Chapter Thirty-Six
"Lucy…" Layla watched as her daughter finally pulled her attention away from the Dragis who was still looking at her face.
"Mama?"
"The power…it's not normal power. Not like what your father had on Earth."
"Obviously. Zodiacrians and the rest of the races can't possibly consider power to be in the same way." Lucy shrugged and Layla shook her head.
"No Lucy…I mean…" Layla took a deep breath. "You are the Celestial Mage."
"No….you said that involved a ceremony." Lucy shook her head and looked up at Natsu.
"Yes. But it's a trial first, then the ceremony."
"I didn't sign up for a trial." Lucy restated and her mother put her hands on Lucy's forearm.
"The trial is just a part of Zodiacrian livelihoods." Layla took a deep breath and looked into her daughter's eyes. "There are four challenges in the trial. One; physical decimation without cheating—a Zodiacrian must go without food for a series of time frames without cheating. Second; to lead without the desire of power—to try and ensure that there is no chance of corrupting the power. Third; to face death and welcome it—because in war a leader must be willing to make any sacrifice. Lastly; to admit one's greatest fear to themselves—because to know your fear is to stand tall in the face of all other fears."
"You've done all that." Natsu murmured and Lucy was shaking her head. "Levy told us how you went without eating longer than the other girls when the food supplies were low."
Jude and Layla shared a pained look and Lucy lowered her gaze. "Erza told Gramps how you led the girls more than she did. But they didn't realize it and you just acted like nothing was going on."
"I wasn't leading anyone. We were a group making decisions together."
"And I bet your ideas were followed more. Right?" Lucy shook her head.
"You faced death and welcomed it when you jumped off of the roof when the Draconic was on your leg. You were prepared to die and take it with you so there were less out there to hurt your friends."
"You did what?" Jude demanded and Lucy's ears burned as she blushed and glowered at Natsu.
"And in the last two years; I'm sure you've faced your greatest fear. There is no way you couldn't have."
"You have entirely too much confidence in me." Lucy took a deep breath.
"Little Star…."
"What is the ceremony?" Natsu asked and Layla straightened.
"In the light of the stars, the Celestial Mage and their protector are bathed; and then when their union is complete; the symbols of their union are cemented."
"Symbols." Natsu and Lucy whispered softly in unison.
"You've seen them?" Layla asked and Lucy was shaking her head. Natsu flushed, his scales glistening under the lights against his darkening skin.
"They're on Lucy's scalut." Natsu's hand caught her wrist and he brushed his thumb over her wrist. Lucy looked up at him.
"Where are yours Natsu?" Layla asked and his skin darkened even more.
"You have them too? Now whose keeping secrets?" Lucy asked and punched him in the shoulder. He dropped his forehead to hers and turned, his nose brushing along her hairline.
"Like you said; we were busy and had other things on our minds."
"Natsu…" She cupped his cheek. "Where are they?"
"All over my scales." He pulled her hand down and ran her hand over the scales he'd studied in the mirror. Her fingers brushed them and then she looked up at his eyes again.
"How did this happen?" She asked and looked up at him.
"I'm not sure." He murmured. He shrugged and smiled down at her. "We'll figure it out. I promise."
"Lucy…" The pair looked over at her mother. "You are the last Celestial Mage of the Zodiacrian people. You have power and responsibility."
"I don't want either." She murmured.
"Rarely do people want this when it happens without their knowledge." Jude murmured. "But it cannot be changed. You have your responsibilities. You can't shirk them."
"Damn it." Lucy muttered under her breath. Natsu chuckled.
"Lucy!" Jude and Layla scolded as Natsu continued to chuckle.
"Gramps!" Makarov turned from Laxus and watched as Natsu approached, his arm around Lucy's shoulder and her parents following behind. He tried his best not to show his surprise at the sight of both of them on the upper levels. He could see the unease in the set of Lucy's mouth but he didn't know if it was related to her parents or something else.
"Stop calling me Gramps Brat!" He shouted and Laxus rolled his eyes and cringed at the volume his grandfather was using. The rum was going down in his book as a weapon of mass destruction.
"What's the meaning of all this Blondie"
"Laxus…you are blonde too!" Lucy pointed out in annoyance. Natsu rolled his eyes and grinned. He looked at her parents who were obviously uneasy with Laxus' tone.
