Chapter six.
A star's dance home.
Rays of early morning light softly lazing through the grand, arching windows, casting their luminous shadows on the smooth, polished floor decorated with sweeping images of the royal family's insignia in the palace's second ballroom greeted Lucy as she closed the equally grand and intricate wooden door to the room with a gentle 'click'.
Hisui had taken her to the lesser known ballroom months ago, when she had first started teaching the blonde Celestial wizard how to dance like a Gypsy, the strange combination of modern ballet and belly dancing making Lucy feel like the least graceful person on Earthland. So far from how relaxing, how second nature it was for her to move now.
Even after the royal father-daughter duo had merged her physical two training lessons, the blonde Mage had been surprised to find herself waking up early, just after the sun broke the eastern sky, and heading towards this ballroom to begin the day with a dance.
She stood, cloaked in the outfit Hisui had given her and the pale light of the morning sun, absorbed in the bittersweet thoughts of what would happen later that day, when the rest of the palace was awake, bustling with activity, helping the royal family through their day.
Without raising her head, Lucy extended her left arm and left leg, positioning them away from her body while keeping her other arm and leg close. She took a breath, a golden spill marking where her extended foot lay. And then she began to dance, spinning away from where she started, one step, two, pausing just long enough to place another marker.
She continued on like that, her skirt and hair - put up in a loose French braid, reaching all the way to her hips due to that little bet she had with Hisui still being in effect - flowing around her perpetually moving frame, lagging behind just seconds, catching up to her once again whenever she placed her magic into the ground, coning belt and bracelets marking the beat of her movements.
She had gotten stronger, so much stronger in the seventeen and a half months she had taken shelter behind the castle's wall, her training in the arts of her Gypsy heritage having nearly tripled her magic reserves, and her training in the art of fighting giving her a stronger bond with her spirits, new moves to be used in conjunction with them, and a reminder of why she had left home for so long.
Heck, she and Hisui had even lived like gypsies for a while, even if it was cut short because of that Duke Bayton, who was going to be sitting in prison for the next few months, as well as pay a heavy fine once he was out.
The blonde dancer smiled, the back of her hand resting gently on her forehead, legs bent at the knees and spine bent back from the hips. She remained like that for a second, each foot placing a pale mark before she moved on.
She had done this for them, her guild, and for her; so she could have longer with them, that they would never have to be in danger because of her inability to help, that they would never have to watch her slip away in the same way she had watcher her beloved mother.
And finally, after nearly a year and a half away from the one place she had felt she'd truly belonged in, from the people she loved above all else, she had managed to complete her training to such a degree that there wasn't anything else that Hisui could tell or show her.
So now, after the longest time, she would be going home that afternoon.
She stopped, arms pined together at the wrist behind her head, her right foot forward, completing the constellation of the Water Barer. She felt the magic leave her, more than when she had cast the sign of Aries, but less than when she had summoned Leo as a lion, and watched as a baby blue magic circle formed, bringing with it six inches of cool, crystalline water.
Taking another deep breath, Lucy drew upon the water magic she had, magic she still left largely unused, but knew was absolutely perfect for use with this dance. It was almost like there was no resistance to her movements, her steps as unforced and fluid as they had been on dry land, the water rippling, rising, following her like ribbons in a breeze.
She wasn't without her reservations about leaving, though, and she wasn't naïve enough to expect a quiet welcome back. She wasn't sure what to expect when she took that step past the threshold; people could change within the span of a few weeks, so almost two years was more than enough time to be different.
Granted, she was sure she wouldn't be negatively received back into their lives, at least until after her friends were done scolding her about leaving without telling them before hand. But Lucy had to admit, she was surprised, and a little bit hurt, that none of her friends had thought to check for her in the capital city during their secret, not-so-secret search missions for her.
But then she remembered that she, as a Celestial Mage, had a very strong connection to the city from the perspective of other guild Mages, since she and Yukino had closed the Eclipse Gates. Her family would definitely have avoided it if it meant they wouldn't have to see reminders of their pain every time they turned a corner on the newly rebuilt city.
That didn't matter though, since now she would go back to them, and hopefully remain there with them for as long as she could.
