BlackLynx17: Still haven't fixed my word document. I know how to use the internet and spell check my chapters. Problem is that there is a word limit, so I have to spellcheck paragraph by paragraph which turns out is very time consuming. You are very lucky that I love you all fellow Mendy fans or else I wouldn't care after doing it so many times and would just keep the small mistakes.
Title: Love At First Sight
Secret Title: Pirate Love
Summary: Wendy is a princess forced to be married at the age of 18. It wouldn't be a problem for her if she had fallen in love with her fiance, but alas fate is not too kind. Determined to runaway to chose her own love, she runs into a nice man who rescues her from her guards. Thinking this man is her one true love, she decides to escape with him. She had no idea that her true love was a no good pirate.
Chapter Eleven
Lamia Scale
Erza slowly climbs up the ladder onto the Vermillion with a heavy heart. Right before she reaches the top a rough hand thrusts out and grabs her wrist. It yanks her up aboard the ship before discarding her on the ground. She wouldn't have accepted this treatment from anyone other than her captain because she knows what she's done. He trusted her with his heart... and she lost it. Mest looks back over the railing, not believing his eyes as he pulls Mirajane on board next, and then Evergreen, and then- and then-... there's no one else.
"Where is she?"
His looks for his wife on the dinghy, thinking that she might be resting inside of it and doesn't have the strength to climb up the ladder, but there is no one else inside of it. Just an empty boat swaying with the waves.
"No," he whispers.
He feels his heart crack ever so slightly.
"Mest-"
"No, this can't be, no..." he whispers again. All of a sudden he whips back around and glares down his crew, "where is Wendy?! Please Erza, please stop messing around with me! This isn't funny- I don't find this funny! Where is she?! Where is my wife?!" Mest shouts, panic seeping into him.
This can't be happening, this truly can't be happening. She has to be here, she has to be somewhere around here. She was just here, in his arms- just two days ago they were celebrating and laughing and now- no this isn't real. None of this is real. Erza allows Jellal to help her up before pushing him away. She walks over to their captain and reaches out to grab his arm.
"Captain, listen to me-"
"Don't!" He slaps her hand away, "I trusted you, I trusted you Erza! I trusted all of you- believed in all of you! Where is my wife?!"
The town was still on fire when they finally docked; there wasn't another pirate ship in sight. The townsfolk were screaming, panicking, running around like crazy trying to save their loved ones. His Wendy was okay though; he believed that because Erza was with her, along with Mirajane and Evergreen, and with the three of them together they were more than capable of protecting her. They were supposed to protect her until he finally came back because they were the ones who made him leave her in the first place. She isn't here though...
"Where is she Erza?" Mest's voice breaks.
The grim look on her face says it all. Mest feels his heart stop beating. His knees give out from under him and he's falling on the ground, kneeling down with an anguish look on his face.
"She's dead."
He doesn't want to whisper the words, but they spill out and tears well up in the corner of his eyes. Dead. He left her to die. How did she perish? By the fire? Inhaling the fumes before suffocating? Maybe she burned alive, or perhaps she was captured and killed then. Hopefully they were merciful and simply slit her throat before running away.
"She isn't dead Mest," Erza tells him.
Mest's head snaps up, "what?"
"You should have added a yet to that sentence Erza, it's not polite to give him false hope," Evergreen spits out.
"Shut it Ever!" Erza spits back.
"You three are going to tell me everything and you're going to tell me now before I lose my mind and slaughter the lot of you!" Mest orders getting back to his feet.
Hands grab him and hold him back as he tries reaching for Erza. Just to squeeze her, to squeeze the light out of her eyes ever so slightly like she's squeezed the light out of his.
"The fire was a distraction. We didn't see the ship dock, it must have been hiding around the island. Mirajane and I were scouting the town while Evergreen was babysitting Wendy. There was a fire and we went to investigate it, but it spread way too fast. We ran back to get them and found the building on fire. Mest... we broke in and tried finding her, she wasn't there though and neither was Ever. It collapsed and we barely got out with our lives. They must have been watching us for a while and we weren't able to notice; I can't imagine how else they were able to know how many of us there were and where we were all hiding at."
