Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Mashima Hiro-sensei. I do not own the characters, except for my OC.
Author's Note: For some of you who might get confused, narration is written like this. Thoughts are italicized and "italicized dialogues are dialogues from the past".
Whispers of the Heart
Chapter 5: The book she left behind
…
"Lauryn."
It has been too long since he uttered that name.
The old man observed the dumbfounded look on his brats. Of course, he expected this. Judging from the majority's confused faces, no one in this generation had ever heard of her existence until now. The only ones different were Macao and Wakaba, who were sending cryptic glances at each other.
"So we have to beat up Laxus' mom so he can turn back to normal?" Natsu growled, his voice dropping dangerously. The veins in his fists were protruding as he clenched them hard. Soon flames spewed from his arms as well as his mouth. "I'M ALL FIRED UP! WHERE IS SHE?! IS SHE IN RAVEN TAIL?!" He yelled angrily, his onyx eyes hungry to avenge his friend. He went on to storm out of the hall ready for an all-out-fight, refusing to listen to his guildmates' protests. At that, they had no other choice but to pin him to the ground, but in response, the pinkette's anger only grew in irritation, breaking a couple of tables and chairs strewn around them. Luckily for everyone, Lucy managed to calm him down.
"Where do you think you're going?! Raven Tail had already disbanded!" The celestial mage scolded her teammate as she dragged him by the scarf. She was relieved that Flare unexpectedly appeared at the guild's bathhouse before, bearing the news of her own guild disbanding after they cheated at the Grand Magic Games two years ago.
Natsu stopped jerking away from her hold for a moment, about to argue that he'd find another way to hunt down this 'Lauryn' person. Maybe by sniffing out information from dark guilds. Or Ivan.
That bastard would know, right?
"You won't find her anywhere," said Makarov somberly, prompting the fire dragon slayer to ask. "What do ya mean by that, gramps?!"
"…"
Their Master didn't reply as fast as Natsu and the others liked. Instead, he just averted their questioning looks. That's when it dawned to everyone, Macao and Wakaba aside, that this person might be...
"Lauryn…She is already gone. Many years ago in fact." Makarov breathed out. In all of his time spent in this world, her daughter-in-law's passing was one of the painful memories he deeply mourned for. His old heart still throbbed achingly whenever it was brought up.
"She's…dead?" asked Natsu slowly, making sure he heard it right. The strained look Makarov sent to his direction made him flinch.
"…Even if she's still alive, she would rather dig her own grave than join Ivan, or any dark guild for that matter."
With that, everyone went still as a rock, unsure of what to react. All of them fell into a complete silence, particularly Natsu, turning his head away in shame for quickly assuming Laxus' mother might had been just as evil as Ivan. Makarov couldn't blame him though. They never got to know the woman, and what happened back then was left unspoken for a reason.
The titan mage heaved a sigh and casted a glance on Natsu. "No need to be glum. It's all in the past and we couldn't change that." He diverted the topic by turning to Mira. "By any chance, did Laxus manage to touch this book?"
The demon mage nodded slightly. "He did. A bright white light flashed from it right after he opened it. The next thing I recall, I woke up on the floor and Laxus disappeared."
"I see. That most likely activated the enchantment." Makarov quickly skimmed through the book, noting the difference in Lauryn's handwriting compared to Laxus'. He saw the lacrima sketches and what seemed to be illustrations of mechanical parts. Hmm, so this must have been one of Lauryn's drafts, he mused. Why did Laxus have this kind of book?
Nearing the last pages, his eyes then landed on those little square blocks which were inked pitch-black. Just by looking at it, he could tell that something was off with those marks. He was certain little Laxus didn't do anything else aside from scribbling on the pages. Was it Lauryn perhaps? Or did someone else tampered on this book?
What were those marks hiding?
"…"
"I don't get it gramps." Gray said, earning the old man's attention. "If the caster is gone as you said, how do we turn Laxus back to normal?"
Makarov had no answer to that. He tried to think for a possible solution but his mind couldn't come up with a single one. That's due to the fact that it was Lauryn who's behind this spell. Knowing her level of skill, this is going to be more difficult than I thought.
"I'm afraid to say this is beyond my knowledge." Makarov admitted. Worry etched its way on everyone's guts as they stared down at the floor feeling helpless about the situation. How were they going to free Laxus out of this bizarre spell? What were they supposed to do now?
"However…" The old man added, looking up to meet his guild members' hopeful eyes. "The answers might be written here." He tapped the cover with his fingers. "For us to know the nature of the enchantment, we need a translation of this book."
"…A translation?"
"Why would we need a translation, Master? I thought you said that book was Laxus'?" asked Lisanna, confused as the others. "Unless…" her voice trailed off, "…he knows another language?"
