Hello my lovely readers!
Here's chapter 12; I hope you like it!
Last Chapter
"How much information do you have?"
"Nuh-uh. My lips are sealed, sweetie. We'll talk again later. You're annoying me right now. Dismissed."
Mikino said nothing. A gentle breeze swirled through the room and in a split second, the mage had vanished.
Minerva smiled. "Time's running out, Fairies."
Lucy sat at the edge of the river, feet dangling over the side of the path. Little fish were darting about in the muddy water and she immediately thought of Happy, though she wasn't really sure why. She hadn't really seen much of the little Exceed at all, since she'd woken up. She felt sad about that for some reason, so she vowed to go fishing with him one day. She wasn't sure where she'd gotten the idea of him fishing either. But for now, she would stay away from the infirmary. She felt too claustrophobic in there; trapped.
"Well?"
Porlyusica straightened. "I'm afraid I cannot remove the poison."
"What?" Lucy clutched onto the woman's arm. "Please, you have to save them. You have to at least try!"
The healer snatched her arm away. "There is nothing to be done, girl. I cannot remove the poison."
"But can you slow it?" Erza inquired, her voice tense. Porlyusica looked at her.
"I may be able to. But the risks are high and I do not know if they will make it through. However, as we do not have the cure yet, this is our only chance."
"What is it? Spit it out," Gajeel scowled, his voice sounding rather strained. Porlyusica frowned disapprovingly at him before addressing the group.
"There is a potion that can put the patient into a deep sleep; so deep that they appear dead. It will slow the poison to some extent, so that we have enough time to find a cure."
Lucy felt a rock of pressure lift from her shoulders. But Erza showed no such relief. "I thought such a potion was a myth?"
"It has been mentioned in many legends and stories," Porlyusica nodded. "But while it may be known under different names and different forms, it is essentially the same potion. It is called 'Mortem Vivitum'. It will take me a week to brew so in the meantime," Porlyusica stared at Wendy. "It is your job to look after them and make sure the poison does not travel any further than the neck. We were lucky the poison entered the torso, not the head. Once it affects their brains, all is lost."
Lucy felt a pang of fear as she thought of her friends, unconscious in a blank white space. Were they dreaming? Wishing they could wake up? Or were they simply floating in darkness, as she had been?
She heard footsteps behind her but did nothing to greet the person. Guilt settled into her bones and in that moment, she felt as old as time itself.
"Hey."
Lucy knew that voice well. She would have followed it anywhere but at the moment, moving seemed like a rather difficult task. She felt a gentle breeze on her face that had not been there before and knew that the blue Exceed was with his partner, as usual.
She still did not turn around.
"You know…it's not your fault, Luce."
Her throat closed up involuntarily and she felt the hot sting of tears in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. Her friends, her family could die. Because of her. Again.
She stiffened slightly as a hand touched her shoulder, its warmth spreading throughout her body. She unwittingly leaned into his touch.
"Lushy…don't be sad…it's not your fault…" The blue Exceed landed in her lap and looked up to the blonde, surprised to see the unshed tears in her eyes.
"Lucy?" Natsu's voice was soft. Gentle. And it felt like home.
"Natsu…what if I'm bad?"
The hand on her shoulder tightened slightly. "What do you mean?"
"What if all…this…is happening…because I'm a bad person? Everyone told me about what happened before. The whole thing with Michelle, Phantom Lord…maybe the only reason they keep targeting me is because I'm bad too? Bad luck? Maybe I belong with them. Fairy Tail mages don't hurt their friends. And I've broken that rule."
"No." The complete conviction in his voice startled her enough to jerk her head up. "You're not bad, Lucy. You're the most…good person that I know. You could never be bad. You love your friends more than you love yourself."
She memorised the contours of his face, where cheekbones smoothed into his cheeks and the way his eyebrows curved delicately. His dark eyes were fierce, but they were always fierce. Fiercely loyal, fiercely determined, fiercely protecting. She remembered when the corners of his eyes would crinkle like autumn leaves underfoot when he smiled really wide, so wide that it felt like he could light up the world with a grin.
Lucy looked down. "But what if I turn bad? What if something goes wrong along the way and I become a horrible person? What if I fall to the other side and can't be saved?"
Natsu gently lifted her chin. Their eyes met. "Then I'd better hold onto you now."
Mikino Takara was angry.
And when Mikino Takara was pissed, she was not to be messed with.
Crack. Her spell bent the trees to encase a large rock so tightly that they snapped. But she kept bending them anyway, because she was pissed at Minerva Orlando and the tree currently had a face like Minerva Orlando.
She felt a little bad for the tree.
