Italics indicate thinking
Bold is for attacks
Michelle's POV
It's been two weeks since I left Magnolia, since I left Big Sister. It was so hard to leave her behind, but I need to figure some stuff out, I need to be a stronger swordswoman if I'm going to protect her, and Magnolia just isn't someplace I can do that.
Which leads me to where I am now.
"AROOOO!"
Up against a pack of wolves in the forest.
"RAHHH!"
I swung my sword and cut through them, but soon the rest of the pack was attacking me.
"HA HYA!"
"RAAH! Vine Snare!"
I batted a few away but more were coming from the back.
Drat I don't think I can stop them!
Suddenly the ground ripped open and huge green tendrils tore up and batted the wolves away till they fled, whimpering like puppies.
"Did I do that?" I wondered.
"No I did." A voice said "Up here."
I looked up and there was a girl sitting in the trees "Hello!"
"Cosmos?!"
The pink haired knight jumped out of the tree and smiled "It's been a while."
"What are you doing out here?"
"Work." She laughed "Actually I'm looking for you. Heard some rumors about someone slaughtering monsters in the countryside."
A plant chair sprouted up and Cosmos took a seat.
She's able to manipulate the plats without lifting a finger.
"Why are you looking for me?" I asked.
"We heard Fairy Tail broke up, that's too bad." She frowned "But that means your free for the pickings."
"Huh?"
"Come work for us, the royal army."
"What? No I'm training right now."
"Then why not make some money while you do it, we need a few good hands." She said "And I've seen your skills up close, so come work with me."
"I can't."
"We use a similar magic, come work for the army and I'll teach you everything I can about Plant Magic." She said growing a rose that rested in her hand "At the same time you'll be able to work with people like Kama and Arcadios to hone your blade skills."
"I…"
"If you're serious about getting stronger you shouldn't pass this opportunity up." She said getting stern "I'm serious, chances like this don't come by every day."
She reached her hand out "So are you coming?"
I smiled and took her hand.
A few days later.
"This is my garden." Cosmos said showing me around "I eat sleep and breathe this room."
"Am I staying here?" I asked.
"Hell no girl you're in the barracks with the other grunts." She said.
"I see." I sighed.
"But I will be training you here." She said handing me a book "Read this, it contains data on every plant in my garden, I expect you to have memorized them all by tomorrow."
"What?!"
"Height, color, genes and species, you better know it all." Cosmos said "You better know what ones are poisons and which ones nullify sickness."
I followed Cosmos around as she pointed at plants and fed me information that I cross referenced with the book.
"Sunflowers, they can shoot lasers, that's a Shrapnel Cactus, there's the Fern area. And you remember this one." She said pointing to a purple mushroom like bark "Makura Kumura."
"It exudes a sleeping agent." I said "I remember it well."
"Had Wendy not been there you would have entered an eternal sleep." Cosmos said "This is one of the most difficult plants to master, when I'm done with you it'll be like growing a daisy on the window."
"Yes Ma'am."
A Few Weeks Later.
I had been with the castle's army for a mouth or so now. The other troops seem to like me. I've was gifted with some new equipment for my Imitatia form. Instead of gloves and boots I had green plate gantlets and greaves. My sword had been sharpened and I was able to rebrand my shield with the Fairy Tail Logo instead of the Oracion Seis one.
Fairy Tail…
I've been studying with Cosmos almost every day, she says I'm learning quickly, faster than she expected. I've never been able to use anything more than vines but now I'm able to pull up brightly colored thorny plants that do all sorts of things like spit acid or devour rocks.
On the days I don't work in the gardens with Cosmos I practice swordplay with Kama or Arcadios. Princess Hisui sometimes stops by to see me, she asks about Lucy a lot, I prefer not to talk about it.
In addition to all my training I also have to do regular soldier work, watches and escorts.
Tonight though I'm on the night watch, pacing around the royal gardens and making sure there are no intruders.
I was checking the hedge maze; I knew this was the place Wendy had been attacked so I always double check it when I'm on watch. I walked out of the maze and looked around.
Something's here.
I flicked my wrist and scattered some petals in the air and snapped my fingers.
"Glowworm Petal!"
I snapped my fingers and a small spark went off.
"Aww Jeez!" a man said backing out of the shadows "I should have known I couldn't surprise you."
"Huh?"
"Hey doll." The man lowered his hood.
"Chase!"
I walked up and hugged him "What are you doing here? You can't sneak into the castle grounds you'll get in trouble."
"I heard you were working here now so I figured I got a free pass."
"You're gonna get me in trouble." I laughed.
"Oh who's this? Your boyfriend perhaps?"
The hedge burst open and Cosmos was there.
I saluted her nervously "I'm sorry I was just about to see this intruder out."
"See yourself out with him." She commanded.
"I'm sorry Ma'am please don't kick me out."
"You're not in trouble." She laughed "I'm giving you the rest of the night off."
"Oh."
"You two lovebirds have fun."
"We are just friends!" I blushed.
Chase and I walked off.
"Imagine my surprise when I found this in the paper on my last job." he said pulling out the news "Fairy Tail disbands, shocks locals."
"Yeah that…" I mumbled.
"Care to fill me in, I thought you guys were inseparable, I never imagined I'd see this as a headline."
I explained the story of our battle with Tartarus.
"I see, seems like you guys had it rough." He nodded.
"I broke an ankle." I said "It was really tough."
"Well you made it out so that's good." Chase smiled "I would have been pretty upset to have opened the paper up to your obituary."
"Oh yeah we all made it out so that's good." I smiled.
"Come on." Chase said pulling me "Let's get a drink."
The Next Morning
"Owww…my head." I said opening my eyes.
What happened last night? I remember going for drinks with Chace, it was just one shot after another. I didn't think dolls could get hangovers.
"Huh?" I looked up and saw nothing but skin.
"Uhhgh…" I pulled up the sheets.
I was naked.
"AHHH!" I yelled falling off the bed.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Covering myself with the sheet I saw Chase sitting on the bed staring at.
"What the hell did you do to me creep!" I yelled.
"Ha!" Chase laughed "More like what didn't you do to me."
"Huh?"
"Don't even start thinking I took advantage of you, you're the one who dragged me to this hotel room."
"Oh good what did we do?!" I shivered.
"Nothing." He said "You yanked all our shirts off and then passed out drunk. See we both have everything on below the waist, I'm hurt you would think I would do something like that to you…"
"Oh man…" I groaned rubbing my head.
"And there comes the killer hangover." He smiled "You might wanna call out sick."
"No, I gotta get back to work." I said throwing on my uniform and walking out.
I made it about three blocks before I had to lean on a building and rub my head.
"Well I know that look." Cosmos smiled walking up with Kamika.
"The walk of shame." Kamika smiled.
"Shut up…not so loud." I grumbled.
"Come on I've got a cure for that in the garden." Cosmos said.
We headed to the castle and Cosmos whipped me up some sort of potion.
"Now here's the real question." Kamika leaned in "Was he hot?"
"Yeah he was." Cosmos cheered.
"Please can we just not talk about it." I mumbled sipping the drink.
At least my headache is going away.
"You know Michelle." Cosmos said "The other troops really like you, and you're doing good work, keep it up and you'll get a promotion."
"I see." I mumbled "Okay."
I still have a lot of work to do…I can't give up, not until I'm strong enough to look out for Big Sister.
AN
Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.
Till Next Time!