Number 7 did get to see Number 4 again. Three days after Lord Heartfilia took her she was back. There was no fanfare, no announcement of what he'd done, they had simply woken up in the morning to find that she'd returned. This of course caused great excitement among the other five and great annoyance to Number 4.
"What was it like?"
"Did he take you apart?"
"How are you feeling?"
"What location did he take you to?"
"Do you have super powers now?"
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" she snapped. "You're so loud and annoying! I have a headache! Shut up!"
Most of them backed off at that, but Number 7 moved forward and hugged the other girl. "I'm glad you came back." She muttered.
Number 4 shoved her away. "I told you to shut up!"
Number 7 just smiled and backed off. She was glad to see that, despite whatever Lord Heartfilia had done, Number 4 hadn't changed
It was around then that Miss Layla entered their room, she smiled broadly at the sight of six identical blonde girls. "Good morning. I'm glad to see you again, Lucy Number 4. How are you feeling?"
Number 4 crossed her arms. "Good morning Miss Layla… and I have a headache."
Miss Layla knelt before the small child. Gently she tilted Number 4's head up so that she could look the girl in the eye. "Oh, that's too bad. Does anywhere else hurt?" Number 4 shook her head. "Feel sore?" Another shake. "Numb?" Another shake. Layla rested her forehead against Number 4's. "No fever…" She muttered.
"I feel fine, Miss Layla. My head just hurts."
"Hmm…" She moved back and gently smoothed her fingers over Number 4's face and forehead. "We'll be doing magic today," she murmured softly. "Do you feel up for it?"
Number 4 looked like she really wanted to say yes. Number 7 really wanted her to say yes too, magic days were the best days, it'd be bad if Number 4 had to miss it. However, with a pained whine Number 4 shook her head again. "No…"
Miss Layla smiled kindly. "It's alright, you rest today. You and I can work on magic when you feel better, alright. Just the two of us."
"Kay…" She sniffed and trudged off to her bed.
Miss Layla ushered the rest of the girls to get ready for the day while informing Number 4 that she should drink as much water as she could. Number 4's only response was to curl up under her covers.
All throughout the lesson Miss Layla would go and check on Number 4. Thankfully Number 4 was able to join them in the afternoon, though Miss Layla said that they'd all have to be kind of quiet. Then Number 4 snapped at Number 10 for breathing too loudly, encouraging Number 10 to breathe louder on purpose. The resulting fight got them both put into time out.
It was only later, after they'd eaten dinner, that Number 4 was willing to talk about it. The others gathered around her bed, even Number 10 who still had a bruise on her face where Number 4 had punched her.
"So," Number 5 said, "what was it like?"
Number 4 huffed. "Boring. Lord Heartfilia took me to the exam room, looked me over and then used his magic on me. I woke up later with a headache and he told me to go back."
"Aww. What a disenchantment." Number 8 grumbled.
Number 7 frowned and looked at Number 8. "What does that even mean?" Ever since Number 8 was given the dictionary she was always using big words that the rest of them didn't know.
"Like I'd enlighten you."
Number 3 ignored Number 7 and Number 8 and simply huffed. "All that fuss for that? That's boring."
"How's your head feeling?" Number 5 gave Number 4 a wary look. "It would have hurt a lot if you had to skip magic practice."
Number 4 pouted. "Yeah. It did hurt really badly. It's better now. Miss Layla was right though. I needed to drink lots of water."
"Well whatever he did, it didn't make you stronger." Number 10 rubbed at the bruise. "Getting punched didn't hurt any more than usual."
"I wouldn't have punched you if you'd stop breathing so loudly!"
"I wasn't doing it on purpose!"
"Yes you were!"
"Not at first!"
"Girls!" Miss Layla admonished as she entered the room. She gave Number 4 and Number 10 a stern look. "If the two of you can't get along then perhaps you shouldn't be near each other."
Number 10 pouted, "but we were having fun."
All of them gave Number 10 and odd look. Number 7 couldn't imagine why Number 10 would consider getting into fights fun. Then again, Number 10 was weird like that.