"He's not going to hurt her. He actually likes and respects her." He turned back to look at his leaders. "We need to talk and it's important."
"Can it wait until Gramps has gotten over drinking that confounded rum?"
"Where did he get rum?" Lucy's face scrunched up in confusion.
"Cana." Laxus bit out the name and Lucy shook her head. "I've decided to list it as a weapon of mass destruction."
"I'm sure there are plenty of human livers who agree with that." Jude muttered softly. Lucy tried not to smirk but felt her lips quirking nonetheless. She looked at Makarov and remembered why they were looking for him to speak with.
"It's important, time isn't on our side. Do you all have coffee? That helps sober up humans."
"What is coffee?" Laxus asked and Lucy sweat-dropped while shaking her head.
"We have some in the lower level; if the AI is willing to help get it so we don't have to go down there and waste time." Layla suggested and Lucy nodded and lifted her head.
"Excuse me? AI?"
"Yes Lucy?"
"Firstly; is there something we can call you? AI feels weird to say."
"I have no identification."
"That's depressing." Lucy sighed. Then she brightened. "How about Alexa?"
"Lucy…Copyright infringement?" Her father said and she looked over her shoulder at him.
"Apocalypse." She stated slowly and he nodded in agreement.
"I do not like that name." The system stated and Lucy thought for a second. "I am an interface system; a name is not required."
"I know but AI feels impersonal."
"I am not a person."
"But you're sentient. You should have a name for that alone."
"What about Alfie?" Layla suggested.
"Alfie?" Lucy asked perplexed and stared at her mother in bewilderment.
"Artificial Liaison and Friendly Interface Entity."
"I can process that." Alfie said and Lucy smiled.
"Alfie, can you bring some coffee up from my mother's quarters?"
"If she can identify where it is located on this diagram I can bring it." A diagram showed up in the air in front of Layla and Jude. Layla took a moment to consider it but then pointed it out. Within seconds the coffee was lifted from a panel that shifted open in the floor and was raised on a small table like projection. Layla picked it up and handed it to Lucy. She looked at the bag and Natsu saw the sorrow in her eyes as she opened it and sniffed.
"Smells like Sunday mornings."
"It's the last bag we had." Jude murmured and wrapped his arm tightly against Layla's waist.
"Alfie, can you manufacture a coffee grinder and something called a drip coffee set?"
"Of course. Let me study the planet's air files for the references."
"Thank you."
"Air files?"
"The internet is still floating around in the clouds." She stated and shrugged and both of her parents showed a surprised look. There was a soft whirlingsoungd and from the floor came another small table with both items. Lucy put the beans into the grinder and pressed the button. It whirled to life and she grinned as Makarov grasped his head and Laxus sneered. Natsu watched her move the fluffy reminisces of the dark beans into a piece of glass shaped like a wide-mouth funnel with fine mesh where it sat over the mouth of a decanter. She then walked to the beverage station and got a mug with water and came over and held it out to him.
"Can you heat this up?"
"How hot?"
"Boiling but not like it will explode." He nodded and focused on the mug in his hand. within seconds it was boiling and she asked him to slowly pour it over the grounded beans. He did and as the hot water hit them; the aroma was amazing. Makarov and Laxus inched closer as Lucy carefully lifted the top from the decanter. She pouted the coffee into two empty mugs and handed them over.
"Sip is slowly as it's hot." The two males tentatively sipped it and perked up.
"I guess I should have checked how caffeine will affect them." Lucy muttered to herself and Natsu titled his head.
"It's a chemical in the coffee. It's what helps a lot of humans get energy."
"This is going to be interesting." Jude muttered and Lucy nodded in agreement.
"This is a wonderful drink dear, thank you." Makarov said after some time. "Now what is it that you all needed to discuss with me?"
"Well…the short of the long of it;" Lucy took a deep breath, releasing it shakily. "I'm apparently the last Celestial Mage of the Zodiacrians."
Makarov and Laxus both spit out the coffee that they had just sipped; staring at her with their mouths open as the Station dispersed a cleaning bot to clean up the liquid off of the floor. Natsu was chuckling with unrestrained mirth as Lucy was shuffling her feet.
"Wait! Lu-chan is an alien?!"