She had no idea, for all the training in Gypsy magic and tradition she had spent her days grueling over, if any of it had done as Mavis had said and the innate corrosiveness of her Gypsy magic had been rendered, assuring her that her health wouldn't slowly slip away.
Her nervousness reflected in her dancing, the precise steps and whirls becoming agitated, fast, the ribbons of water coiling around her, tightening and getting closer to their caster until it exploded outward, millions of little droplets raining down into the otherwise calm waters of the ballroom, Lucy standing in the middle of the still active spell, panting.
Bringing her right hand up over her head, she made a fist, leaving out her index finger and thumb, her pink Fairy Tail guild mark proudly displayed in the now mid-morning light. She kept that pose, cutting off the magic supply to the constellational spell, making the water whirlpool around her feet, disappearing and leaving not a trace of wetness in the grand room.
If she did indeed have only a few years left, and all this had been for nothing...then she would still go home, capitalizing on each and every day she got with her friends, family, loved ones, especially the moments she would get with Natsu, since he was the one she had missed most of all, and the one she would worry about if she were to pass on.
Bringing her arm down, the blonde spun on her heels, her hair and clothes once more flowing with the motion, and headed in the direct back towards her room. She still had packing to do, after all, before she could leave for the train station, and a green haired friend to say good bye to.
The first thing Lucy did when she arrived back in Magnolia was head to her land lady's place so that she could give the woman the first deposit of money she had earned from the jobs Makarov had sent her (and barely managed to get done in-between her training) down on her apartment hold, at the same time letting the woman know she was back in town to stay.
After a long discussion detailing when the blonde would make the next few payments, Lucy finally managed to leave, and be on her way home. Despite how tired she was, as traveling long distances was anything but relaxing, the blonde chose to simply summon Plue and enjoy the stroll next to the canal, feeling waves of nostalgia and relief washing over her.
"It's nice to be back, huh Plue?" She asked the small spirit, walking next to her in a way they hadn't done together since leaving home. Besides that time with the kids, Lucy had hardly summoned the little guy.
"Puun," the spirit nodded, looking up at his master with adorable black eyes causing Lucy to smile.
The walk took fifteen minutes, both spirit and summoner drinking in the details of the town they had missed so dearly, taking in the sound of water to their left, the cobblestone streets under their feet, the rows of houses lining their right, and the clear night sky illuminated leagues above their heads and the tops of buildings, lighting their way better than any lamp ever could.
When the blonde reached her apartment, the first thing she had planed to do was take a nice, long, hot bath, but upon seeing the incredibly dusty conditions she would have to clean afterwords, she reorganized her priorities with a sigh.
She reached for her keys, secured on their belt where her golden coin belt was tied off on her hip, removing the key to the one spirit that she could count on to clean up a mess. "Gate of the Maiden, I open thee! Virgo!"
In a flash of pink smoke, the maid spirit entered the room. "Yes, hime? Am I in need of punishment?"
"Uh, no, but I would appreciate it if you helped me get rid of the dust in here," Lucy said, gesturing to the grimy room. "And once that's finished, can you help me put my clothes and stuff away?"
The zodiac saluted, two feather dusters poofing into her hands out of more pink smoke. Together, Virgo, Lucy, and Plue managed to remove most of the dust and dirt that had piled up within the residence, fabrics and sheets thoroughly washed, and the floors, shelves, and tables polished to shine like new.
Once the room was cleaned to her specifics, Lucy gave Virgo the ok to summon their clothes and books to organize, and the blonde nearly choked on the amount of pink smoke the task generated. When she from the coughing, Virgo had already placed all the books in their proper place and was working in the clothes already. Sometimes it amazed the blonde just how suited the spirit was for jobs like this.
After doing her part in getting resettled, Lucy turned to face her spirits. "Thank you, both of you. Virgo, you can go back,"
The pink haired spirit bowed. "Then I will take my leave, hime,"
Another poof of smoke, and then Lucy turned to the little white spirit of Canis Minor. "It's time for a bath, Plue, and then bed; it's already eleven thirty, and tomorrow is the day we go back to the guild,"
"Puun pun!" Plue agreed, following his master as she headed towards the bathroom.
Lucy paced outside the entrance to the guild, her guild, her stomach rolling and palms sweating out of the nervous anticipation she had over walking the five steps she needed to get through the doors, and into the main guild hall, something she had done countless times before in the past.