"Get to the point Erza!" Mest glares.
"They have her. That ship with the mermaid jolly roger took Wendy. We saw it clearly this time as it sailed away. Ever tried her best to fight, but she was overpowered. We don't know why they only kidnapped Wendy, but we saw their ship sail away and I won't ever forget that flag."
Pirates kidnapped her. Pirates have his Wendy. Pirates who aren't kind and honorable like his crew, although there is little honor among pirates. Mest feels his body go limp and is suddenly being held up by his crew.
"I rather her be dead." He confesses.
Because if she's dead she can't feel torture. If she's dead she can't feel her flesh be tore apart or her bones broken. She can't feel the fear as they- as they- Mest's hands fist his hair as he yells out at the top of his lungs.
"We'll get them Mest, we'll catch up with them before they do anything to her. We'll save Wendy-"
"If we're lucky she's already dead! If we're lucky they would have given her a painless death! If I find out they did anything else to her though, my justice will not be swift. I will make them beg and scream for their lives. I will make them pay for everything they've done against her. They will feel my wrath and only when I feel like their punishment is satisfactory will I tie them to cannons and throw them into the ocean, letting it crush their lungs and drown them into Davy Jones' locker. I don't care what we have to do to make it happen. You find those filthy fucking pirates and you find them now!" Mest orders.
"Lamia Scale. That's what I heard them call themselves, Lamia Scale," Evergreen says.
He will burn them to the ground and dance on their ashes. He will accept Wendy in whatever state she is in and... and... oh God. He was supposed to protect her. He's failed in the worse possible way. Mest doesn't hope any longer. He knows what she's going to be like when they finally catch up with Lamia Scale. Beaten, broken down, ra-... rap- he can't think the word, dead. They're going to ruin his little princess... he's going to lose her...
"She's in bad shape Lyon."
"I don't care what type of condition she is in Sherria, we need her alive so heal her."
"Geez, no need to be so demanding. A please would suffice."
"Just do your job."
"Just do your job."
Wendy moans out softly. A bright light shines in her face and she squeezes her eyes shut, jerking away from it.
"There there girly, I'm going to take good care of you." A voice whispers to her, "just keep resting until you're better."
It's a nice voice speaking to her, saying words she's heard before and knows better than to disobey. So Wendy relaxes and welcomes the darkness that once again consumes her.
"Come on girly, you need to eat something."
Wendy cries out as she's moved. She doesn't want to move, she's comfortable in these blankets. She wants to stay here and continue to rest. She feels herself getting picked up though and then something cold being pressed against her lips.
"Come on, drink it all up. It'll help with your fever."
Wendy gulps and drinks until the bowl is empty. She feels water bring pressed against her lips next and she drinks again until she's finally laid back down.
"You okay there? Conscious enough to talk yet?"
Wendy doesn't recognize who the voice belongs to, but it sounds very sweet. She hopes she can thank them soon for helping her. Where's Mest? He should be here...
Wendy moans out lightly as she flutters her eyes open. It feels like she's been bathing in her own sweat for days. Has she been doing that? Every part of her feels sticky, so that just might be the case. Wendy would kill for a bath right now. She tries getting up, but can't find the strength to do anything more than move her fingers.
"Hey there, finally awake? Drink this for me please."
A glass presses against her lips and Wendy swallows something bitter and warm. It gets caught in her throat and she starts coughing.
"Sorry about that; last bit of medicine, I promise. I just want to make sure the rest of the toxin is out of your body. How does your fever feel?"
"Fever?" Wendy whimpers.
Who is this girl? The voice she recognizes from her dreams, but the face not so much. Her hair is a hot pink color tied up into two short pigtails and Wendy's reminded of Natsu's off color club. Her eyes are so blue, almost matching her own hair blue, and there's a childish smile on her lips as she presses her hand against her forehead.
"Hmm, seems your fever has finally broke. I'm happy to see you up girly; you've been sleeping like the dead for the past two days. Do you remember anything? Anything at all? Eating? Drinking? Me helping you to the refreshers? That was a bit funny, you may have bumped your head once or twice on the door."
