Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or it's characters, that right belongs to Hiro Mashima. Nor do I own The disastrous Life of Saiki K. or it's characters, that right belongs to Shūichi Asō.
Author's Notes: This was a request from the amazing GemNika.
He stared at the blond at the front of the classroom, his normal blank expression on his face, uncaring, unconcerned. Though, the thoughts he was picking up from the blond was rather odd. They were not the normal thoughts echoed by all those in his class or the emptiness that was Nindo. No, it was as if he was hearing multiple voices, all different, in the girl's head. And all she did was give a smile and introduce herself as Lucy Heartfilia. When the teacher pointed to the empty seat beside him, he just looked out the classroom window.
Saiki crouched down on the roof of the school. He was hiding once more from everyone and needing space. Teruhashi had seemingly renewed her need to get a reaction out of him. Nindo was twice as clingy, claiming he was his pal. While Kaidou and Toritsuka were beyond their normal limits. And all he could do without thinking of what caused the extreme shift in every single one of them was the new girl, Lucy. She was sweet, polite, and from the thoughts of every male in the damn school, beautiful. Not that she noticed. That odd golden aura that Teruhashi gave off was eclipsed by Lucy's, who he knew was not even aware of it.
In fact, in the two weeks she'd been there, he had yet to hear a selfish thought go through her head when the other 'voices' that called her princess oddly enough didn't just go blank. Something he found rather odd. That all sounds or thoughts would just vanish. Especially while she was talking with other people or answering questions, it was as if she was shielding somehow. But there was no device like what his brother used. Nope, it was as if she knew somehow that he was focusing on her, listening in on those many voices. Then nothing, before she turned and looked at him, flashing a bright smile.
"Saiki?"
At the sound of his name, he lifted his head and saw wide brown eyes looking down at him from under blond bangs. Concern was the only thing he could see as she smiled and stepped back, instantly giving him space once he looked at her.
"Hiding? Me, too," She said softly.
Not saying anything, he just looked at her, which didn't seem to phase her as she shook her head and reached into the small little pouch she always wore on her hip. When she pulled her hands out, she held a very familiar small cup, sealed with a dark label.
"I ... here... it is coffee flavored jello," she said, thrusting the small package at him. "I will leave now... enjoy the quiet."
Not questioning her generosity, as she displayed it often, he took the treat. Listening in as one of the deeper voices in her head told her that she was nice for giving up her new favorite dessert outside of strawberry milkshakes. Again they were referring to her as princess. Just to have her sigh as she replied, calling the voice Leo.
Saiki stared at his parents and the plus one. Who just happened to have blond hair and brown eyes that were not looking at him. And for the first time in the month that he'd been made aware of the girl, her thoughts were running unchecked. And oddly enough, he found that they were very well organized, intelligent, and filed in a unique system that made him think of his older brother Kusuke. Who had made a call to their parents?
"Kusuo, do you have a problem with this arrangement?" His mother asked.
Shifting his gaze from Lucy to his mother, he lets her know that it didn't matter as it had already been decided. His father's eclectic thoughts were starting to annoy him. So, pushing the chair away from the dining room table, he stood up, giving Lucy a quick look. Noting how she just ducked her head as a single thought of 'I am sorry' fluttering briefly before her mind shut down — making him realize that he needed to contact his brother. The girl was already odd. And he didn't even think that because she stated that she came from England, that she would know his brother. Meaning every time her mind would go blank, she was shielding against him, because she knew about his psychic powers.
The walk up the stairs was done in silence, something he valued more than anything, Saiki opened the spare bedroom door, that was next to his own, and stepped aside. He would not deal with this until later. But as Lucy gave a mumbled thank you as she passed by him into the room, Saiki noticed that there was something different about her.
The smug smiling face of his brother was on his television. It had been five days since Lucy Heartfilia had moved into his home. She was causing him a whole mass of problems. Once his classmates had learned about it, they were over more often. Teruhashi had become possessive in the extreme. Not that he showed Lucy any attention more than anyone else. He tended to ignore her even more. This translated into the female mind that he was more interested in Lucy.