She had been there for five minutes already, sometimes a steely look of resolve in her eyes as she made a motion to walk in, and then she would abort it, a frown woven in her eyebrows and a guilty expression on her face as she chewed on her lower lip.
"C'mon Lucy," she said to herself, attempting to psyche herself up to do what needed to get done. "The longer you do this, the longer they have to wait on you,"
That seemed to do it, and before she could rethink her actions, she took the five steps to the large oaken doors, pushing them open and walking in.
The first thing that the blonde noticed was how the noise she made shoving open the doors echoed around the large, open space of the practically empty guild. The normal bustle and chatter of guild members replaced by an alien stillness that didn't belong, and the mission board was almost empty, only a pitiful handful left.
She scanned the room, her confusion growing more and more with each empty table and chair that entered her chocolate gaze. She was about to ask herself why there wasn't anyone there, when she finally spotted a small group of people at the bar, a second after they saw her.
"Um, hello? Is there anything...we...could..." a young girl asked, and it took Lucy almost a full second to see that the small blue haired teen before her with the wide, surprised eyes was in fact Wendy. And she had just recognized Lucy, because half a second later, the Sky Dragon Slayer's eyes poured over, and she rushed towards the wizards she saw as an older sister. "Lucy!"
Said blonde had a beat to recognize the commotion the girl's shout had started before she wasn't paying attention anymore, returning the crushing hug she was getting from Wendy, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks as well at them being reunited
"You're here, you're here, you're here..." the girl chanted between sobs, nestling herself into the blonde's shoulder.
"Yeah," Lucy sniffed, tightening her grip on the teen, assuring herself that that really was the case. "It's good to be back,"
"What, no greeting for us?" another voice teased, tears audible in her voice. "We really missed you too,"
Wendy released Lucy from the tight embrace, allowing the blonde to look up and meet the owner of the voice in the eyes. Her eyes widened, taking in just how much Cana had changed in the months since they'd last seen each other.
The brunette woman smiled, resting one hand on her enlarged stomach and gesturing with her chin to two other women behind her. "And those two have special someones they want you to meet,"
The blonde woman felt fresh tears come to her eyes again, her hands rising to cover her mouth. Stepping out from behind Cana, was Mira and Erza, both cradling protectively in their arms a small, swaddled bundle.
"You're mothers," Lucy spouted the first thing that came to her mind, eyes roaming over the three again to see if she was seeing things, that it was a mirage and staring closer would dispel the illusion. It didn't.
"As of two months ago," Erza said, walking up to the blonde and wrapping her free arm around her, both girls being mindful of the sleeping babe between them. They pulled apart several seconds later, the redhead wiping the tears from her eyes as she lifted the baby up for her friend to see better. "It's good to have you back, Lucy; this little guy has been wanting to meet his auntie,"
"Do you mind...if I hold him?" the blonde asked carefully, not sure if the redhead would let her.
Her fears were unfounded though, because a second later the new mother held out the boy for her to take, adjusting her hold on him until she was comfortable. Lucy stared down in her arms, catching her first clear view of round, apple cheeks, a shock of already spiky red hair, a few shades darker than his mother's, and over the bridge of his little button nose a birth mark that the blonde had only seen on one other man.
She smirked a bit, handing the baby back to his mother. Even if she hadn't seen the two together in the crystal ball, it would have still been obvious. "Jellal, huh?"
Erza blushed, turning her head to clear her throat in embarrassment. "Yeah, it was only a matter of time, I guess,"
"You're telling me," Mira interjected, making their conversation a three-way. "I'd been trying to set you guys up for ages before Lucy left,"
"W-well, Meledy took over that for you when the three of us were on the road," the redhead stated, brushing a finger across her son's cheek. "Otherwise, Orion here wouldn't have entered our lives."
"Orion?" Lucy breathed, remembering the trip where she had told Erza some of the legends behind the constellations to pass the time while the others had been asleep. The Requip mage had listened to the blonde with the usual rapt attention she gave everyone back then, so Lucy hadn't assumed much of it afterwards.