Wendy blinks slowly as the woman pulls her hand away and walks around the room. Her eyes narrow as she scans her surrounding. This doesn't look at all like their infirmary on the Vermillion. First off it smells amazing in here, like sunshine and flowers, which can be explained by all the plants and herbs hanging around everywhere. What happened in the two days she was sick? Did they rearrange everything? Wendy can't seem to remember a single thing.
"I'm sorry, but who are you? I'm afraid I've forgotten your name." She asks sheepishly.
"Oh, that's understandable because I never gave it to you. My name is Sherria, nice to meet you..."
Wendy blinks and tilts her head, "you don't know my name?"
"No, afraid I don't."
Her eyes narrow, "how is that possible? I'm married to the captain."
"Well he's not my captain, so why would I know?" Sherria asks, giving her an innocent expression as she tilts her head right back.
"Not your-"
She doesn't know this woman. She doesn't know this room. This woman, Sherria, her captain isn't Mest. Wendy's heart races and she flinches back, slamming against the wall, hugging herself as she pulls away and- her leg won't move. Wendy panics and tugs at her leg, trying to pull it to her chest. There's this loud rattling sound every time she tries to move it. She pulls off the blankets and finds her leg chained to the bed
"Sorry, my captain didn't want you running free while I was away. I'm here now though, so I can take it off if you like."
"Where's Mest?! Where's my friends?! My crew?! Who are you?!" Wendy screams.
"Ah- calm down there girly. I'm not here to hurt you-"
"I don't care! I want Mest! Let me go!"
Loud stomping can be heard coming down the hall and Wendy flinches as the door bursts open. A man walks in glaring at her with cold black eyes. Wendy feels a shiver run down her spine and bites her lip to stop herself from crying. She doesn't want to seem weak in front of these people... although that's exactly what she is right now. Weak and helpless.
"Lyon! Go away, you're scaring here!" Sherria pouts shooing him.
"I heard screaming, what's going on in here?"
"She's freaking out, that's all. I was just about to explain things to her until you came. Go, shoo, I have this handled."
"Clearly you don't. Get this straight Fairy Tail brat. You do anything to her, or anyone else in my crew, and I have no problem making your stay here a very unpleasant one. If you do anything to cross us I'll kill you without hesitation. What I want is your crew, not you. Technically I don't even need you anymore because I've caught their attention, but-"
"You're not hurting her Lyon!" Sherria pouts, standing between them.
"Consider yourself lucky. You still have a use to me, but if do anything to cross that line she won't be able to stop me. No one will. Sherria, handle this before I bring someone to handle it for me."
"I have this under control Captain, now leave." Sherria growls.
Lyon raises his lip in a sneer and glares once more at Wendy before stomping out of the room. Sherria sticks out her tongue and closes the door behind him, letting out a sigh. She looks over to her guest, finding her shivering with fear in her eyes.
"Please let me go." Wendy whimpers.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I promise you that everything is going to be okay though. You said your captain's name was Mest? And that you're his wife? Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret. Lyon would love to know how valuable you are to those pirates, but I'll help protect you the best I can. You don't have to worry, you can trust me."
But Wendy can't trust her. The last time she trusted a pirate he ended up almost killing her, nearly breaking her neck when she only wanted to save him. Mest's voice is yelling warnings inside of her head right now. Just because she seems sweet and innocent doesn't mean she hasn't killed before and won't kill her. Maybe this is all just a ploy to make her lower her guard. Wendy bites her lips and balls her hands tightly into fists. She may not know how to fight, but she can kick and claw and scratch and bite.
Sherria sighs seeing her walls go up and grabs a chair, kicking her feet up on the bed once she sits down. "I'm going to kill Lyon, look at what he did to you. Is there anything I can get you girly? You really shouldn't be moving since your body is still recovering."
Wendy takes a small breath and tries her best to look menacing, "why am I here?"
Sherria blinks and smiles, "what's your name?"