"Now, now... don't be like that. Lucy...she is special. And because of that, I sent her to Japan," Kusuke said, his tone of voice a lilting tease.
Saiki just stared at his brother's image. He was not saying anything. He knew his brother loved to tease him. Was possessive of him. The point had been proven because of his little mishap of time traveling.
"You are thinking of the time travel machine, aren't you?" Kusuke quipped. His smile is fading as he grew serious. "That is actually how Lucy got here... sort of."
At this, Saiki paused and looked at his brother. Who, he knew, from his facial expression was in serious mode. This could be both good and bad at the same time, making him wonder just what his brother had done? How had he pulled Lucy into his schemes?
"Hey, do not think that I did something to make Lucy do what I wanted. Ku-chan, it was me tinkering to make my Time Machine work that I somehow pulled Lucy from her world into our," Kusuke said.
Pausing, Saiki leaned back in his chair, pulling up his knee to rest his arm on. His brother was being rather forthcoming. A bit too much. What did his brother mean by 'pulling Lucy from her world'? How was a Time Machine able to pull from another world, not another time?
"My my, you are curious, aren't you? Well, it is not so simple, even for me, the creator. I was doing some minor repairs on it and trying to figure out how to fine-tune it. I had taken a reading break and left what I was reading at the bottom to get some food. Not realizing that I had... left the machine activated. When I got back... Well, Lucy was at the bottom of it," Kusuke elaborated in a rather monotone voice.
Saiki's mind sorted through what was being said and unsaid. He knew his brother had a love of a specific type of books. And that Lucy did seem vaguely familiar, but that could always be just a Deja Vu. But he also knew that didn't happen to him. It was improbable. Meaning he had seen Lucy before.
"You are correct; you have seen Lucy Heartfilia before. And I am sure you have heard the voices in her head... each different and unique. All referring to her as a princess?" Kusuke asked.
It was then that his mind clicked over and connected. He knew it was a possibility where his brother was concerned. Proof that he created a working Time Travel Machine. That he also created the limiters he wore, as well as the odd little crown Kusuke wore to keep him from his mind.
"So, I figured because the machine is not working anymore that you can help find a way to send her home," Kusuke said, smiling smugly once more before the television turns itself off.
It happened swiftly. They were working on a project for class. Summer break was just around the corner, again. His Junior Year of High School is almost over. He heard the shocked gasp as the sound of something hitting the floor happened. Turning his attention from his group just as the rest of the class began to wonder why Lucy would just pass out openly.
His mother had commented on Lucy's health over the last two months. Only to have it be passed off as she was missing her home, friends, and family. Which he knew now were in another world entirely. Her spirits, the voices in her head, the only connection. It was also how she had learned so much about his world so quickly and was able to adapt. Impressive. He'd even had a few talks with her. Or instead, she explained, along with her spirits, through several silent conversations. She was confirming that she was the same Lucy Heartfilia from the manga and anime Fairy Tail.
That she took it with a grain of salt when his brother broke it down to her as she woke up and grabbed the manga that she was no longer a part of. It was a paradox all in and of itself. And she said as a writer or an attempt at being a writer; she is not surprised by this. It gave credence to multiple world theories. And that there was a mirror world of her own just on the other side of a barrier hidden in the sky.
Standing slowly, Saiki heard the teacher call for him to take Lucy to the nurse's office. Saying she'd call his parents to come to get them. Mentally sighing, he did as he was told. The physical contact he was making had his mind being bombarded with an explosion of thoughts from his classmates. What mattered was that he couldn't even hear Lucy's spirits. Which he could even when she was asleep. This was not a good sign.
He sat there at the dining room table, focused on the treatment that had been set before him. His mother and father had gone out for a date. They were leaving him alone with Lucy. Who had been quiet, both verbally and mentally, for the last three days? Anyone who looked at her could see that her skin was paler, hair hung limp, and her eyes were dull. And he knew what it was. The thing his brother and he feared.