The new mother blinked, then grinned. "Jellal and I were having trouble coming up with a name when he was born, and then I remembered what you told me; how Orion was a hunter, a warrior, who was immortalized in the stars. I take my power from weapons, and Jellal takes his from the stars,"
Lucy smiled. "A perfect name, then,"
"Glad you think so, since we had to talk her out of a ton of other bad name choices," Mira said, gesturing to the Celestial wizard that it was okay for her to take the infant she held. "But it also gave me more time to think of one for this sweet girl here,"
Lucy took the girl, positioning her arms the way Erza had showed her a few minutes ago to support the babe correctly. Lucy was surprised when she saw that the baby was awake, staring at her with big cobalt eyes that contrasted with her hair, a fine shade of platinum blonde.
"Uh, she's awake, Mira," the blonde said, unnerved at being watched so intently. The other women smiled, amused.
"Yeah, Jessamyn has a habit letting you think she's asleep, and then just watch you," Mira smiled, and Lucy found the baby's name to be fitting for the daughter of a white-haired model. "It creeps out pretty much everyone but me and Laxus, who I'm sure thinks she will never do wrong,"
Lucy didn't even blink at the news of who little Jessa's father was, having seen how the couple had progressed when she still had a working crystal ball. When she noticed the inquisitive look the model was giving her, the kind that asked 'well, aren't you surprised?' Lucy explained about the viewing ball. "I hope you guys don't mind...it was pretty hard being away from you all, and this seemed like a good way to see what I was missing,"
Erza shook her head, placing a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. "Relax, I wish we could have done the same thing, as it would have eased a lot of our worries,"
"Thanks," she replied, looking back down at the infant in her arms that was still looking at her with the same intense eyes as before. "But, I could only see the beginning of you guys dating. I really wish I could have been here for the births,"
Maybe I can make it up to them... Lucy thought, before the mischievous gleam in Mira's eyes brought her back to reality.
"It's alright, but if that's all you know..." the barmaid smiled, holding up her left hand and giving Lucy another surprise. "We're not quite dating anymore; as soon as he found out I was expecting Jessa-chan, he went out and came back an hour later with a ring, and a bouquet of flowers,"
"Congrats!" Lucy gushed, handing the soon-to-be-Drayer back her daughter. The blonde looked at Erza, then Cana. "Are the two of you also...?"
The redhead raised her left hand, showing off the simple silver band adorning her ring finger. "He pretty much did the same thing as Laxus, only it was after Meledy and I managed to wake him up,"
Lucy raised an eyebrow. "He fainted?"
"Yep," Erza confirmed, a smirk painting her lips as she recalled the moment.
"Well, how about you Cana?" Lucy asked, turing to the brunette who had been listening to the three talk along with Wendy. "How are you and Bacchus doing?"
The card Mage smirked, proudly pushing her baby bump further out, her maternity shirt rising up enough to show her naval. "He was sort of dazed when I told him, but then he wouldn't leave my side until I was past twelve weeks," she rolled her eyes, though all of the girls could see the fondness in her expression. "He claims he's getting me a ring after the Daimatou Enbu next month, when he plans on trying to prove himself to Guildarts,"
Lucy raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Guildarts knows about you two? How'd he react?"
"Uh..."
"Actually Lucy, we're the only ones who know that Cana and Bacchus are together," Mira said.
"Ah...then how does Bacchus plan on 'proving' himself to Guildarts if Guildarts doesn't know he's fighting the father of Cana's baby?" Lucy asked. "And I still want to know how your dad reacted to the new that you were expecting, Cana,"
The brunette sighed. "To answer your first question, I have no idea how that idiot plans on doing anything against Dad, but I get the feeling he'll surprise us. And as for when my Dad found out...let's just say that he nearly squeezed the kid outta me in happiness before demanding to know who I slept with so that he could kill him,"
Lucy giggled, picturing the esteemed S-class wizard panicking over his pregnant daughter, and her trying to suffer through his fussing with minimal resistance. It made a cute picture.
"But that's enough about us," Mira said, the carefree light in her eyes dimming into one more serious. "Where did you go, Lucy? Everyone in the guild has been looking for you, looking for why you left,"
The blonde let out a breath, looking at the faces she hadn't seen in months, before motioning that they all take a seat in the empty table next to them. "Its, a long story, and just so we're clear, Master and Mavis decided by themselves to keep my location a secret,"
"Then they knew where you were the whole time?" Wendy asked, helping Cana into her seat. Her brown eyes resonated hurt. "But...they saw how upset we were by you leaving. Why wouldn't they tell us?"
