickslow. Kaleb put a large hand on Bickslow's shoulder a small gesture of comfort. He didn't look up from his lap, looking pained to even be thinking what he was. "Well?" Arman asked gently. "We could let nature take its course." There were grunts of disapproval, outright objections, and even a gasp and swat on the arm from Xally. "You're saying we just let her die?" Tears rose in Xally's eyes as she stared harshly at her brother. "How could you even suggest it?" As odd as it felt to be discussing her death, Lucy felt good at that moment. Bickslow seemed to be the only person that saw what she wanted. He didn't seem to like it, but he at least respected it.
"Are you honestly saying that we should let her die?" Emzadi bristled at the thought. But hearing Bix say it aloud was more than just irritating, it was disturbing. "I'm saying ultimately, it's not our choice and that if we're going to be discussing all the possibilities, then we need to explore everything." Arman looked at his son curiously. "What happened to never say die, you asshole?" Laxus growled at him. Bix looked up at him angrily. "I'm not suggesting we off her ourselves, dick. I'm just saying that if this is what she wants are you going to force her to live?" The two powerhouse men glared at one another. Tensions were rising in the room again. Lucy watched as Presca's hand slid onto Emi's knee, the contact seemed to calm her.
Vander looked mildly entertained as Arman sighed. "Take it outside."
"We're good," Laxus grunted, eyeing Bix. He was his best friend. He hardly ever questioned what Laxus had to say on jobs and usually in their day-to-day. But Bix's challenge made an uneasy feeling bubble in his chest. Lucy watched the two men, a little taken aback. Merlot eyes had been watching, amused, to no end. Watching Bix and Laxus go at it over Lucy would have been enough fodder for weeks of torment. Alas, they pulled their shit together. So Vander finally spoke up, "Bix is right. This isn't our decision to make. Granted, I'd rather not see her go, but it's not our choice either." Vander had been forced to do so much in his life. Killing more often than not and he knew exactly what it was like to have one's agency taken away. He wouldn't allow that to happen to her. Bix looked grateful for the backup. And Lucy couldn't help but smile. There was a reason they were her favorite brothers-in-law. They always had her back, no matter what.
At that moment, Lucy wanted to simultaneously hug them and cry, the stinging in her eyes escalating again. But did she know what she wanted? There was a literal, gaping hole in her soul where Cristoff had been. There was a piece of her missing. And the thought hit her all at once. "A part of me died that night," she said aloud. Confused looks shot in her direction. "Think about it. A part of my soul was attached to his. And when he…" she couldn't bring herself to say aloud that he had died. Leo reached over and took her hand, giving her encouragement to keep explaining. "He took it and the part of him in me with him." Vander's merlot eyes locked on Leo, who was still holding Lucy's hand.
"You're being too quiet," he said, his tone demanding. The lion spirit looked up to meet his gaze. "You're the one who said she could survive this. Time for you to speak up." Leo looked away, a flush spreading over his cheeks. "He can't." It was Lucy that answered him. "He was punished last time for saying too much." Vander's jaw fell open. "He hardly said anything!" A pout formed on the Shadowquip's face. "You mean to tell me that he drops shit like that and can't be any more helpful!?" Presca's voice couldn't hide his aggravation. "For the record, avoid Celestial punishment if you can. Virgo makes it sound like fun and games, but it's not. And I didn't say she could survive." Leo released Lucy's hand and squared his jaw. "I said she didn't have to die."
Suddenly he saw wheels turning. All of them were considering his distinction. Some were trying harder than others. Presca had remained passive, not bothering. He agreed with Bix and Van. The choice was going to be hers. And he knew as well as Vander did what kind of path one could end up when forced into something. The last thing they needed was a cornered, angry Celestial Mage.
"There's no difference," Laxus grunted, breaking the silence. "Yes, there is," Freed replied after a few more moments of the quiet that had settled back into the room. "Saying she could survive this implies that there is a passive way to go about things. It also suggests that she could heal naturally, which we know isn't how this works." He placed his index fingertip on his bottom lip before continuing. "Saying that she doesn't have to die implies that there is an active path that she can take to live." Lucy watched as Leo lit up, elated that someone had put it together. "Freed," he said softly, his voice breathy. "I could kiss you." Freed's face turned beet red and he sputtered.