He was digging his spoon into the coffee-flavored pudding that Lucy had personally made. A thing she was rather proud of, after many trials and errors. Saiki had been her guinea pig throughout the whole process. And now, he enjoyed the fruits of her labors. The smooth, perfectly creamy, melt in your mouth vanilla pudding that had coffee flavoring in it. And all he had to do was ask her to make it for him and she would, a gentle smile on her face. It was something he had come to notice and appreciate. She was not overly rude or outward about things. A thing he could appreciate.
Finishing up the last bite, Saiki looked into the kitchen. Eyes narrowing behind his glasses as he saw Lucy sway briefly before her body toppled over. In less than a second, he was beside her. Her eyes were even duller. He could hear each breath as she struggled to take it. Placing a hand over her abdomen, he focused on the strange feeling that was her magic. It was almost gone. Yet she just smiled and attempted to sit up.
"I...Saiki, I will be okay..." she said, her voice a barely audible whisper.
He looked at her, only to feel his eyes widening. Before his eyes, she began to go opaque, just to go solid again. This was not a normal phenomenon. Then again, as he had learned, Lucy was far from ordinary. He kept his distance from everyone so no one would find out about him being psychic — found ways to deter or shift others away from him. But here, a woman who was a fictional character that had been pulled from her world was doing what could only be described as dying or fading. Saiki didn't know how to think or handle it. She had not tried to be a part of his life, but due to circumstances, it was a part of it.
Looking impassively down at Lucy, who was going opaque again, Saiki helped her stand, knowing she had a lot of pride as an independent person and not wanting her temper to flare. Though he did appreciate that her kick was just as powerful in his world as it had been in her own, which was demonstrated by her kicking Kuboyasu into a wall. Thus earning his appreciation and affection. Something Lucy had made clear she didn't want.
Once they were up the stairs, Saiki set her on the bed, noting that she was not going solid anymore. Remaining silent, just watching and faintly hearing the worry from the voices in her head. Each was expressing a level of care that was astounding.
"Saiki, on the desk... that piece of paper... it is yours..." Lucy said, her voice even softer than before.
He was shifting his gaze from her to look at what she had indicated. He took the few steps to the desk and looked down at it. Amazement crossed his mind. It was the recipe for the coffee-flavored Vanilla pudding. And it was titled, Kusuo's Pudding. Blinking only once, he turned to look at Lucy, just to see her body lying on the bed sparkle and fill the room with a brilliant golden glow as it faded completely from sight. Once the light died down, he could not feel her presence at all.
Without thinking, he grabbed a piece of paper and went to his room. Where he picked up his cell phone, tapped the screen to unlock it, and scrolled through the limited numbers. When he found the one he wanted, he sent a quick text: 'She has gone' and then set it back down. In a matter of seconds, his television turned on, his brother looking at him wide eyes. And for the first time that he could remember, Saiki and his brother just shared a silent, non-competitive, judging moment.
"I will check to see if she had returned to the manga. Her being pulled her erased her from that world," Kusuke said, his voice soft, sad.
It didn't take long, but his brother popped back into view and gave a small smile. The Fairy Tail Manga in hand, he turned it and showed an image of Lucy fighting on Tenrou Island. A smile on her face as she and Cana faced off against Freed and Bickslow in the trial cave. It had a small smile trying to tug at the corners of his lips. A part of him would remember the months that she had been in the world and around him.
"Don't worry; I have an excuse for why she is gone... if anyone remembers her," Kusuke said, smiling his usual smug smile while flipping through the manga. "And no, I will not be tinkering with the Time Machine for a while."
With that said, Saiki just watched as his tv turned off, and he was left sitting there. Holding onto the piece of paper that Lucy left him. Before it dawned on him that she knew she wouldn't be around much longer. She had worked so hard to make the pudding just for him to boot. That it was her way of thanking him for whatever reason that he didn't and wouldn't even know either.
THE END!