"It tyes into the reason I had to be away for so long," the blonde replied. "And I had no intention of actually leaving in the first place until Master called me into his office and asked if I wanted some time away from the guild,"
"About that..." Erza started, making eye contact with the two other mothers and the Dragon Slayer. "We're sorry for how we acted; it wasn't right that we ignored you, under any circumstances,"
"We all panicked when Mavis said you left because of us," Cana continued, petting her stomach. "You should have seen the mob trying to get out of the guild just because everyone wanted to apologize,"
"Everyone, even Nab and I, took jobs to see if we could find you," Mira finished, adjusting her hold on Rumor as the baby squirmed in her arms.
Lucy blinked, the smiled warmly. "You guys don't have to apologize; consider us even, since I unfortunately missed those two being born."
The redhead mother nodded, a small smile on her face. "You didn't miss much, just a bunch of shouting and things getting broken,"
"You're forgetting to mention that you did most of both, as well as broke Jellal's hand," Wendy stated, sweatdropping. "And Mira-san, I'm pretty sure that the guild had no idea you knew those kind of words,"
Lucy and Cana dissolved into helpless laughter, Wendy blinking confusedly between between the two and the blushing mothers.
"We're getting off track," the white haired woman coughed, brining everyone's focuses back where they should be; on Lucy's story of why she left.
"Right," the blonde said, sobering. "So, Mater had noticed I was feeling down, and said I could leave the guild and train for a while until people noticed I was gone. I assumed I would be gone for like, a month, probably polishing up my technique on the whip, or increase my magic reserves."
"So what changed?" Cana asked, since what her friend described was nothing like what actually happened.
Lucy sighed, remembering the exact events like they'd happened yesterday. "Mavis pulled out a book, something she thought would help me train, and in doing so we stumbled on something related to my mother, and my future health,"
She spent the next hour explaining to her friends about the glowing ancestry, how it was the second magic type she shared with her mother that could lead to an early death if she did't utilize it, and how she had spent months doing just that in Crocus, under the guidance of the royal family.
None of them spoke, and even the two young infants remained silent, as though they understood the significance of what the blonde was saying, even if they didn't understand the words.
"Well shit," Cana said, breaking the quietness that had descended around the group. "Now I'm actually glad you left. I'd rather keep you around for as long as possible,"
The others murmured their consent, smiling at the blonde. They would much rather be with than without, as the last year and a half had shown everyone in their family.
Suddenly, Mira got an excited look in her eyes. "Ne, dancing is supposed to be good for losing weight right?"
"If I of all people can get abs from it, then I'm inclined to say yes," Lucy said, raising the sheer shirt she had over the gold-yellow top Hisui got her to give the others a better view.
"Perfect!" the mother clapped in delight, cradling her baby in her elbows. "While I didn't gain a ton of weight from my pregnancy, I still think I could shed some pounds,"
"That does sound like a good idea," Erza admitted, poking a barely there patch of fat on her stomach. "I would like my armor to fit like it always does, as tightness could restrict my movements."
"Well, I don't know about modeling or armor," Cana smirked. "But it might keep my after-birth weight down if I joined you guys,"
"It would," Wendy confirmed. "It would probably help with recovery as well,"
"Then it's settled," the brunette said, eyes gleaming as she grabbed Lucy's shoulder.
"You'll teach us how to dance so we can lose some weight," Erza continued for her.
"Uh..." the blonde stated, not sure what to do since all three of the mothers, and even Wendy looked at her with pleadingly big puppy dog eyes. "I guess...?"
"Great!" Mira exclaimed. "We'll start after Jessa-chan and Ori-kun are fed, okay?"
Before Lucy could say anything to protest, Erza and Cana had looped their arms through hers, and along with the blue haired teen, pushed/dragged her after the smiling white haired bartender.
"Wait, I still haven't asked where everyone else is!" the celestial wizard said, but her friends didn't even break step.
"They're doing last minute training for the Grand Magic Games for the next two weeks until the games begin," Erza stated. "We're not participating, obviously, so at the end of the two weeks we'll hop on a train and met them in Crocus,"
"But I just spent a year there, not to mention twelve hours on a train to leave it!" Lucy whined, and her friend's expressions were a mix of unapologetic amusement and exasperation.