"Oh. He does."
Everyone got surprised at this revelation, especially Mira. After all the time they spent together in the library, Laxus knew how to read that book? Well of course, he owns it, she argued back to herself. But why is that book written in eastern language in the first place?
As if hearing her thoughts, Macao explained, "That's because Lauryn came from an eastern country before settling here in Magnolia. I vaguely remember them talking to each other in the eastern language."
"E-Eastern language?!" Lucy exclaimed, quite astounded. Since the peace treaty of the Second Trade War was signed a century ago, Fiore and its neighboring countries use western language as the standard language. It was a way of promoting trust between the allegiances. Right now, the only country practicing the orient script was the Pergrande Kingdom, the farthest eastern country in Ishgar.
"I can't believe it…" The celestial mage said in awe. "It's difficult to find a person who knew how to read and speak in eastern language. Mama used to hire scholars from outside the country so she could read her rare collection of eastern books!"
"Hold on just a sec, are you saying that Laxus' mom ain't from this town? How did she ended up here in the first place?" Natsu asked, curious about the mystery woman's origin.
"That's another story to tell for another time." Makarov however knew that the dragon slayer wouldn't stop bugging him. Might as well indulge his curiosity. "Lauryn left her hometown and traveled all the way here so she could join the guild."
"Woah, Fairy Tail was already famous back then…" Happy commented, slightly amazed.
"Wait, so this 'Lauryn' we're talkin' about was also a Fairy Tail wizard?" Natsu was shocked. "How come we never heard of her before?"
Makarov went rigid. Everyone noticed how the fast the titan mage's gears shifted at the sudden question. His expression became unreadable at the moment.
"Lauryn nee-chan was a member of Fairy Tail before ole' me and Macao arrived here." Wakaba informed them in Makarov's stead. After briefly exhaling from his tobacco pipe, he continued, "She passed away before any of you could meet her."
"That's right." Macao immediately said, giving a quick sideway glance to his long-time friend before resuming his attention at the younger mages. "It wouldn't really matter now if you're aware of her or not. I think what's more important is how to get Laxus out of this situation, isn't it?"
The whole guild silently agreed to that while Natsu only crossed his arms and decided not to ask too much for now.
The problem still remained though. How do they decipher what was written in that book?
"Um…" Juvia raised her hand, gathering the attention on her. "Juvia suggests we ask Levy-san for help."
Everyone's eyes suddenly lit up at the idea. If there's anyone who could be a big help, it was Levy with her vast knowledge in all kinds of languages. Moreover, they've seen how she helped the guild before with this kind of trouble. She might be the only one who could translate the cursed book. How come they hadn't thought of her from the get-go?
"Great thinking, Juvia!" Gray exclaimed, patting the water mage's shoulder in praise. Juvia squeaked, all her seriousness gone the moment she felt his cold touch. She blushed furiously, mumbling incoherent words. Gray and the others sweat dropped how her demeanor changed in an instant.
"But Levy is in a mission with Gajeel and Team Shadowgear, right?" asked Cana. "If this is a race against time, we need to get moving and drag them back here."
"I hope that isn't the case," expressed Makarov. "I believe they're currently on an escort mission, am I correct, Mirajane?"
Mira nodded. "They were requested to escort a guest of the Royal Family. Apparently this person has ties with the Magic Council and had personally asked for Levy and Gajeel. Jet and Droy came along with them." She paused, leaving the crowd to retrieve the record book lying inside the bar's cabinet drawer. The white-haired woman continued, "The job is supposed to end in a week."
"Hmm…" Makarov hummed in thought. "I suppose the client will understand that three is enough to guard him for the remaining couple of days."
"How should we contact them, Master?" Mira questioned. "I'm not sure if they kept a communication lacrima with them."
"We'll wait for him."
"Wait for who?" asked Happy.
In a blink of an eye, a dark-haired man appeared out of thin air, startling the crowd. With him, a magic wheelchair was placed on the floor.
"I'm back, Master." Mest greeted. "Please try not to break it this time." He was pointing at the brand new wheelchair. Makarov used his arms to propel himself, jumping from the bar countertop onto his wheelchair. After getting comfortable in his seat, he eyed the man who seemed to be perplexed at the current mood of the guild. "Did something happen?" The teleporting mage muttered. Ah, that's right... He remembered the ruckus caused by the blond-haired kid from earlier. But that kid's nowhere to be found now. What happened to him?
Makarov then cleared his throat. "Mest, there is something important I want you to do." Mest quirked his brow at the sudden request. "But before you ask, you should know what happened here earlier. I'm gonna go up to my office for a bit and look for my stamp. Mira, kindly orient Mest about the situation."