Wendy doesn't say anything and continues to glare. Sherria pouts in response.
"Now that's not fair. How about this? For every question you answer of mine, I'll answer a question of yours, okay? That way we both learn things about each other. You asked me who I was first, and I told you. My name is Sherria Blendy and I'm the doctor for the Lamia Scale Pirates. Your turn."
Lamia Scale? She doesn't know those pirates (well, she really doesn't know any pirates other than the Fairy Tail Pirates and that was only after she joined). She wasn't going to figure out anything, especially where she was and how she was going to get back to Mest, if she doesn't cooperative. She can pretend to play along and as soon as the moment presents itself for her to escape she can do something and make her way back to Mest. He'll find her, she knows he will. Until then... all she needs to do is survive.
"I'm..." Do they know who the princess of Fiore is? They haven't recognized her, but that doesn't mean they won't. She needs to keep her hair hidden and change her name, "Wens. Wens Gryder. I'm... the doctor-in-training for the Fairy Tail Pirates."
Sherria's eyes widen, "you're a doctor too! Ah! That's so cool! We have to swap stories! I have a ton of nasty ones that will make your skin crawl! Hahahaha! We have to share techniques as well! I can show you a trick or two I've picked up if you like? I haven't been the doctor for very long, but I'm really good at it if I don't say so myself." She smiles brightly.
Wendy feels her lips lifting up to smile back and catches herself, placing a hand over her mouth. If Sherria notices, she doesn't comment and leans up in her seat.
"Your next question, why are you here? Well, let's just say, or you could actually say, my captain has been looking for your crew for a very long time. We've been trying to catch you guys for what seems like forever, but we always kept missing you. Seems we've finally caught up though."
"That doesn't answer why I'm here specifically."
"It didn't have to be you Wens, it could have been anyone in that crew. We've heard rumors of how close you all are. We are looking for someone very specific. We would have liked for it to be him, but it just turned out to be you. You were the weakest and easiest for us to capture. We had this other girl as well, but she managed to escape. Still, you're good enough."
The weakest? Even though it's true it still stings to hear herself be called that.
"What do you want with my friends? What are you going to do to them?!"
"Ah-ah-ah, it's my turn to ask a question Wens. Do you happen to have a man on your ship about the same built as Lyon, my captain you saw earlier, but with dark spiky hair, cool eyes, goes by the name of Gray Fullbuster?"
Gray? How do they know Gray? Is he the one they want to capture? Wendy tries her best to act aloof and looks away, "no, I don't know anyone of that name."
"Now Wens, I've been honest with you. It's only fair you return that courtesy. We already know Gray is on that ship, I would just like to hear it from your lips as well."
Wendy doesn't have to return anything to these pirates! They kidnapped her! They're holding her captive! They want to hurt her friends! They want Gray for some reason! She can't go yelling all these things out though, she has to play nice or else she won't gain their trust.
"Yes, there is a Gray in my crew."
Sherria smiles and nods her head, "see? Easy. Next question- er, what did you ask me again? You asked a lot, so I can't really remember it all."
Wendy goes through everything in her head, "you said I was captured, where? I can't remember anything about it."
And she's sure she would have remembered being ripped away from Mest and taken forcibly by pirates. There's no way she would have come willingly. Sherria stands up from her seat and moves over towards her, reaching for her. Wendy flinches and raises her hands, trying to smack her away.
"There, there now Wens, easy now. You have something there, see?" Sherria points.
Wendy pauses for a second to look down at where she's pointing. Sherria quickly grabs her arm and pulls it out, turning it around to show a wound. Wendy blinks and stares down at it, squinting her eyes. She doesn't remember having a scar like that before on her arm; doesn't remember at all how it got there in the first place either. It looks like whatever this wound may have been that it's healing nicely.
"Your scar right here was caused by a very poisonous bug. When they bite you they inflict toxins into your body; it usually takes a day or two for the effects to happen. I assume you got bit and your crew, not knowing what to do, dropped you off at some nearby town to get healed. It really is silly because if your doctor was smarter they would have known to simply cut the wound open and let the poison bleed out. Your teacher must be really something, huh?"
