Another one where I didn't even realize that it's been a year since I first posted it. Wow. Time flies.
Will get to the broship with Gildarts soon, I promise.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
With a great deal of awkwardness, Lyon had returned to where his guild mates were standing. The ship would be docking soon, and although he would have liked to help Titania further, he had the feeling that she would reject any more offers. Her team owned the duty of getting her home safely, not the man that had put her in this condition in the first place.
Thankfully, it didn't appear as if Erza herself blamed him. None of her words had rung with falseness, nor had she spoken platitudes to ease his conscience.
Gray's attitude, though… That was really starting to rub him the wrong way. He was being childish in the extreme. It was clear even to Lyon – who did not know Erza well by any means! – that the rejection stung. Really, it wasn't up to Gray to throw a fit here. The only one who reserved the right was the woman that had just lost her arm.
Lyon's relationship with Gray had undoubtedly soured further, despite his reassurances to Erza. It would take time for Gray to come to his senses, and even longer to apologize. He knew that one from personal experience – both his own issues on the subject, and from their childhood training together.
The Trimens had not reacted well, either. Despite Erza's begging for Lyon to remove her arm, they had insisted that they try to recover Wendy first. But Lyon had had the sword, and Erza's confidence. Their glares had dogged him ever since the mission's end. Accusing. Cold as ice.
Just like Gray's.
A heavy hand rested on his shoulder, and Lyon broke his lingering gaze from the requip mage, looking up into the concerned eyes of his guild mate.
Jura smiled at him once he had Lyon's undivided attention. "I see you're still worried over Erza."
Mouth tightening, Lyon looked away.
With a light, rumbling chuckle, Jura continued, "I understand that you feel responsible for what happened. I can't say that I would feel any differently than you, had I been in your position. However." He paused for a moment, his smile softening when Lyon looked at him again, expectantly. "While it's good to be concerned about your friends' wellbeing, you shouldn't beat yourself up over it, either. It was a terrible choice, with no right answer. And for better or worse, it will have to be lived with. But I truly believe that the both of you will come out better people for it. Though it will be difficult, it will be nothing compared to the fortitude and resolve that you and Erza displayed in making that choice in the first place." Patting Lyon's shoulder twice, Jura then dropped his arm. "So please, have a little faith in yourself, and in her ability to get through this. After all…" Jura glanced over at Erza, currently being fussed over by Wendy. "Neither of you are alone in this."
Lyon nodded, slowly. "I will… I will keep that in mind."
Satisfied with Lyon's response, Jura nodded as well. "That's all I can ask for." He then left to join Sherry, checking in with her as well.
The ice mage mulled over Jura's words, turning them over and over again in his head. Jura's words of advice were objectively sound, just the right sort of thing to say to someone in Lyon's position. Yet something about them rang hollow all the same. Lyon was far from beating himself up over it, as Jura had so succinctly put. He was more afraid that he wasn't being harsh enough on himself about it.
To be truthful, Lyon wasn't sure everything had quite sunken in, yet. He kept expecting it to, as if it were a weight held suspended over his head, waiting for gravity to send it crashing down into him. But it didn't. And the more time passed, the more Lyon was beginning to think that it wasn't going to anytime soon. If it ever did.
What'd he done just… was. No more, no less.
He kept an eye on her anyway.
Erza had meant every word that she'd said to Lyon. Yet the reality was that the solution was far more elusive than she had made it seem. It was easy to say that she had options, but she had no idea how to go about exercising said options. Making a living as a mage was dangerous, and as an S-Class mage, even more so. Serious and even permanent injury was an ever-present possibility, as was death.
She had just… never considered that it would happen to her. Dying in battle had always seemed the more likely option.
But now it had. With the pulsing pain as a constant reminder of her decision. In hindsight she should have asked Ichiya for more of his painkiller parfume, no matter how the short man made her skin crawl.
Maybe she should go to the hospital, or seek out Porlyusica? The woman had made her prosthetic eye, so she was at least familiar with prosthesis. Then, after brief consideration, she concluded that of the two, the hospital would probably be better equipped to deal with this sort of injury. And safer – Erza was so exhausted from battle and the pain that she wasn't sure she was up to facing the guild healer's crotchety brand of care. They would likely be able to get her fitted for a prosthetic, or at least point her in the right direction.
It was settled, then. As soon as they returned to Magnolia, she would visit the hospital.
…Okay, maybe not first thing. She still had to deliver her report to the Master, after all. Her arm could wait.
Wendy tiptoed over to her, her nervousness readily apparent in the trembling of her small limbs. "Um… Erza?" she meekly addressed the older mage. "How… how is your arm feeling?"
"As well as to be expected," Erza responded honestly.
"Does it… how bad does it hurt? Do you need healing? Or, if you like, I can come with you to see a doctor? I want to be able to help in any way I can. I mean… if I had been there, you wouldn't have had to… I mean…" The girl sniffed hard, her lip trembling and her eyes watering, but doing an admirable job of not dissolving into full-on tears.
Erza smiled at Wendy's earnestness. With her left arm, she reached out and lightly ruffled Wendy's hair. "It hurts, but the pain isn't as bad as the poison was. Thank you for your concern." She lifted her hand, and laughed quietly at Wendy as she raised her own hands to her mussed hair to assess the damage. "I don't think I need any more healing at the moment. But if you want to come with me to the hospital after the guild, then I don't see why not. I'm sure it'll be valuable learning experience."
"Thank you!" Wendy bowed deeply. A moment later, she straightened up. "Would it be alright if I sit with you until we get there?"
Erza gestured to the seat beside her. "Be my guest."
Once she was settled, Wendy gazed up at Erza with adoration and curiosity. "Can you tell me more about Fairy Tail?"
"Certainly. What would you like to know?"
As Wendy launched into a barrage of questions, Erza couldn't help but think that – despite all she had lost on this mission – she may have gained just as much. New friends, and…
Sparing a glance to Lyon, she caught his gaze and flashed him a reassuring smile, to which he nodded in return.
Someone she could count on in rough times.