And so Mira told him what happened, the shortest explanation of it. As everyone expected, Mest was in shock. Laxus was that kid?! And he was brought here from the past by a book written by his mother? It looked like he missed a lot in his short trip to get a wheelchair for Makarov.
A few minutes passed, the old man returned to the first floor, holding enveloped letters sealed in wax, each bearing the stamp of Fairy Tail on it. He gave them to Mest and instructed, "I want you to deliver these to Levy, the King and the client himself in Crocus. We need Levy back here as soon as possible. How many days do you think you can return with her?"
"About two days at least."
"If that's not too much to ask of you…"
"I understand." Mest gave him an affirming nod. "I'm on it." In a second, he was gone. Makarov silently thanked the man.
"So what do we do now?" Natsu asked, to which Makarov exhaled deeply.
"We wait."
…
…
An hour and a half later, Porlyusica exited the infirmary and went downstairs to meet the waiting crowd.
"How is he?!" Natsu and Makarov loudly asked at the same time. The others rose up from their seats as well, moving closer to Porlyusica.
The healer closed her eyes and harrumphed before replying. "I see you've revealed who he is. Laxus is out of danger." For now, at least, she wanted to add, however that was only meant for the child's lone relative to hear. Porlyusica turned on her heel and walked back to the infirmary room, not caring the least how the others demanded to know more about Laxus' condition.
"Makarov." She called him out without looking back, signaling that they need to speak in private. Makarov understood immediately and infused a portion of his magic onto his wheelchair, trailing behind the healer. Once they were inside, he summoned a silencing spell and placed it on the door, so that no prying ears would hear what they needed to talk about.
He wheeled towards the sole occupant of the bed nearest to the window.
There he was, little Laxus, resting peacefully. On the table side was a small lacrima crystal that glowed bright green, illuminating his body in its healing light.
It still felt surreal to Makarov. Seeing him like this reminded him of many things from the past.
…
Things he wished for the longest time not to happen again.
"Laxus…"
Makarov squeezed the child's small hand hard, as if to distract himself from his wandering thoughts. Brushing his blond locks up, his fingers slightly peeled off the patch of gauze latched on his temple, inspecting the head wound from earlier. He was relieved to see that it wasn't too deep nor it would leave a nasty scar. Placing the gauze back, he rested his hand again on Laxus' and kept quiet afterwards.
"I've put him under a sleeping spell. He won't wake up for at least two days to hasten the healing." Porlyusica informed him.
Makarov thanked her, his soft gaze never leaving the child's sleeping face.
"He already has that lacrima." Porlyusica bluntly put out.
"I figured." The titan mage curtly replied.
The old woman looked over to her friend before placing her palm on the child's chest.
"It's at the first stage, Makarov."
"I see." It was then that Makarov's expression hardened. "Then this is going to be a problem."
"Problem is an understatement." The healer retorted, her brows furrowing. "Now, explain how this happened."
He handed her the book. Porlyusica studied the cover before opening it. On the first page, she saw the familiar name pressed on the bottom.
"Lauryn, huh?" Her fingers brushed against the cryptic text, sensing the said mage's magic in each of those letters. This is definitely her. She let out a scoff. "Even in death, she's still as bothersome."
"Porlyusica…" Makarov began.
"You know well enough that even I cannot undo this level of enchantment. No one aside from her knew how to." After flipping through the pages, she gave back the book to her old friend.
"I'm well aware of that. I'm just…this is confusing me." The titan mage paused for a short while.
"Why would she do this?" He asked, pleading for answer as he looked up to his former teammate. Needless to say, Porlyusica was equally lost as him.
"Who knows? We'll have to find out. And quickly." Her sharp eyes then trained on Laxus' prone form. "Before things get out of hand for this boy."
Makarov clenched his jaw.
"I've done what I can for now. He's not allowed to get stressed out. The new surrounding must have been the reason for the flare-up."
Flare-up, huh?
Makarov rubbed the back of his grandson's hand with his thumb, worried that he had regained that kind of condition again from his childhood. It was always dangerous, whenever Laxus had those attacks. Makarov witnessed it happen many times and each time he hadn't gotten used to it.
Even earlier, when he was still in his original adult body, Makarov knew he was suffering from the after-effects of a flare-up. From a short distance away, he felt Laxus' magic reserves running dry. That, his irritable behavior, and the story how Merchant Square was destroyed added to his speculation. He had a slip-up of his control. That reckless brat.
Greeting him back in one piece from that S-class quest and his accident at Crocus lessened his concern. He chose not to pay it much attention, believing that the man was already capable enough of handling himself, unlike when he was still a sickly kid.
But right now…If Laxus had another attack again, he will surely—
"Makarov…" The healer's call drew him from his thoughts. "There's also something else you need to see."