Arman didn't bother to hide the amusement in his eyes or voice. "Take it outside."
Freed nearly collapsed as Loke shrugged, an amused look in his eyes. A collective chuckle went through the room, skipping Laxus who grunted and Bix who spared just a smirk. Lucy side-eyed him smiling slightly. It wasn't like Loke wouldn't. She looked over to Vander who had a wicked smile on his face. He was thinking about a betting pool, no doubt. Those seemed to be his favorite games, betting on who would hook up.
"Are we done here?" Kaleb asked, bringing the conversation back to Lucy's mortality. "Not quite yet," Arman answered. He looked around the room at his children and their friends. Lucy couldn't help but wonder what could be left to discuss. "It seems pretty clear what this accomplished," she started but was cut off. "How about you fill us in on the pile of papers you were nesting in." Laxus looked at her face as it fell. "You don't want to go anywhere, do you, Blondie?"
Lucy's face flushed. She hadn't thought about bringing that up, nor did she intend on answering such a blunt question. She still didn't know exactly what she wanted. Time to level with everyone, she thought. With a deep breath in and out, Lucy explained. "I made a couple of calls earlier. Mainly to Levy and Gajeel. I wanted to know as much as I could about being mated. After Loke told me I didn't have to die, I started thinking about what living would look like. Who better to talk to about being mated than another mated pair? I also spoke with Sting and Rogue."
Freed flushed again. "They aren't mated though?" he said, trying to keep his face hidden behind his bangs. Lucy laughed lightly as Bickslow lolled his tongue and belly laughed. "A little they are." Laxus grinned in response as Lucy rolled her eyes and smiled, giving the Seith mage a playful, pointed look. "They're not. But they spent a lot more time with Wessilogia and Skiadrum. I hoped maybe they'd have some insight, but they didn't." The twin dragon slayers had been less than helpful, though they had passed on their condolences from Sabertooth. Lucy knew the news was getting around to the guilds that Lucy's mate had died and a call to the pair of them was only going to make sure word got around faster. Sting could be a terrible gossip on top of being a loudmouth.
"So it didn't pan out?" Kaleb asked. He seemed relieved they had had this family meeting. Lucy could tell he was happy to see some fight back in her, no matter how undecided she was. Lucy shook her head. "No. Nobody knew anything about anything other than mated pairs die without each other." Arman frowned a little. He had to put his trust in the Celestial Realm. "So we start digging," he declared, sweeping the room with his jade-colored eyes again. "We have the guild library in White Sea at our disposal. The Boscan Archives should be easy enough to get into as well. And I'll speak to Dean Kalperden at the Academe Celestine and Farron and I will reach out to our contacts in Joya and Minstrel." Looking at Kaleb, Arman nodded. Lucy was in awe as she watched them all coordinate and start dividing work. "I'll reach out to gramps. The old man knows everyone in Fiore. We're going to need to get you into the Fiorian archives, Freed." The emerald hair man beamed at his favorite person. Laxus nodded to him, a beaming smile spread over the rune mage's face. He'd been dying to get in there for years.
Lucy felt emotion well in her chest. She couldn't believe just how fortunate she was to have so many people that cared if she lived or died. It didn't assuage her loneliness, but it did feel good. When it was apparent that the family meeting was wrapping up, Leo bent and kissed the top of Lucy's head. "Call me if you need me," he whispered into her hair. His eyes shifted over the room again, as if searching for something before disappearing in a shower of golden light. Her chocolate brown eyes scanned the room again. What was he looking at, she wondered to herself. Such a weirdo, she concluded, standing and making her way toward the double doors that led to the deck. Walking through the crowded living room rather than around, Lucy made her way out behind the back of the couch. She ran her fingertips over Laxus' shoulder as she passed him. She owed him a thank you when there wasn't an audience.
On her way onto the deck, she heard Arman crow, "That was the best family meeting we've ever had. Not a single blow!" She smiled lightly and chuckled, her bare feet meeting the smooth wood of the deck. She slowly walked over to the rail and leaned on it, watching the sun make its final descent. "Looks like I've got a decision to make," she muttered to herself. "And a big one at that," a smooth baritone answered.
One of two... see you there.