Wendy keeps her mouth shut about how the Vermillion doesn't really have a doctor aboard her ship.
"That's where we captured you. Your captain was smart, he sent you there with only a few guards and kept going forward to try and draw us away. We chased after him for a while, but my captain was smarter. He turned back around, knowing there must have been something there at that island for you to pass by it instead of sailing on, and sure enough it was you. That's how we captured you. You really don't remember any of this?"
Everything is a blur to Wendy. She just remembers being in pain, so much pain, and she thought it was because of the hangover... but it was because of this. She remembers being bit up, those stupid creatures. One of them must have been worse than the others; hopefully she killed that thing while she smacked away at her arms.
"I could have died?"
"Yes, the poison is very fatal to humans."
"What was the cure again? And what poison was it? What were the symptoms? What did the wound look like in the beginning?"
If Elfman and Mirajane couldn't heal her then they didn't know how to. She needs to learn these things so that the next time it happens she'll be able to save her friends. Sherria smiles brightly, seeing an opportunity at hand. She walks around the room, pulling a book off the shelf, and goes to join Wendy on the bed.
"Here, this is what the creature looks like. They're native to hot and humid islands in the East Blue seas. These are what the bites look like, and here are the symptoms. You can let the poison bleed out, but if you wait too long you'll have to use a special elixir that dispels toxins from the body, or any type of tea that does just that."
Wendy's eyes scan over the pages, learning and memorizing all she can. She turns the page and sees other categories of poisonous animals.
"What book is this?" She asks looking at the cover.
"Deadly Creatures of the East Blue; you never know what you're going to face out here, so I try to be prepared." Sherria tells her.
Wendy nods her head and gives the book back, making a mental note to have Mest get her a copy when she returns back to the ship... if she returns. Sherria shakes her head while pushing it back towards her.
"No, go ahead and keep it for now. You're going to be here for a long time, so you might as well do something with that time. Lyon wanted to put you in the brig when you recovered, but I'll try and convince him to let you stay here in the infirmary. He won't have any complaints I'm sure as long as I volunteer to stay here with you. You'd never attack me in my sleep, would you Wens?"
She wants to trust her so badly it's scary. Sherria seems so sweet, has treated her nicely, even stood up to her captain for her. Wendy doesn't know what to do. She doesn't know if she should trust her. Mest is yelling no in her head, but her own mind is saying something completely different.
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
Sherria tilts her head, "well what do you mean Wens?"
"The last pirate... the last pirate I trusted he tried killing me. I don't know if you're playing a game with me or not, but it won't work. I'm your prisoner here, your captain said so himself. Why are you being so nice and acting so friendly if you're just going to kill me in the end?"
Sherria looks down at the floor, hiding her hands behind her back. Her cheeks start to fluster and Wendy slightly raises her eyebrows.
"That sounds awful, but we're not those types of pirates Wens, I swear to you. When Lyon brought you to me... well you seemed like a kind girl, almost the same age as me and, well... there aren't very many girls my age on this ship. You're even a doctor just like me! We have so much in common already, and well... I guess I was hoping to make a new friend, even if you were going to end up leaving me in the end."
… All she wants is a friend. Standing up for her, being kind to her, treating her fairly... she just wanted a friend.
"Are you going to let them kill me?"
"No, never! I'll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen! All we want is Gray! I mean, all my captain wants is Gray! If you play along I promise he won't do anything to you! You'll be safe here!"
"But what about Gray? What about my friend?"
Sherria bites her lips and looks away, "I don't know why he wants him."
"I thought you said we should be honest with each other, Sherria?" Wendy asks.
"He's always changing his mind, so I truly don't know what he wants to do with Gray. They know each other though, at least from what I've heard. He plans on trading you for him whenever you crew shows up after us. Wens, you don't have to trust me, but please believe me. I would like for us to be friends."