Porlyusica bent towards the boy and without much grace, rolled his body over. She pulled up the top scrub Laxus was wearing. Makarov looked in and almost stood up from his wheelchair at the horrific sight.
"H-How did that…!"
On the blond child's back were scars. Red, angry scars that resembled claw marks.
And they were all looking fresh.
"H-How…" Makarov couldn't even finish his sentence and just blanched at the sight. His hand shakily reached out, brushing his fingers along those scars. "I-I've never seen these before…"
Porlyusica frowned warily. This boy is certainly the same as himself from the past. Whether that was a good thing or not, she didn't know. Seeing Makarov became a stuttering mess however confirmed how far the foolish brat would go for him.
"When did this happen?!" Makarov exclaimed in disbelief, racking up his mind for signs years ago. He tried to remember as hard as he can, but he couldn't recall a single memory where Laxus had gotten these injuries at this age. He turned his head to Porlyusica then back to the sleeping child.
"I-I made sure to visit him when he wasn't at the guild and…H-How could I possibly miss this?!" The thought that his grandson might had kept this a secret from him all these years, not being able to help him…or at least be there to hear his troubles.
He was at loss for words.
"There's one more." The healer straightforwardly said. "At the back of his head."
The old man's eyes couldn't get any wider. He hurriedly moved closer to touch the boy's head. A few seconds… and then he felt it. It was like a cut of some sort, expertly hidden among his golden hair.
"Rest assured it isn't another lacrima." Porlyusica quickly added, hoping it would quell Makarov's growing anger. Her words fell on deaf ears though as Makarov gritted his teeth hard in pure rage, realizing there could only be one person who could have done this atrocity.
One person who had the gall to cut and tear up his own son like a cheap piece of meat.
…
"Ivan."
...
…
"How is he, gramps?!" Natsu yelled to Makarov's face. "Why'd you left us out here, huh?!" He and the others were all standing on the other side of the infirmary door, waiting for the two to leave the room. Porlyusica scowled at this sudden intrusion and harshly pushed herself out of the crowd, muttering how awful humans were with personal space.
"Well?" Gray followed. "Aren't you gonna tell us, gramps?"
Makarov hesitated for a second. "He's fine now." The words came out forced. He could tell that these knuckleheads surrounding him looked unconvinced.
"Porlyusica already healed him, but it would take at least two days for him to regain consciousness."
A wave of relief washed over some of the members while the others kept curious about Laxus' situation.
"Did she tell what was wrong with him?" inquired Eflman.
Makarov's jaw tensed. "Magic flare-up."
In the middle of the crowd, Mira immediately froze. Blue eyes went round as she recalled Laxus mentioning those same words to her earlier.
"Flare-up?" Gray questioned, "What's that?"
"Magic flare-up." Makarov began, "Also known as magic overload to some."
Magic overload? The demon mage repeated to herself. Now that she remembered, Laxus didn't explain to her exactly what it meant.
"You're all aware that we wizards have magic containers holding Ethernanos, the building blocks of all magic, inside our bodies…" The crowd nodded in agreement. Makarov continued. "Flare-up occurs when the magic container suddenly overflows with too much Ethernanos."
Mira and the rest listened intently where this was going.
"When that happens, eventually the container wouldn't be able to handle all the power. It automatically lets out the pent up energy." Makarov paused, looking down. "A torrent of magic energy is released, and the attack itself doesn't discriminate, as you all have seen. The wizard would have no control over it. And what's worse…" The old man closed his eyes. "It usually leaves one with almost zero magic."
Everyone was stunned at their spots, frightened at the last statement their Master had dropped. For a wizard, magical power is equivalent to their life source. If what the old man said was true, then having zero magic would only mean that…
"Yes. That wizard could die."
Natsu and Happy gulped. Lucy and Juvia frowned, while Cana was in between them, gently patting both their heads. Elfman stayed by his sisters' side, both wearing a shocked expression. They all remained silent, shaken, not knowing what to say.
"But didn't you tell us that Laxus will be alright?" Gray argued. "He's gonna be okay, right?"
Makarov pursed his lips. While Porlyusica managed to intervene just in time, there's no telling how much damage the next one would take.
"C'mon! Why're you all moping for?" Natsu shot back, recovering from his shock. "This is Laxus we're talkin' about!"
"Yeah, Laxus is monstrously strong!" Happy chimed in defiantly. The others got out of their trance.
Cana smirked. "Happy's right. Can't peg him without giving a fight."
"Laxus is a man."
"Juvia agrees!" The blue-haired water mage turned to the ice mage. "Gray-sama should believe in Laxus-san too!"
Gray frowned slightly and folded his arms. "I wasn't doubting in the first place. Just askin' gramps."
