I had writers block, I then lost all my writing and I've only now managed to finish this chapter.
I hope you all enjoy ;)
Drop a review, they keep the fingers typing.
Recap:
"Stay," she looked at him, staring into his eyes, "Please," she nodded and made herself comfortable again.
Whether it was because of the conversation, or because Jellal needed someone, Lucy didn't know. One thing was for sure.
Jellal didn't want her to go.
Lucy's dream started quite pleasantly. She was sitting aimlessly on the roof of Ms. Green's house, staring at the sunrise. Her mother was seated to her left; the golden locks her family was so well known for shone brightly. Lucy sighed, savouring the moment of peace. Her mother looked at her, her brown eyes staring into Lucy's with an emotion Lucy hadn't thought her mother could ever wear:
Hatred.
Her mother tilted her head, her nose scrunching in disgust. "How could you do it?" Lucy shook her head, trying to force words of denial out of her mouth. "Why didn't you help?"
"I-" she stammered.
"You are despicable." she turned away, "People like you make me ill."
There was a blade at her mother's throat, "How many people will you kill, Lucy?" Lucy stared at the Black Witch, looking into her green eyes; staring at her darker than dark hair.
"I didn't-"
"You didn't what?" The Black Which cocked her head. "You didn't kill anyone?"
Lucy shook her head; the Black Witch dug the knife into her mother's throat. Lucy watched, hynotised as blood poured from the wound.
"You didn't do this?" Lucy shook her head.
Her mother looked at her, closing her eyes, "Why didn't you stop it?"
Lucy sat up from the bed; her ears screaming as Mira squealed with everything she had. She stumbled off the bed, sitting up as fast as she could and getting to her feet, her eyes alert.
Mard came rushing in, his characteristically emotionless eyes worried. She watched his eyes mask over once more as he saw Mira - her hands on her cheeks while she jumped up and down. "What is all the ruckus about, Mirajane?"
Lucy nodded in agreement, wondering what the hell was going on.
"I SHIP IT!" Mard sighed, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. Mira turned to look at him, his face wholly unamused. "Just look how cute they are - Oh Mard, if you could have seen it, you would've died - look I know they're young, but just look at the potential~"
He rubbed his temples, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. His black eyes snapped open, staring at Lucy as he ignored Mira's ramblings. "Training starts in fifteen minutes."
Lucy nodded dumbly, turning to stare at Jellal. She felt her eyes slap her in the head as she took in his current state - soundly sleeping.
She poked him, "Jellal?" He didn't move. Lucy looked at Mira, "Is he dead?"
Mira stopped, her eyes widening as she rushed to Jellal's side. Spotting her only chance at escape, Lucy nudged her way past Mard, moving into her room and changing into the clothes on the bed; freshly washed.
When she walked into the training room five minutes later, to make sure Mard wouldn't scold her for her tardiness, Lucy stared in confusion at the wall. It wasn't that the wall was particularly intriguing or stand-out, but there were bumps on it that hadn't been on there before. They had been screwed in and varied in size, shape, and colours - something that, no doubt, irritated Mard. Lucy shrugged, readjusted the laces on her shoes and began running.
At fist her body ached with sleep, but as she ran the laps she felt her energy kicking in. She found that her legs didn't ache as much, nor did it hurt to breathe. Even after only a week, she could feel her body changing; becoming stronger. She went around the bend in the track, not bothering to count as she had done during the first few days - relying on only her body to tell her when to stop - that Mard finally made his appearance.
"You're late, Mard Geer,"
"No, you were early." He watched her for a few moments, tracking her with his eyes - knowing she could feel them on her. When she came around the bend yet another time, Mard spoke once more. "Stop." It was a simple command, and Lucy did as he asked, gradually slowing until her legs stopped moving at all.
"Yes," her breath was faster than it had been before, but her lungs weren't burning nearly as much.
"See the wall?" He asked. Lucy nodded, frowning. "I had those put on last night," Lucy nodded again, not entirely sure if she should congratulate him or not. "Climb it."
"What?" Lucy said slowly.
"Climb the wall."
She blinked, "Why would I do that?"
He narrowed his eyes, "I am telling you to do something, Miss Heartfilia, now do it."
She walked to the wall, standing in front of it with her hands on her hips.
"Your objective is to capture the flag." She looked up, inspecting the flag at the top of the wall, right under the roof. "If you do this in under two minutes - you pass. If not, you do it until you can, understand?"
She huffed, "Why do I have to do this?"
He raised an eyebrow, "It was your idea to work on arm strength, not mine."
"Harness?" she asked hopefully.
"Assassins don't use harnesses," Lucy was glad she was facing the wall, just so he didn't have to her jaw drop. "If you fall, you'll land on the mat and start again."
"And I won't die?"
"Not if you don't want to be ironic,"
Sighing, Lucy grasped onto the first piece, putting her right foot on another, she pulled herself up. She felt her arm weaken and shake with effort. Then she lost her grip and fell roughly onto the mat. She blinked, feeling a pressure in her butt. She looked back at Mard, who whistled and looked at the running track, his lips twitched upwards.
"Shut up,"
He put his hands behind his back, "I didn't say anything, Miss Heartfilia."