With a final burst of magical energy, both the trees and the rock exploded. Maybe she'd been a little too hard on the tree.
The birds twittered in the surrounding area and the lake soothed her as little waves lapped the shore.
Mikino sighed and walked across the surface of the lake. The spot was a little secret of hers, mainly because it was rarely frequented so people wouldn't stare at her like a freak. But it was nice too, and managed to soothe her despite her troubles.
She skipped a stone and watched as it bounced into the distance. She didn't see it stop.
Damn that Minerva. Mikino was starting to have suspicions. Who knew if the woman actually knew anything about Hoshime? Her sister had been gone for six years. Almost exactly six years. Her hope was wavering.
She thought about her sister for a while as she sat on the lake. Her kind smile and adoring eyes that looked up to her every time she came home with a hot meal or a stupid present. Her warm tears when Mother and Father died. Her screams as they ran, and ran, and ran. The first time she saw magic. A brilliant lilac burst of magical energy.
Mikino realised too late that she had fallen right into a trap. Again.
She felt water splash over her head and the world blacked out.
"Kino, take Shime and run! Don't look back. Take these to our safe place. We'll meet you there." Her mother pressed a cloth bag into her hands and she heard the tinkle of gold coins. A feeling of dread settled into the pit of her stomach.
"Mothe-"
"Go! There's no time!"
Mikino gave her mother one last desperate glance, a quick kiss on the check and ran like the wind, Hoshime in her arms. She felt the icy sting of the winter air and the muddy puddles splashed her ankles but she didn't stop, not until she reached the cave where she knew they would be safe.
She collapsed to the floor, clutching Hoshime like a lifeline. The little girl opened her eyes sleepily.
"Kino? Where's Mama and Papa?"
Mikino swallowed. "They'll be here soon. Just sleep a little, okay? They'll come."
Mikino waited in the cave for two days before she had to leave to find food.
The sisters waited for a week before they gave up.
"Hey!"
Mikino's eyes flew open.
Strangely, she was wet from head to toe. Confused, she looked around, to find the lake on her right and two heads obscuring her vision. Immediately, she clutched the hilt of her sword.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The pink-haired man scoffed. "Oh, it's not like we just saved your life or anything."
"Natsu!" the blonde reprimanded. Mikino felt her stomach drop. If that was the dragon slayer, then she must be…
"Lucy," the blonde smiled, sticked her hand out. "Pleased to meet you!"
Mikino ignored her hand and stood up. "Thanks for that, but I would've been okay anyway. I'll be on my way now."
"Whoa." Natsu grabbed her arm. "The least you could do is to tell us your name, weird, green-haired woman. You owe us."
Mikino's temper flared. "I don't owe you anything," she replied coldly. "I didn't ask to be saved by you. Good day."
And with that, she vanished with a gust of wind, leaving Natsu holding empty space.
"I must warn you, the journey will be perilous. Many dangers lurk on the road to Mount Gijimas."
Porlyusica's face was grave as she clutched the thick novel on the art of healing yet her expression was evenly matched by Erza's determination.
"So be it. We will not rest until our friends are safe and awake." Erza's eyes were wet but her stance remained strong and unbreakable. Lucy wished she were as strong as her friend.
"Team Natsu will go."
Everyone turned to the door of the infirmary. "Master!"
"Hey, what do you mean, they'll go? I'm going, and you aren't stoppin' me!" Gajeel growled, his eyes fierce. The Master nodded once.
"And for Mira?"
"I will."
The three who spoke simultaneously looked at each other in surprise. Lisanna and Elfman glanced curiously at Laxus. Master observed him.
"In this case…I think it may be best if Laxus goes. He is, after all, an S-Class mage with much experience and this will be an extremely dangerous mission."
The lightning dragon slayer nodded and departed. Lucy never knew what to think of him.
Master took one last look at the occupants of the infirmary, suddenly looking like he'd lived a hundred years of tragedy and heartbreak.
"Good luck, my children."
Mikino landed softly in the castle again. Right in front of Minerva.
"Ah, Mikino. Nice of you to join me. Care to tell me where you were?"
"No."
"Someone's in a grumpy mood," Minerva said, her smile amused. Mikino made sure her face was blank.
"Why did you tell me to come here, Minerva? Is it the main course already?"
Minerva laughed. "Heavens, no. That was just beverages before. It's starters now. And trust me when I say that things will start off with a bang."
So that's chapter 12! I can't tell you how much your reviews mean to me. I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who's reading my fic and an even BIGGER thank you to all those who have reviewed! I try to write the story depending on people's opinions so feel free to tell me your thoughts by sending me a PM or leaving a review!
Thanks again guys!