"Pfft. You totally were." Natsu snorted. An irritated tick appeared on Gray's temple. "Say that again and I'll end you."
"Natsu, I think Gray just made a pun." Happy snickered.
"Oh yeah? Think you can do it, huh?"
Lucy only sighed at her teammates. "This isn't the right time to start something, you two…"
Natsu and Gray stopped glaring daggers at each other, the former reverting his attention to Makarov and said, "Laxus won't go down easily! Not until I get to beat his ass, right gramps?"
Makarov stared wide-eyed at his guild brats before letting out a deep long sigh. Despite all the stress he dealt with at the infirmary, he was beyond relieved there were people who greatly believed in his grandson's grit.
"Does this mean Laxus might flare-up again?" Mira asked, voice brimming in concern.
Makarov agreed with a nod. "It is highly likely. Laxus at this point in time doesn't have the greatest control on his magic."
"How did he end up having these flare-ups anyways?" inquired Cana.
"He had it since birth. It was the reason why he was always sick as a child." Makarov's expression suddenly turned serious. "…It was also why Ivan pushed to implant a dragon slayer lacrima inside Laxus, to stop these 'flare-ups' from happening."
"To cure this stupid sickness, so he could stop being pathetic and be a true wizard!" His son angrily argued to him one day. He and Lauryn never got the chance to say no. Not when the deed had already been done. The old man balled his fist tightly at the memory.
"It does seem a bit off though" Lucy commented, drawing all the attention to her. "Dragon slayer magic is a powerful kind of magic. That by itself would make it difficult to control, right? Laxus is already a dragon slayer by now, yet he still gets this flare-up attacks." The crowd nodded as they listened, following what the blonde girl was saying. "Isn't it like putting too much water on a full glass? I mean, how does the lacrima work for Laxus' benefit? Aside from getting dragon slayer magic?"
Nobody knew the response to that, but everyone's gears began rolling as they thought about Lucy's point. Except for Natsu.
"Maybe our magic's too awesome it can cure diseases." The pinkette gloated while the others sweat dropped at his opinion.
Makarov, while knowing the truth, didn't answer.
"Alright! That's enough worrying for today." He announced, glancing at the clock. "You blockheads should all go home."
All eyes looked up at the wall clock and complied. The majority took off, saying their goodbyes to their Master and wishing young Laxus upstairs on a fast recovery. The core members chose to stay behind nonetheless.
"Can we at least see him?!" demanded Natsu. The others were also insistent. Makarov grunted in response. "I won't allow it for now. Leave the boy for the time being."
"But—"
"No buts, Natsu. Or any of you. Let the boy have his rest."
The pinkette grumbled for a second. "Fine." He then grinned at Lucy. "Let's go get some dinner somewhere, Lucy. I'm starvin'!"
The celestial mage faintly blushed at Natsu's sudden invitation, but it quickly died down when he declared it was her treat, to which Happy snickered, flying behind them. Juvia and Gray followed suit, as well as Cana, planning to go bar-hopping for the rest of the evening.
Only Mira and her siblings remained.
"Master…" The demon mage began. Her heavenly smile didn't touch her lips that moment, and her eyes were overshadowed by shame. Makarov looked up at her and softly sighed.
"Don't blame yourself, Mirajane." He gently grabbed her hand and gave her a small smile. "None of this is your fault."
"But I—"
"Didn't I tell you lot? No buts."
Mira was about to repeat the same word but stopped herself short. She bit her bottom lip and slowly nodded.
"He'll be fine. Trust me." The titan mage reassured her. He let go of her hand and said, "Now, you go along with Elfman and Lisanna and have some dinner. I'll be the one closing the guild for tonight."
"Okay..." She paused, before saying, "I'm sorry, Master." Makarov's gaze softened. He watched her retreat to her siblings who were waiting for her at the guild's entrance. Lisanna and Elfman waved their goodbye at the old man and left.
Certain that no one stayed behind inside the hall, Makarov decided to close down. As he was about to get the locks, he realized that the walls and ceilings were full of holes. The floor had two huge craters. His office got struck. Not to mention he himself broke the entrance door.
And that the guild overall looked like a huge wreck.
A gust of wind flew over him.
"What the hell!" Makarov cried out, his soul almost leaving him comically then and there. "What am I supposed to lock if everything is goddamn broken?!"
Well, not everything though. The bar was still intact as well as the infirmary. After he pushed his thoughts off of dealing with repair bills in the coming days, he heaved a deep long sigh and wheeled upstairs.
Makarov quietly went inside the room. He brought his chair to the bedside, his shoulder sagging as he relaxed on his seat. The window was slightly open and a chilly wind passed through, so he covered the sleeping child in another blanket. It was nearing October, hence the weather gradually turning colder.
