Ok, so I've never been good at updating regularly and I'm not going to pretend I am.
Regardless of this overwhelmingly apparent fact, I'm going to try and get more chapters out faster and hopefully longer as well.
Mostly becuase it's been just under a year since I started this and I've given you guys 8 chapters.
Well, ONTO THE STORY!
Recap: 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.
-0-
Lucy stared around the training room, letting her features express the confusion she felt. She had arrived before Mard. Such an event had only occurred once before, but the stoic male had been filling their drink bottles, so Lucy couldn't really count it as him being late.
He's slacking a bit… she thought with a barely contained smirk.
Lucy shrugged her shoulders, moving towards the wall with all the holds. Mira had explained kindly – and without prejudice – that it was a rock-climbing wall; news to Lucy considering she hadn't known such a thing could exist. Why would anyone want to climb walls?
She hadn't tried to capture the flag since the last and first time the attempt had been made. But now the red flag sat still, mocking her. Not that she would admit it, but Lucy hadn't pursued the material merely because she couldn't accept the shame that came with failing. In her mind; as long as she kept running around that track, then no one would notice that she hadn't succeeded.
If she kept people distracted they wouldn't see her flaws – even if her flaw was simply a red piece of fabric; higher than she could reach.
In the back of her mind, Lucy knew Mard had kept the flag there for only one reason. Simply because he knew it would be her drive – because he had faith that she would someday reach it. It didn't matter how many weeks had passed since then, Lucy deducted, he still wanted her to get the flag.
That was still her objective.
But, like any adaptive tutor, Mard had quickly moved passed climbing, instead he had been teaching her the ways melee fighting. She didn't enjoy it as much as running – but she hadn't enjoyed running anywhere near as much when she first started. She had been using the manikins Mira had fought with on the first day.
It was more difficult than running – for obvious reasons – mostly because Lucy had to remember all the names, the corresponding action and had no idea which of the attacks Mard was going to call.
"Killing isn't about your strength or speed, but your mentality. If you cannot plan your attacks or do not have the mental capacity to execute them, then you will fail. More importantly, you must have the live with what you've done after. If you do not have that frame of mind, Miss. Heartfilia, then you will not succeed."
More importantly than his speech, Lucy remembered his eyes, how they had been darkened with determination that made him vaguely terrifying – because he was setting out to do something. In his eyes, Lucy could see what he thought of her. She wasn't an investment or an experiment anymore, she was his disciple, someone he took seriously.
Someone he respected.
This is serious now, her eyes honed in on the red flag, this is something he trusts me to do, something he believes I can do. Lucy closed her eyes breathing deeply.
This was something she had to do.
For the first time in her life, Lucy truly felt someone believed in her.
Mard wouldn't say that he was confused, because he felt more surprised than anything. His meeting with Zeref had gone over time, yet the dark male still hadn't given any insight on the theory circulating in Mard's brain. Not that he was foolish enough to question his superior so out right.
The affair had seemed everlasting. Mard had had to report on the progress on his and Mira's students, while trying to make running and punching sound more important than it truly was. It was a strange awakening in Mard's eyes. He had been slacking, he realised with no small amount of conviction. He could see the potential in Lucy, he had spoken about it openly several times, and yet he had been babying her.
He marched into the hallway that held his disciple's quarters, barging through the door without knocking, readying himself to speak. Frowning, Mard closed his mouth, staring at the already made bed indignantly. Stepping back rather stiffly, Mard instead opened Jellal's door, the blue-haired rascal no doubt distracting Lucy from her training.
But Lucy was not there.
Mard stood in the middle of the hallway, pondering. Then, with lighter footsteps, he moved swiftly toward the training room – unknowingly, this would be the source of his abundant surprise.
When he opened the door, he spied the two water bottles already in place, his paired with a napkin that was folded diagonally once – just how he had been doing for the last 15 years.
Looking around the room, Mard watched Lucy's form, looking at all the things wrong with it; also noting the instinctual things she knew all by herself. He had much to teach, and likewise, Lucy had much to learn. He was not surprised when she threw in a right hook among a sea of uppercuts, what – dare he say it – baffled him, was when in the midst of punches she pivoted on her left foot and stuck the dummy with the top of her right foot.
He had not taught her that.
She continued with her attacks and Mard took the opportunity to exit the room, breathing deeply through his nose. There was only one other person that could have taught her that. He moved back the way he came, sauntering through the hallway and past Lucy's room, then Jellal's; where the young boy relaxed on his day of 'resting'. A complete waste of a day in Mard's opinion. He continued marching to the end of the hallway, past the countless other rooms holding other students and into the room at the very end.
He pushed the door open harshly, making it crash against the wall.
Mira jumped, her eyes shooting up from her paper, staring at him incredulously, speaking cautiously as she saw the fire in his eyes flicker. "Mard?" She questioned apprehensively.
"Follow me."