If she befriends this girl maybe she really will try her best to make sure nothing happens to her. She needs to stay safe for Mest. She needs to make sure she's ready for when he comes to get her. She can learn more about the crew, learn about who they are and why their captain wants Gray so much. She shouldn't waste her time here; she should use it wisely. Sherria's eyes light up as Wendy reaches out her hand and nods her head, putting on a smile.
"Okay then Sherria, let's be friends."
Sherria smiles and nods her head up and down, grabbing her hand and holding it tightly.
"We'll be good ones Wens!"
She feels a little bit bad, but she can't forget that these pirates kidnapped her while she was sick and are now keeping her hostage to hurt one of her friends.
"You bet."
"I haven't had a sleepover in forever! I think the last time I had one was before I became a pirate, back in my hometown with Sherry. She used to be a pirate just like me, but she's married now with a baby so the pirate life is over for her," Sherria sighs out, entering the room with blankets and pillows.
Wendy puts her book down and nods, "I don't think I've ever had a sleepover before. I mean, I've share a room with the other girls in my crew, but I don't think it's the same."
"Nope, sleepovers are for when you sleep at a friend's house, or well in our case, ship. Do you need to use the refresher again before we go to bed? I left the key to your chain in a different room. Although I trust you would never hurt me, Lyon said I need to be smart."
"No, I'm fine Sherria. Thanks for asking."
"No problem Wens! So, what are you reading?"
Wendy shows her the book cover and goes into asking for explanations about some of the medical terms in it. Sherria hasn't left her side since her awakening earlier and has been telling her all about her family and hometown, some members of her crew, and her life being apart of Lamia Scale. She has a cousin named Sherry who was brought into the pirate life because she was in love with Lyon. Things happened though and Sherry found love someplace else. Sherria always used to ride on the ship whenever Sherry would visit, so she fell into the life. She mentioned another name, Jura Wendy believes, as a crew member she complains a lot about.
From what she's been implying there are mostly men on this ship which is probably why she's really trying to be Wendy's friend. Against other women she stood a chance, a small chance, but if most of the crew are men... Wendy's better staying put. Sherria brings her food in here whenever she asks for it. She's not allowed to wander the ship and the only time Sherria unlocks her chains is when she needs to use the refresher. The refresher is only a couple feet away from their room, so Wendy hasn't been able to explore anything. She just needs to play it slow and smart. Mest will come for her, she knows he will. He's probably looking everywhere for her right now. She needs to have something for him when he arrives; she needs to have some sort of escape plan, something, anything, she can't waste her time!
"Wens? Wens? Wens!"
Wendy blinks and looks up at Sherria, "huh?"
"You kind of blanked out there, is everything okay? Are you tired? It is getting pretty late, we should sleep." Sherria says moving the book out of her hands.
"Oh, alright. Well... good night Sherria," Wendy smiles.
"Good night Wens, don't mind me. There's a rolled up cot we store underneath the bed. I just need to pull it out like so, and then there! My own little bed." Sherria cheers lying down on the cushion.
Wendy lays her head on her pillow and closes her eyes, taking deep breathes in and out. She'll wait until Sherria is fast asleep and then she'll try to do something about her chains. She needs to see what's out there, she needs to find her escape. There aren't any windows in this room, so she can't see where this ship is sailing. It is moving though, taking her farther and farther away from Mest.
"Wens... I know this is our first day knowing each other, but I really like you already. So please don't do anything that will make my captain mad. You'll be home before you know it, don't you worry. I'm sure of it." Sherria yawns at the end.
It makes her feel bad a little. Trying to sleep in a new room, trying to sleep in an new environment, the soft snores she's listening to not the one she's familiar with. It should have been impossible for her to have fallen asleep. But somehow, against all odds, she does.
"Mest-"
"Did you find them yet?!"
Erza flinches back, "not exactly-"
"So what are you doing in here then?!" Mest shouts, throwing books in her general direction.
Erza doesn't flinch this time, but keeps her eyes leveled with him.
"I'm here to check in on you Captain."
"It has been a week Erza! A full week! Instead of checking up on me, why don't you check up on Wendy? Huh?! Oh wait, you can't, because we don't know where that fucking mermaid ship is!" He yells, kicking his desk into oblivion.