The old man let his fingers run through his golden hair. He chuckled hoarsely, recalling how he used to do that whenever the boy stayed at his place. Every night before his bedtime, he would always share stories about Fairy Tail and his adventures. And young Laxus would convince him to let him join the guild, so he can experience the same things as he did.
Those were truly the good times. When his love for Fairy Tail knew no bounds.
His heart started to ache.
Makarov curled his hand onto his small fingers.
"Laxus…"
He chewed his bottom lip as he remembered the scars. As well as other things.
He would deal with Ivan at another time.
One problem at a time.
…
From the corner of his eyes, he saw the enchanted book lying on the side table. He grabbed it and gently placed it on Laxus' chest. Pulled out his small arms from the covers and made him loosely embrace it. Makarov stared at the book and his grandson. Just then, his eyes slowly grew wide at the familiar sight.
He could clearly remember it now. It was the book the boy always fiddled with back then. At the hospital and in his house. Sometimes, even at the guild.
And it was also the same book given to him. By her.
"When the right time comes..."
He remembered those last words.
Makarov darted his eyes through the window, at the star-filled sky. It was cloudless, serene as it was that night.
"Lauryn."
He whispered to no one.
"What in the world were you thinking?"
…
...
Dinner was silent in the Strauss household that night. Around the dinner table, Elfman and Lisanna kept sharing worried glances at each other. They were concerned about their eldest sister's unusual silence.
She was still upset at herself for what happened, they could tell, since she didn't touch much of her food and went to the kitchen without a word, cleaning up the dishes. Elfman apparently had left some unwashed that morning, so she put that as an excuse to retreat from the two. Or at least, that's what they thought.
Elfman stopped chewing his meat and frowned down at his plate. Everyone in the guild knew it wasn't really Mira's fault. It was Laxus' mother who created the spell and trapped her own son in a child's body, not Mira. He couldn't understand fully why his sister was brooding when nobody was pointing fingers at her. Even Master Makarov himself didn't.
Sigh. Elfman tensed his jaw and spoke.
"Nee-chan, I think it's unmanly to blame yourself."
He was a little afraid what she might say after; at rare times Mira had been quiet, it scared his wits. However he couldn't just stand watching her get stressed out any further. When he got no reply, he took it as a good sign and spoke again.
"It ain't manly to punish yourself for things you can't control." He paused for a moment. "You said that to me before…when Sayla took over me."
Still no reply.
"I didn't mean to wreck the guild that time. And I know you didn't mean to…you know…either." He scratched the back of his head, his mouth fumbling for more words. "I mean, Laxus' mom is…was…urgh. I'm not blaming her either! Or…I don't know." Sigh. "I'm not good with this."
Elfman heard soft giggling from where the kitchen sink was. He sighed in relief this time, glad his poor attempt of a pep-talk worked at least to make her giggle.
"Me and Lisanna don't want you—Lisanna?!"
He turned around and saw Lisanna smiling teasingly from the kitchen.
"Who do you think you're talking to, Elf-nii-chan?" Lisanna asked amused, even though she knew the answer.
"I thought you were Nee-chan!"
"Mira-nee went to her room minutes ago." The animal soul mage informed him. Elfman hung his head at that, slightly embarrassed at his little spiel. He stood up and decided to go to Mira's room when Lisanna pulled his arm.
"Let's leave her for now." She softly requested, flashing a small smile at her brother. Elfman opened his mouth to argue, but Lisanna shook her head. He couldn't say no to that. The beast soul mage sighed in defeat, trusting Lisanna's suggestion.
With that, they cleaned up after themselves and rested for the night.
...
...
Mira retired early to her bed after a quick shower. She retreated to her room before Lisanna and Elfman did, willing herself to sleep off her exhaustion. Half an hour later, she heard the doors to her siblings' room being shut. The light from the living room was turned off, and shortly Elfman's loud snores traveled its way to her ears.
She sighed to herself. I made them worry, those two…
She made a mental note to apologize to them tomorrow.
"…"
A few minutes passed, Mira was still gazing blankly at her room's ceiling.
…
Laxus…
Her mind couldn't stop drifting towards him.
If only I hadn't been too curious…
Mira sighed again, swaddling herself in her blanket. Burying her face on her cuddle pillow, she let out her bottled up frustration, muffled, not to alert her siblings. She felt slightly more relaxed after that, and lightly chuckled to herself how silly it was. It worked to calm her worries though, so it didn't matter.
What mattered to her now was how to break the spell and turn him back to normal.
She rolled over to the side, her body facing the window. She looked up at the gleaming stars for a short while until her determined eyes began to tire.
A yawn escaped her lips. Sleep was finally coming to her.
…
I wish you're okay.
So sleep she did.