Without waiting for her reply, Mard marched back down the hall, back past Jellal's room then Lucy's, until he opened the door that housed the workers and faced the door Lucy was training behind. He heard Mirajane trying to keep up with his long strides.
He turned quickly, making Mira jump back. "How much did you teach her?"
Mira raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?" she scoffed.
Mard spoke again, drawing his words out as though he was talking to a child. "How much did you teach Lucy?"
After giving Mard a pointed look, Mira let out an obnoxious laugh, "I haven't spoken to Lucy in three days. Maybe if you didn't work her to exhaustion everyday than I would have the chance to teach her something."
Mard stared at her hard. "Me teaching my student shouldn't be any of your concern, but if we're reverting back to the old ways of knit-picking," He sneered the word. "Then maybe we should address your complete lack of discipline when it comes to your student, Mirajane."
Mard could see the rage bubbling in her eyes, how familiar it had been once upon a time.
Mira took a deep breath, closing her eyes and focusing solely on the things around her, trying to ignore Mard before they both did something stupid. "Back to the original topic of discussion," She ignored the flare of pride in his eyes. "If you would be so kind as to elaborate."
"She can kick." He spoke slowly, not to mock her, but to make sure she was comprehending his words. "I did not teach her that,"
Mira sighed pinching her nose. "What do you mean she can kick, everyone can kick, it's not hard, you buffoon."
"Yes, I am aware Mirajane, but she kicks like you."
Mira moved to her right about fifteen paces, staring through the glass as Lucy sent her foot out, crashing it into the manikin's ribs. Mard joined her right as Lucy punched the dummy, he could see the force move into the dummy and then back into her wrist, up her arm and into her shoulder.
"To answer your question, Mard, no I did not teach her that."
Sighing, Mard moved and walked through the doors. "Miss. Heartfilia," He called.
The smacking of her flesh against the plastic of the manikin stopped. "Mard!" her voice was unusually chipper. "So nice of you to finally arrive, although your tardiness is completely unacceptable." Her voice had lowered intentionally.
"I do not take kindly to being mocked, Miss. Heartfilia."
Lucy took a sip of her water, shrugging, "I think you're mature enough to get over it." She heard Mira giggle, and she let herself feel a little proud.
"Well I'll be going now." Her eyes moved to Mard, and Lucy almost squealed at the small smile she wore. "I think it's time I heed your advice, Mard."
Whatever they were talking about, Lucy didn't know. When Mard narrowed his eyes playfully and muttered an even more playful, "About time." Lucy had to disguise her smirk by turning and moving towards the dummy.
When Mira left, Mard turned to her, only to see the devil's smile on her face. "Yes?"
Lucy's grin seemed to widen, "You like Miss. Mirajane, don't you~?"
Mard glared at Lucy, "Start kicking or I will."
When Lucy's arms were well and truly dead, and her mind so drained that she had to stop, Mard still seemed against her stopping. She was laying on the ground, her chest rising and falling quickly as she panted her way to recovery.
"Your last task for the day, Miss. Heartfilia," he looked down at her. "Get the flag."
Lucy laughed, her mouth splitting into a grin that hurt her aching muscles. "I already did."
Mard's eyes narrowed and then he looked over to the wall, his eyes skimming up and up until they landed on the empty flag pole. When he finally saw what wasn't there, Mard's eyes expanded, opening wide enough that Lucy briefly thought he looked like a frog. Or maybe a toad – he was an ugly thing after all.
Then she was laughing because she had pictured it. A toad with bug eyes and stupid long hair and bangs.
Lucy curled on her side, her laughter more like shrieks and Mard stared at her for an unbearably long ten seconds before letting out a smile. "I'm impressed, Lucy."
Lucy's laughter stopped abruptly, and she was too busy wondering if she was more shocked by the fact that he could smile, or more shocked at the fact that he called her Lucy. Before she could really come to much of a conclusion, Mard had turned and began walking away.
He paused before he opened the door.
"It seems as though I have been babying you, Miss. Heartfilia,"
Lucy sighed, I guess we're back to Miss. Heartfilia. Makes me feel like a widow.
"It is time I start taking you more seriously, I think it is detrimental to be teaching you the basics when you are capable of more difficult things." He continued walking, "As of tomorrow, I will not be as lenient."
Lucy stared after him, her mouth hanging open. Lucy thought of all the ruthless things he had done already; from shooting her in the back with a BB gun on the first day to pouring ice water on her while she slept. If kicking and punching for eight hours without a break or climbing a wall in under a minute was 'babying'… Lucy felt the dread in her stomach.
She didn't want to know what 'adulting' was.
And Lucy ships Mard and Mira as much as I do, so that's always good. The next chapter will probably be a time skip, but don't worry, it won't be one of those "5 Years Later" kind of things.
I can't say when I'll get it out, but I'm hoping it's faster than I got this one out xD
Well, leave a review, they keep the fingers typing (even if its is reallllly slow typing)
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Until next time :)
~MyFictionalFantasy