Grumbling, she put her hand back on the piece, looking at her leg, she put it on a different hold. She pulled herself up, and put her left leg on another piece - a piece that was much too high when she tried to push up. It resulted in her swinging in an arch, holding on for dear life, smacking into the wall on her left side and falling promptly onto the mat.
"Try-"
"Shut your mouth or I will shove my foot in it." She got up, dusting off her pants and grabbing another piece; a different piece.
"I don't think it's the hold that's the problem, Miss Heartfilia."
She ignored him, grabbing onto it tighter and lifting herself, putting her right leg on another piece. She continued up, too busy grumbling Mard into the pits of hell to concentrate fully. It was her body that was doing the majority of the work, even though her arms felt like shabby noodles that were about to snap off.
When she snapped out of her 'Mard hating mind space', she found herself staring at the red flag. She blinked and looked down, feeling herself panic when she realised just how high up she was. "M-Mard," She gripped the piece tighter, just to stop herself shaking as much. "Mard, please get me down,"
"And how do you suggest I do that, Miss Heartfilia?"
"A net?"
"You got yourself into this, you get yourself out."
"Right," She gripped it tighter, her muscles tense. She lifted her hand, reaching for the flag, she felt the material against her fingertips, then her foot sliding off the hold. She didn't fall as far as she thought, instead her hands gripped onto a piece, slamming her body into the wall and robbing the air from her. Her body tensed, wanting to let go, but she threw away the instinct, gripping tighter to the piece.
Lucy lifted herself, pulling her leg onto another hold and stabalising herself. She waited until her breath returned, until her eyes cleared or mist, then made her way slowly down the wall.
Screw the flag.
By the time she reached the ground she turned, looking at Mard and brushing past him. He looked at her quizzically, but she went to the outer wall, taking her drink bottle and gulping generously.
"You did well," he said, still not facing her.
"Glad I surprised you."
She put the drink bottle back, and moved towards the wall one more time.
I'll get it this time.
She pressed her right foot on the piece, pushing herself up. Her foot slipped, but her left foot was already in the air. She flung forwards, her arms too weak to respond.
Her nose slammed into the wall and she fell back, clutching it, feeling tears flood her eyes.
She heard a deep rumbling chuckle, before it turned into a hearty laugh. Lucy turned to stare at Mard, her eyes so wide they almost absorbed the tears. He looked away from her, silencing himself before shaking his head and laughing again.
"Mard-" he held up a finger stopping her, she paused. When he turned, his face was composed, a stray tear running down his face.
"Yes, Miss Heartfilia?" His lips twitched, but she thought she best not mention it.
"Do I still need to get the flag?" He pressed his lips together.
"I don't think that's completely necessary at this moment." he paused, "Just-" He coughed.
Lucy eyes widened; he was lost for words.
"Just keep running."
Mira looked up to see Mard, his face bright red, his lips pressed together in a way that suggested his mouth was a vacuum. She looked him up and down, making sure he wasn't injured. She stood up, "Mard, what happened?"
He burst into laughter, letting his head tilt back and he wheezed and cackled.
Mira looked on with horror, "What the hell happened!"
"S-she- you- you should've seen it," he shook his head, running his hands through his bangs.
Mira stared at him, her mouth agape. She had seen him laugh - a chuckle here and there that proved he wasn't totally emotionally inept. But never had he laughed so openly. Not since he was a kid. By the time he had calmed down enough, and told Mira what had happened, she found herself chuckling along as well.
"She seemed so determined," he shook his head, smiling.
"You're horrible." she too, shook her head. "I haven't seen you laugh like this since the time Elfman challenged Minerva."
His lips twitched up, his mind no doubt replaying the events that earned Minerva the title Black Widow. "I honestly don't know what he expected."
"Elfman tends to train his body rather than his mind." Mira frowned, "It's not hereditary, so I don't know where he got it from."
"Most likely Gildarts."
She inclined her head, agreeing with him, "Very plausible."
"What did you and Jellal do today?" he asked, changing the subject.
She waved her hand, "I let him sleep, kid's exhausted." she sighed, "I'm surprised you haven't burnt out Lucy yet."
"She has incredible stamina," He paused, seeming to think about something.
"What?" She asked impatiently.
"Today, when she was climbing." he frowned, "I don't think she realised she was."
"What do you mean?" Mira asked slowly.
"I don't think she realised she was climbing." He paused. "I think she works only on instinct and adrenaline... Even the day she kicked me, you saw that, she didn't think about it, she just did it." he shook his head, "When she runs, she doesn't think about it, today, she didn't think about it."
"So...?"
"So I think there's two Lucy Heartfilias. The one that's eight and the one that's an assassin already."
Mira scoffed, "She's not an assassin yet."
"No, but," he breathed deeply, "She's got the inner workings of one."
Lucy stood in front of the mirror, her pajamas already on; shorts and a singlet for the summer. She twisted her body, staring at the muscled on her legs. They hadn't been there the week before. She arched her leg, bending it at the knee, watching a line form that distinguished muscle from fat and bone. She tilted her head, string at her arms, even though they were still pudgy and muscle hadn't even begun to form, Lucy could imagine them.
There were changes happening.
Lucy found she quite liked them.
Please leave a review, this chapter took literal months to finish.
I love you all for staying with this.
There will be another chapter.
Until then :)
~MyFictionalFantasy