It was the last thing in his room that he had yet to break. The chairs were the first to go, the dresses lost their drawers, the door hanging on by an screw, and the bed post was completely ripped off. Natsu was going to have a hell of a hard time trying to fix everything.
"Mest, we're trying. We're on their trail, Wendy wouldn't want you killing yourself like this. When was the last time you ate something? The last time you washed?! You stay locked up in this room thinking about the worst things instead of-"
"Instead of doing what Erza?! What I'm putting myself through is nothing, nothing compared to what she might be going through right now! What I know they're doing to her! Don't think I fucking forgot whose fault this is in the first place! Erza you let her go! You promised and yet- what am I supposed to do?! I'm supposed to protect her, I was supposed to show her the joys of the world, and now she's only knowing the terror!" Mest growls, throwing more shit around the room.
His heart is breaking. It's breaking and it's bleeding all over him and he can't patch it up. Their doctor is gone and no one else can fix him. Erza straightens her shoulders and enters the lion's den, walking straight over to him. Mest tries to smack her hands away, but she leans in again and wraps her arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug.
"Mest, it's alright."
"Release me Erza-"
"Everything is going to be okay. We're doing everything we can, we're going to get Wendy back. We're going to get her and we're going to be good again."
Mest's shoulders go slack as he leans into her, voice breaking, "but what if we're not?"
His arms go around her and he's hugging her close. Sobs erupt from his throat and Erza feels him shaking in her arms like a scared little child. She sighs and strokes his hair softly. Her captain really loves his wife, to the point of being completely useless without her. Erza wasn't expecting this when he first brought her onboard. Mest had always been whatever about women, but for him to be reacting like this? He truly lost the love of his life.
"Don't worry Mest. However we get Wendy back she's going to be able to get through it. She's a strong girl; you wouldn't have married a weakling. We just need to be there for her, but please think for the best. We're doing our best, I'm sure Wendy is doing her best as well, so please, you do your best too. I'm sure she isn't going to be happy coming home and seeing that you ruined her room," Erza tries to crack a joke.
Mest flinches and looks up. He sniffs lightly and mutters, "I fucked up."
"Big time, but that's okay, so did I. Mest, we're going to be fine. We'll find Lamia Scale and we'll make an example of them. Soon all the seas will know what the Fairy Tail Pirates are capable of and what we'll do to anyone who steals our friends," Erza pulls away, eyes fierce and fiery with passion.
Mest's tears dry and he nods his head, his hands squeezing into fists as his eyes darken, "they will pay dearly."
"And you can't make them pay if you don't take care of yourself."
Mest sighs and finally pulling away. He wipes his face off and scratches the back of his head.
"Uh... thanks Erza. I'll do better. She's fighting, I can feel it in my heart. I need to be fighting too."
"No problem Mest, what are first mate's for?"
Mest and Erza smile lightly at each other. Their small moment is broken when they hear soft footsteps getting louder. The doors burst open, one of them finally falling off its hinges and falling on the floor. Lisanna looks down at it and blushes in embarrassment.
"Oops, sorry, I can fix that. Captain I have news! Bickslow says he spots mermaid sails! They've docked by a nearby island; we've finally caught up to them!"
Mest's eyes widen and he reaches for his sword. Erza puts a hand on his chest and glares.
"Mest."
"Erza! We got them-"
"And we're still on the sea. It's still going to take time for us to land, so use that time wisely please."
Mest glares and throws his sword on the floor, pacing out the door. He passes by Lisanna and pats her head, mumbling a thanks as he goes on his way. Lisanna watches him leave before she looks back at Erza, a frown on her face.
"Is he going to be okay?"
"Of course, I just talked to him."
"No Erza, that's not what I meant. I mean with Wendy, if she's... is he going to be able to go on?" Lisanna asks.
Erza's face hardens and she shrugs, "how would it feel for you to lose the love of your life? Because that's what he's going through right now."
Lisanna looks down at the floor, "we'll save her. We'll be there on time, we won't lose another friend."
Erza looks up and nods her head.
"Of course not."