...
...
"Mmh…"
...
White.
…
A bright white light flashed before her.
…
"Mmhn…" She groaned, curling up under her blanket, eyes shutting tightly. Only when she did so, she felt colder and stiffer. As if she was sleeping on the floor all night and not on her bed. And did Elfman and Lisanna took her pillow?
Mira jolted up, startled. Indeed she wasn't on her bed. Or at her home. Everything was too white and her eyes were barely adjusting. Slowly she stood up and found herself standing in the middle of a hallway. Looking around, she noticed there wasn't anyone other than her present.
"W-Where am I?"
She took a step and was surprised that she was clothed in her usual black ribbon dress. Wasn't she in her room trying to sleep just a while ago? How did she end up here?
"What is this place?"
Just then, her ears picked up some small chatters from the corner of the hallway. She quickly walked towards the source and saw two nurses turning around in her direction. She sighed in relief knowing she wasn't alone in this place. So she was in a hospital, judging from the women's uniform.
A hospital with no doors and windows.
"Excuse me!" She called out to them. They didn't stop to look at her as they continued talking to each other while walking. Mira paced closer to the women.
"Excuse me, may I know where—"
Mira let out a gasp. The nurses…they looked different. Their complexion was greyscale in contrast to her creamy white skin. No, not just their skin. Their overall look was void of any color other than grey. And even so, they still acted as normal.
Who are these people?
The nurses were about to pass by her. Mira raised her hand to get their attention. She reached for one of the nurse's shoulder.
"Um, hello? Can I ask—"
Again, Mira gasped. She immediately retracted her hand. The nurses continued to walk towards their destination as if they didn't notice the other person with them.
Mira's hand passed through the nurse's body. And it seemed they couldn't see or hear her too.
"How…"
The demon mage retreated from her spot and ran. She tried to muster up her magical energy inside her but it wasn't responding to her call. She decided to find the nearest exit, passing through other people like a ghost. Once she found it, she reached for the knob but a white barrier pulsed and she was pushed back, preventing her escape. Mirajane tried to punch and kick it with her bare strength, however there was no getting out of it.
She was trapped.
"How did I get in here?" She panicked when she felt pain from biting her cheek, realizing this wasn't just a dream she was in.
Mira wandered around the place, hoping to find clues how to get out or any sort of explanation why she ended up imprisoned in this place. After eavesdropping on two passing nurses' conversation, she couldn't believe it that she was in fact inside Magnolia's hospital. It soon made sense to her when suddenly, white tiles appeared out of nowhere and doors began to form on the walls. The whole place looked more like a hospital now, but it wasn't exactly the one she remembered from her teen years.
She readied her fighting stance, waiting for the moment the enemy would appear and strike her, but nothing happened after. Walking around a bit more, Mira found the hospital lobby. She stayed there to observe and listen to people, however nothing seemed important.
That was until her eyes landed on a small calendar posted on the wall.
Her hand flew over to her mouth in shock.
W-What? But how?
Year X766.
Her throat instantly dried up as she soaked that piece of information. She took a step back and fled in a haste, banging a few doors and windows hard along the way, shouting for help. Not a single soul heard her though, moreover she couldn't enter the rooms; the white barrier from earlier were still in effect. As seconds passed, she was having difficulty keeping herself calm.
What was she doing 27 years in the past?
…
...
Mira was getting nowhere with all her running. She stopped to catch her breath and realized she was standing at the exact same spot where she first saw herself was. There were a lot more people passing through her now compared to earlier. She didn't even bother this time to move her body to avoid herself from bumping into them.
"Why am I here?"
Out of the sudden, she felt a tug. However, it wasn't a normal, physical tug. A person just passed through her from behind…and a strange, warm sensation rolled through her body. Her ocean blue eyes widened as that person, a woman, was the first and only being in this place wearing color aside from her. She was a lot taller than Mira even without her high-heeled sandals, probably a bit taller than Cana. This woman was clothed in a white dress layered under a hoodless dark-blue cloak. Her mid-back, half-tied hair were as yellow and radiant as the bouquet of sunflowers she was holding on her arms.
Mira could only see her back. She wondered what the woman looked like up front.
And if she was the one responsible for this.
Breaking off from her daze, the demon mage followed her, careful as possible not to raise any suspicion. She saw her enter a room on the farthest corner of the corridor and Mira cursed herself that she didn't stop the woman at the onset to confront her. Clearly, she was different from everyone else.
The demon mage stood outside the door. She touched the knob and was surprised that her hand passed through. Unlike the doors she tried to bust in earlier, this one wasn't enchanted with a barrier.
As soon as she stepped in, she saw the woman in question removed the sunflowers from their wrapping and transferred them onto a white porcelain vase seated on the side table. Her back was still facing Mira.