"Your fault for being there so long," Wendy huffed from behind, pushing the blonde forward. "Just know that you'll be teaching us to dance during that time,"
The celestial mage could only sigh helplessly, letting her friends drag her who knows-where in the guild to set up for their first dance lesson. Truth be told, she wouldn't have had it any other way; she was glad to be back home, back with her friends.
And she looked forward to seeing the rest of them as well, even if it meant another damnable set of train rides that everyone would be better off without. For now, she would share what she learned with her friends, and then, later she would plan on what she would do when she saw Natsu and Happy again, in two weeks...
"It's been settled, then," Makarov stated, looking over the majority of his guild members, most of which were either covered in dirt or bruised in one way or another. It was expected, since the guild had just hosted a tournament-style training camp to decide who would play for them in the Daimatou Enbu.
How the man had managed to find and convince both Guildarts and Natsu to attend was a mystery, but what's done was done, and truthfully, the last thing on any of their minds was the Games. It was all focused on their missing blonde friend, who would supposedly be back in Magnolia after the celebrations in the capital were finished.
If they were lucky, they might actually met her at the Games themselves, but the possibility of that was low if Lucy had managed to avoid them for all this time already.
"This year's team to attend the Games is as follows; the team leader is Guildarts Clive," the third stated, and a hardy cheer ran through the crowd as the cloaked man received congratulatory back slaps. "Following him into the arena will be, Laxus Drayer, Juvia Loxar, Gajeel Redfox, and finally..."
The master hesitated, making many in the crowd frown in worry, and others simply raise an eyebrow. There were only two other people who were suited to have the position, one of which was busy congratulating his girlfriend for on getting on the team with a chaste kiss, and the other one sulking up in a tree.
"...Natsu Dragneel. These five of our mages will be entered into the games next week," Makarov stated, watching out of the corner of his eyes as the Fire Dragon Slayer jumped down from his perch in the tree, stalking away with Happy right behind him. He turned his attention back to the rest of his children, several of whom were watching Natsu walk away. "Until then, all of you should rest,"
The group of mages nodded, disappearing from the clearing they had adjourned in to return to the make-shift camp ground they had set up in the mountains north of Crocus. It was where the B team had practiced for the last games, and a secluded location for them to use.
It was also a good place to keep members like Natsu close, since by the time he managed to sneak off the mountain, Makarov would know he was gone, and it would be time for games anyway.
He couldn't afford for the teen to wander off in order to look for Lucy when the blonde was literally only a few miles away, and the two would be reunited within the next seven days.
Actually, Makarov had no idea if the blonde was still in the boundaries of the capital city at all, or if she had managed to make it back to the guild early like she had wanted. If that was indeed the case, then the former Wizard Saint had even less to worry about, since the girls back at their base would be counted upon to bring Lucy with them when the time came.
But it wasn't Lucy he was worried about; no, Natsu was by far the biggest wild card in the deck he had shuffled eighteen months ago. To a degree he was still predictable, but having his mate leave him had taken its toll on the teen, something seen not only physically, but in the air he gave off.
Makarov had nearly mistaken Natsu for someone else entirely, the tired, jaded edge to his eyes unrecognizable by the master. The look made the previously energy-filled boy appear years beyond his actual age, the only things keying Makarov in that he was still the Natsu he had raised after Igneel left was the pink hair, of course, and the small spark in the boy's eyes that said he hadn't given up yet.
Makarov was half convinced that that look would never leave the boy's eyes, since that never-say-never personality seemed to be an unflappable part of the pink haired mage's core being.
It was for that reason the giant Mage wanted to keep him in his sights, so he didn't have to suffer anymore by looking for a ghost haunting some distant part of Fiore.
In just a week, almost guaranteed, Lucy would be back in their company.
Wow, eleven reviews for one chapter - I think that's the most so far! And because reading reviews is a stress relief for me, and I had two tests, another test plus pop-quiz, and then an AP test and another quiz within the last three days, here is the next chapter early.
Don't forget about the poll you guys - it will be open until the fifteenth of October, so vote, even if the majority favors FT.