"…And this is my daughter, Lucy."
Lucy smiled up at the lady Miss Layla was talking to. "Hello, it's nice to meet you." The nine year old chirped.
"Oh my! Such a polite young lady. You and Jude must be very proud."
Lucy almost got confused at that comment, before recalling that Jude was what Lord Heartfilia was calling himself. Not that she could call him that. Outside the manor grounds he was father. Just as Miss Layla was to be called mother.
Miss Layla giggled behind her hand. "Oh we are! And not just her. My little lucky Lucy here is a big sister."
"No!"
"Yes! Although," she paused laughing some more. "There was a little mix up, my youngest somehow also wound up being named Lucy."
The lady she was talking to laughed along with Miss Layla, though Miss Layla's laughter was much more forced. It hadn't been funny at the time, when they found that the 56th generation had been labeled as her generation. Lucy had never seen Lord Heartfilia so angry before.
Thankfully they could get away with telling others that there were now two Lucys in the family. It wasn't an unusual thing, apparently, though from what Miss Layla had told them, it was usually done for male heirs to protect the family inheritance. Or something like that. Lucy hadn't really understood. However, as long as it worked out, it probably didn't matter.
Soon enough Miss Layla finished talking with the other lady. With a gentle tug on Lucy's hand, she led them out of the store. Miss Layla's other hand was carrying a bag filled with the things they'd bought, mostly writing supplies that Lord Heartfilia wanted. Now that their errands were complete, they started on their path back to the manor.
As they walked, Lucy carefully looked around to make sure there was no one nearby. There wasn't, but all the same, she tugged at Miss Layla's hand and spoke quietly. "Mi-mother, why're we the only replaceable ones?" She'd been thinking about it for a while; ever since that talk in the tub three years ago. Going outside and meeting with other people that weren't like them just made her think about it even more.
"Because, my little lucky one, the Heartfilia family has a mission. One that can only be carried out by a Heartfilia Celestial mage. This is simply your father's way of making sure it can be completed."
"What's the mission?"
"Hmm…I'll tell you when you're older. For now, just know that it was given to us by your father's sister-in-law: Lady Leanna."
"Why can't you tell me now?"
"It's not something I would want you to worry about. More than that, I would like to see if I can be the one to complete it. If I do not succeed, then rest assured that I will tell you everything." She paused in their walking, pulling Lucy to a stop. Miss Layla gently squeezed her hand and knelt so that she could look Lucy in the eyes. "However, if at all possible, I would like you to keep that to yourself. I…don't want to let your father down should I be unable to fulfil Lady Leanna's task."
"So it'll be a surprise for him?"
Miss Layla gave a small soft smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes." She straitened and they once more started walking back.
"Do the others know?"
"No, my little lucky one, they have not asked yet."
"What'll happen to us if you do complete the mission?"
"Hm…Well, I can't say for sure what L-your father will want to do. However it's my hope that he'll stop creating new generations and allow you to live your own lives."
"What if he just…disposes of us?" Like what he did to Lucy Number 5.
Miss Layla paused once more. Though she didn't kneel again, she looked at Lucy with such a serious expression that the little girl couldn't help but feel intimidated. "Then you will take my keys and you will run." Lucy swallowed nervously and Miss Layla tugged her along as they resumed walking.
The woman's face softened and she had a small smile on her face like nothing was wrong but Miss Layla wasn't done. Her voice while quiet was still just as serious. "He is not so powerful and all mighty outside of the manor grounds. While he does have influence, it isn't as absolute as it is within his domain. Though we do live in the center of his property, it is still escapable. He has his eyes everywhere save in your rooms and the bathrooms, but if you're sneaky you can still prepare and plan."
She gave a reassuring squeeze to Lucy's hand before continuing. "And if the worst happens, please talk to the others, take them with you if you can. But don't force them if they don't want to, it would be dangerous for you if you do." She smiled down at Lucy, her smile was more genuine than before. "Understand?"
Lucy nodded mutely. She did, but at the same time she didn't. It was a lot for her to take in and the thought of leaving the Heartfilia manor and never coming back was strange to think about. Miss Layla also talked about preparing, but Lucy wouldn't know where to start.
"It's alright, my little lucky number. I doubt he'll do that. That's not how he thinks."
"Okay," her voice sounded small and shaky. However, Miss Layla was acting like nothing was wrong, so she should as well. Lucy nervously licked her lips and changed the subject. "Why do you keep calling me that? Lucky, I mean." She clarified at Miss Layla's confused glance. "The new ones are better than us in every way, right? And the new Number 7 woke up as well, so, wouldn't she be luckier than me?"
Miss Layla gave a little laugh, though it sounded strangely sad. "That's not quite how it works."
"What do you mean?"
Miss Layla opened her mouth to answer, but she spotted the gates to the Heartfilia property looming in the distance. "We're almost home, my little lucky number. Remember, please don't tell anyone about the conversation we just had. Or about what might happen after. Don't even write it down. Alright?"
"Yes, Miss Layla."
"Promise me you won't let anyone know."
"I promise."
"Good, now when we get inside go write everything but that down in the Journal so you don't forget it."
"I know Miss Layla."
Ever since the 56th generation woke up, Lord Heartfilia had been adamant that the Lucys of the 55th generation be completely interchangeable with each other. Every day they had to wear the same clothes. They had to have their hair in the exact same way. They even had to talk the same way, much to the annoyance of the Lucy formally known as Number 8. If one was better at something than the others, the rest had to work harder to match. This also meant they had to write in the Journal.
The Journal was shared with all of them. If one of them interacted with anyone from outside their generation, that Lucy would have to write it down so that the other three would know exactly what happened. It was so that any one of them could seamlessly take the place of another one with little notice.
Of course, in the two or so years they've been writing in the Journal; they'd already filled up three of them. Despite the fact that they wrote as small as they could and they wrote in an abbreviated, coded language that took less time and space than traditional writing. Lucy suspected they'd fill up dozens of Journals before Lord Heartfilia would decide that they were too obsolete and dispose of them. The filled Journals were disposed of as well; they all memorized them and then the paper filled books were burned. Not that it took much memorization, it's what they did whenever a Lucy finished writing in it regardless.
Despite Lord Heartfilia's insistence that everything be written down in the Journal, Miss Layla's request for silence was not all that unusual or difficult to do. It was relatively pointless to write about the conversations between Miss Layla and a Lucy, seeing as she already knew there were four of them wandering around. More than that, for the most part all the Lucys would be in the same place as Miss Layla, so they'd already know what would be written down. Even for this trip, most of what happened was simply about them walking. The only things Lucy would really have to be careful about was the brief conversations Layla had had with people in the town.
By the time they'd reached the large front doors of the foyer, Lucy had organized and mentally written out the events that would need to be shared. This wasn't hard and the walk from the gate to the manor was much longer than the walk from the town to the gate. They separated after they entered; Miss Layla to deliver Lord Heartfilia's items and Lucy to document everything that happened during the time they left the manor door to the time they reentered it.