The white-haired mage kept silent and quickly looked around. The room was small and simple. Aside from the tiny side table, it only housed a chair, a coat stand and a bed covered in hospital curtains. Mira couldn't see who exactly this mysterious woman was visiting. She figured this bedridden person might also be important.
Slowly, she approached the woman. "Excuse me." The woman frowned, making Mira halt. "Miss, can you hear me?" She gingerly asked from her distance.
Not looking back at her, she shook her head. "Hmm..."
Following the woman's gaze, Mira noticed that the sunflower stalks were too tall for the vase. The woman grabbed a stalk and snapped its stem short. Then, to Mira's surprise, she used that snapped part to cut the other stems like a sharp blade, even though it certainly didn't look like one!
So I was right. This woman is a mage!
Mira continued to observe the blond woman from the doorway. The said woman put the newly-cut stalks inside the porcelain vase and arranged them, humming happily while doing so. After finishing, her hand clasped the leftover stems, pulverized them into dust and vanished it with a swift blow.
Mira narrowed her eyes suspiciously. That magic she just did... I haven't seen it before.
Just then, the woman turned around her direction. Mira was taken by surprise as she could now see her full appearance. Thin and perfectly arched eyebrows peeking through her blonde fringes, deep set dark-blue eyes, pointy nose, cheeks faintly rosy as well as her lips. Her other facial features were soft and alluring; Mira honestly thought the woman didn't even need the minimal make up she was wearing for them to be accentuated.
She was quite beautiful.
And somewhat familiar.
…
"Hm? Did I just imagine it?" She heard the woman mutter before turning her back on the door.
Taking this chance, Mira inched closer. She called her out again but the woman didn't respond. Just as the barmaid's hand was about to touch her shoulders, the blonde woman suddenly went stiff. Her body pivoted to the side and Mira thought she was about to be grabbed by her hand. Instead, it grasped the bed curtain and quietly pulled it open.
There was a bit of shuffling underneath the white blankets. The woman lightly smirked as she gently sat down on the side of the bed, leaning forward. "I know you're awake." She whispered in a playful tone.
The one hiding under the covers didn't stir though. The woman playfully smiled and poked the bedridden person's side. It earned her a jolt. Her smile grew wider at that and went on going full force at tickling this person.
"Stop…Stop…tickles!" A child's voice pleaded in between laughs.
Mira froze the second she heard it. Her eyes widened. That voice…
"Not until you say 'please'."
"Please!"
"Are you sure? You look like you're enjoying it~" The woman teased.
"P-Please…" The child continued to wriggle and laugh under the blanket. All the while, Mira's heart raced, realizing who the person was underneath. She darted her gaze back at the woman and eyed her warily.
Could it be…this person is…
"Alright, I'll stop now." The woman announced in mock defeat, and soon after she was tackled by two short arms wrapping around her neck. The woman chuckled and ruffled the tuft of blond hair peeking through the blanket. The moment it completely fell over, Mira felt her chest tightened.
"Mama!" A big wide grin happily greeted the woman. "You're back!"
"Hey sweetie." This woman, Lauryn, smiled softly and lightly pressed a kiss on Laxus' forehead.
"I'm home." She whispered.
…
…
Author's Note: Wow this was really long. Personally I had such a hard time writing this chapter because I needed to lay down a lot of foreshadowing. I might have overdone it and drown you guys with too much info. My apologies for that, but I had to get them all out here before Laxus/Yuri wakes up. If there's anything confusing, or anything you want to say (please related to this fic only) you can leave a PM or review and I'll keep it in mind for the next chapters.
Other stuff to note (you might not want to skip this): *In the manga, Laxus didn't know who Yuri was until Mavis mentioned him in Ryuuzetsu Land. In this fic, he knew about Yuri- his magic and how they're related to each other.
*I made Lucy more knowledgeable about the history of Ishgar, assuming she was home-tutored when she was at the Heartfilia state with this kind of stuff. The Second Trade War legitimately happened.
*Eastern language is also legitimate in FT universe. Levy calls it language of the orient though. It was mentioned at chapter 211. Its importance in the plot will be further explained in the next chapter.
*Makarov's 'magic wheelchair' is all made-up. I imagine it having a lacrima which can store magic to make it float, kinda like Hades' ship but a wheelchair.
*Lastly, please don't judge my OC too fast. ;_; We're still at the fifth chapter. This is just the intro.
The next one is going to include more characterizations and follow-up explanations, I promise! It'll also be lighter at the end. But just to give you a heads-up, I'll probably upload it after I update my other fic, Demon in the Spark (finally!). So yeah. Whew. This is such a long AN. I'm out. Thanks for reading!
-AwkwardToffee