Miss Layla pursed her lips. "Regardless, it's time for bed. Have you all brushed your teeth?"
"Number 7 keeps taking my toothbrush." Number 8 said.
Number 7 gaped at Number 8 before her face went red. "I do not!"
"Well someone does!"
"That doesn't mean it's me!" Why would she want to take Number 8's toothbrush?
"Who else would it be? You're the only number next to mine!"
"So? That doesn't mean anything!"
"Quit complaining," Number 3 drawled.
Number 5 piped up, "yeah, does it matter? We all have the same mouth."
"It's still gross!" Both Number 7 and Number 8 shouted.
"Lucy Number 8, if Lucy Number7 shares your attitude to sharing toothbrushes, I doubt she's the one taking it." Miss Layla reasoned, "The simplest way to solve this is for all of you to brush your teeth at the same time."
"But I already brushed mine!" Number 5 whined.
"Me too." Number 3 grumbled.
"Then brush them again. Your teeth can never be too clean." Miss Layla started ushering them all to the bathroom.
"But Number 7 left disgusting food bits on mine!"
"I didn't take your toothbrush!" Number 7 screamed.
Miss Layla clapped her hands. "Enough! Lucy Number 8, do not accuse others without proof. I will get you a new toothbrush, we have extras. Lucy Number 7, raising your voice will not prove you right or help you win arguments. It will only irritate others and give you a sore throat. Lucy Number 10, don't take what's not yours."
Number 10, who had been grinning and giggling through the whole fight, opened her mouth in shock. "What? How did you-?"
"Because I know you. Now you will all go to the bathroom. You will all brush and floss your teeth. Then you will all go to bed without another word, is that understood?"
"Yes Miss Layla." The six of them said in various tones at more or less at the same time before getting up and doing what she had ordered them to do.
Their bathroom was large; it had to be there was ten of everything. Ten sinks, ten mirrors, ten showers, ten toilets divided into little stalls, ten of everything a bathroom could possibly need. On each object, in big bold and black lettering was a number going from 1 through to 10. Though all the ones numbered 1, 2, 6 and 9 had never been used by any of the Lucys.
Their bedroom was much the same; beds, dressers, lights, nightstands. Ten of each all numbered for its specific Lucy. Or rather, a Lucy numbered for those specific items. All the furniture in the rooms would stay long after the Lucys would leave.
The six Lucys did as Miss Layla had ordered and settled quietly into their beds. She read them a chapter from a story book before leaving and turning off the lights. Normally Number 7 would have begged Miss Layla for her to read more, however she didn't feel like it that night after fighting with Number 8 and getting scolded by Miss Layla.
Instead she lay awake in the dark. She probably wasn't the only one awake, but it wasn't worth risking Miss Layla catching them talking when they should be sleeping. Instead she thought and worried about Number 4.
Normally whenever there was an argument Number 4 would take the side of the person she liked the most that day while repeatedly calling the other one a liar, especially if the other person was Number 7. Well, unless it was Number 10. Almost everyone always sided against Number 10. Not that Number 10 seemed to care.
Yet tonight Number 4 had been silent throughout the entire fight. She didn't accuse Number 7 of lying, something she'd done at least once a day for the past six months. Ever since Number 7 told her that the trees liked to dance. Number 4 had yelled at her for lying because she knew it was the wind moving the trees. Number 7 had known that too, she just thought it was a boring reason. Then again, Number 4 never liked anything that wasn't backed up with pure fact.
Tonight she hadn't taken the chance to call Number 7 a liar. She hadn't even objected to Miss Layla reading them a story, something she always did but was always outvoted on. Maybe, Number 7 thought, Number 4 didn't feel as well as she said she did.
Number 7 hadn't noticed whether or not Number 4 was in pain or if she was acting strange. All the same before Number 7 fell asleep she promised herself that she'd look out for Number 4 as best she could. Even if no one heard it, even if no one else knew about it, Number 7 still made a promise and Miss Layla said that a celestial mage never broke their promises.