Chapter Twenty-six

I stayed with my face on the table for a fair while, not bothering to care about the whispers I hear about me having a breakdown. I hear shifting at the table, figuring it to be someone from my team, I don't bother to look up. Until I hear a haughty snort that only one person could have.

I bring my face up to meet the annoyed face of Evergreen, "Well?"

I sit up fully, looking around to see what she could mean, but the only thing of importance was Bixlow getting his chest healed by Wendy. I guess that means I really did some damage. I look back to Evergreen's scowl, "Well, what?"

"Are you going to tell me what's going on in that brain of yours or what? I mean, seriously, Laxus, as much as he is trying to hide it, has a whole rainbow of emotions crossing his face, including his eyes watering like he's about to cry."

I giggle a little, "Take a picture for me, you never know, it might come in handy."

Evergreen's scowl melted as her face gained a small smirk and leaned in towards me, "It's okay, Lucy. I know you just want it for yourself. No need to hide it."

"What!?" I hear myself shriek. I look around the guild, hoping I haven't attracted the attention of a certain matchmaker, or a lightning magic user. Not seeing Mira, and noticing that the dragon slayers within a ten-foot radius had been deafened, I let out a small sigh of relief.

"Really?" I begin whispering harshly, leaning towards her over the table, "That's what you want to talk about right now. I already told you earlier, I don't want to chance it."

"Don't want to chance what, Luce?" I turn at the sound of Natsu's voice and see my team, along with Bixlow and Wendy, sitting close by. Really close.

"How long have you guys been sitting there?" I try to ask non-suspiciously.

"We got here just now, what don't you want to chance?" Of course Erza wouldn't allow a topic change.

"It's nothing important."

"I'm betting it's what I heard earlier at the house." Dammit, Bixlow.

Gray turned to Bixlow, "What did you hear?" Don't say a word.

"They were talking about how Cosplayer here has a little cr-"

"Oh, look, Master's coming out of the office!" I practically shout to get the attention away from Bixlow's next words. I saw the confused looks of my team, and the smirk from Evergreen, when I shot an icy glare at Bixlow.

I was lucky enough to actually have had Master Makarov coming out of his office during those moments, and so my diversion worked, considering everyone looked to him on the second floor. "Listen, brats." I really wonder why, when he talks to all of us, he calls us brats. "The council now knows of our situation and has decided to let Levy into the library, however she can only bring one person in with her. All three will still be going, two will just have to wait outside the library. I leave the choice up to you, Levy." I see the heated glares that Jet and Droy send Gajeel, and the annoyed look, that somehow paired with the cocky smirk, Gajeel sends back. I look to Levy and see the exasperated look she has on her face.

"As for Lucy," My attention was immediately called back to the Master. "the council has deemed my previous decision unfit, therefore they have called for you and any companions to go to headquarters." The Master's voice begins to sound bitter, "They figure they can protect you better than your own guild." To say the guild was outraged was the understatement of the century. I heard bursts of 'who the hell do they think they are's and 'we just got back our rank as number one guild of Fiore's, but mostly 'nobody can protect her better than we can's.

Master hopped down from the second floor to the bar, "It can be refused," the guild shared their agreements, but stopped at the Master's next words, "however, we won't be permitted to use the council library." The guild mumbles were along the lines of 'how important is it?' and 'we need that information.' Dammit, I really don't want to go to the headquarters, but I want to know more about the people who were after my mother, the people who could come after me and the rest of the guild.

"I'll go." I state loud enough to be heard over the guild. The guild quieted at my words and looked to me.

"No, Luce, you shouldn't have to." Gray shakes his head slightly as he speaks to me.

"We need the information." I counter. "If the people who were after my mother are still around we need to know everything we can about them. That won't happen if I stay here." I take a deep breath, "Besides, it's not like I'll be going alone. The Master said 'any companions'. Did they say there was a limit, Master?"

"You and Laxus were mandatory, there will also be Gajeel and Team Shadowgear. Other than that they probably won't tolerate more than three, maybe four others."

"Well that's enough for our team." Natsu shouts excitedly. From behind me I hear Laxus snort.

"I won't be going without my team, Flamebrain. Besides, the council doesn't like you much."

"And I want Wendy, just in case something happens." I add quickly before Natsu can retort.

"If Wendy goes, then I'm going to." Charle says from her place beside Wendy.

"I would also like to go to accompany Gajeel." Pantherlily said in his polite, almost noble, way of speaking.

"That makes four other people and two cats. No one else can go, Natsu."

"We don't even get a say!?" Natsu yelled, looking from Laxus to Master. "We, Lucy's friends who have been with Lucy since the beginning, don't even get a chance!" Master sighed and closed his eyes in annoyance.

"Enough, Natsu. If Lucy goes, Laxus has no choice but to go, therefore it should be his decision who goes along. If it's his team, who also get along quite well with Lucy, then so be it." Master sighed again and reopened his eyes, "Anyways, Natsu, you have a new addition to your team, and since Lucy made a good point about bringing Wendy, that would make five people and three cats. You'd just be sent back. There's no point in arguing about the matter any further."

Natsu opened his mouth to say something else, but the Master was right, there was nothing Natsu could say to change Master's mind.

Hey, so in the reviews I got asked a couple things. One was how often I update, and I try to update every two weeks. Keyword: try. It doesn't always happen every two weeks, but I will post something at least once a month, even if it's short. A little off topic, I have the next few chapters written because I had my inspiration and writing mojo flowing, but then I started reading a BixLu story and all my LaLu thoughts just went right out the window, so even if I don't write anything over the next bit, you will still have at least two chapters.

Another was what inspired the assassins. To be honest, I just felt like this story wasn't really going anywhere, and since it's never been said, to my knowledge, that there was anyone able to use both caster and holder magic, I though 'hey, why not make it something that Layla could do' and it sort of escalated into people wanting to capture and use her for her magic and her going into hiding and all that kind of stuff. And chances are that if anyone were to find out about this ability and the possibilities of its use, they would go after Lucy as well. If you mean why was Layla in an assassins guild, she was trying to throw the people hunting her off her trail, and what better way than going into every kind of guild imaginable.

Anyways that's all I have to say, so leave some reviews for any reason. If you have a question that will be answered in the story, I probably won't answer it in the little notes at the end, so don't feel too bad. Have a happy Halloween, too, and I'll be back soon, my muses.