Lucy jolted awake.

At first, she was unsure as to what woke her up. She couldn't remember the dream she had, so it was no nightmare, and the room was eerily silent, so no noise woke her up, but she had this awful feeling deep in her chest, as if something was wrong.

It was the same feeling she had the night she found the seven Dragon eggs, but worse. One of them needed help.

Her fears were proven true when she heard a quiet sob coming from a nest at the farther end of the room. Erik's nest.

Slowly, so she didn't accidentally wake one of the others, Lucy climbed out of bed, and tiptoed her way around the slumbering Dragons until she reached Erik. The small Poison was curled up into a tight ball with his back to Lucy and his talons over his ears.

Was he having a nightmare? Lucy reached out to him, but before she could try and shake him awake, he jolted, rolling over to face her. "L-Lucy..?"

"What's wrong..? Did you have a nightmare..?"

"N-no.. I can't.." he hiccuped, "I can't sleep.. Too loud.. Everything is too loud.." he covered his ears again, hiding under his wing.

Too loud? That didn't make any sense, it was actually quite quiet in the room. He jolted slightly, "C-can't you.. hear it..? All that.. that noise.."

She hummed. Maybe it was that strange ringing. Something her father complained about on occasion. She wasn't entirely sure why Erik would be suffering from it, but it was an option.

"I-I don't.. I don't hear any ringing.." he murmured quietly. "I.. hear.. so much noise.. and.. I can't.. handle it.."

Lucy could've sworn she hadn't said that part out loud. The first part was suspicious, but she figured Erik had just been trying to explain. With the second, however, he responded directly to her thoughts. That might serve as a clue as to what was going on. How he could hear things she didn't.

Lucy gently grabbed one of his talons, helping him up, "We'll go talk to somebody about it.. Maybe Irene can help.. Or Porlyusica.."

Erik let out a quiet noise, "I-I hope so.. I-I'm really scared.." he admitted quietly.

"Don't be.. everything will work out just fine.." Lucy assured, before making her way around the nests again. Erik wasn't as quiet about it, likely because his hearing was currently all messed up, but fortunately he didn't wake anybody up.

Lucy paused to ponder. Should she wake up her parents? She didn't want to bother them this late at night, but she didn't want them to worry if they woke up and found Lucy and Erik missing.

"We.. w-we should te-tell them.." Erik said. Lucy flinched slightly. If he could suddenly read minds now, it was going to take some getting used to. She nodded, before going to their bedroom and slowly walking inside. Erik poked his head through the door, only to make a pained noise and scamper back, rubbing at his ears.

The noise was loud enough to wake her parents. Layla was the first to get up and hurry over, "Lucy..? What's wrong..?"

"Did you kids have another nightmare?" Jude asked.

"Something's wrong with Erik.." Lucy said quietly. "We were hoping we could go to Irene or Porlyusica to help.. He can hear things I can't.. I thought it was ringing, but he said it wasn't.. He also might've.. read my mind..?"

Jude went over to Erik, who was laying on his side with his talons over his ears. "We'll take him down there. You should go back to bed, Lucy.." Jude said as he scooped up the small Poison, who was fortunately still small enough to carry.

"I want to go too!" Lucy said, only to lower her voice again when Erik winced. "Please.. I want to help.. Irene said I need to be a good big sister.."

"You are a good sister, sweetheart.." Layla assured her. "But we can handle this.. Erik is going to be just fine, I promise.. Let's get you back to bed, okay..?" Layla picked Lucy up, carrying her back to her room.

Meanwhile, Jude carried a still very distraught Erik outside. He wriggled around, but Jude kept a firm grip on him so he didn't fall. "Sh.. shh.. You're going to be okay.."

"Everything is too loud..!" Erik whimpered. "My.. my ears hurt.."

"We'll figure out what's going on. You're going to be just fine.."

Erik hiccuped, then went back to covering his ears.

Fortunately, while Porlyusica wasn't in the city, Irene was awake, tending to a human child. Macbeth.

"I.. I haven't been able to get to sleep at night.." Macbeth said, wringing his hands nervously. "I just.. feel too energized.. I don't know why.. I never ate anything or drank anything different.."

"You have been practicing magic as of late, yes?"

"Yeah.. The teacher said we could pick any magic as long as it was in her spellbooks.." Macbeth nodded. "I think mine was called Reflective.. Reflection.."

"Reflector?"

"Yeah! Reflector magic.."

"Ah. Then there is nothing wrong then. Your magic is simply behaving as intended. Reflector magic grows stronger around the midnight hour. This is what's causing you to have so much energy."

"Oh.."

Jude cleared his throat, grabbing Irene's attention. "I apologize for interrupting, but.." Erik thrashed in his arms, letting out a pained squeal.

"What's wrong..?"

"He's in a lot of pain.. He's been claiming everything is too loud, even when nobody else can hear anything.." Jude explained. Irene lowered her head down to Erik, then, using her Lacrima, changed into a human. If Erik's issue was everything being too loud, then the last thing he needed was to try and talk to a Dragon with a booming, authoritative voice.

"Give him to me," she gently took him from Jude's arms, before walking to the wall and setting him down into a nest of blankets. "Macbeth, you may leave now, child. There's nothing more I can do for you."

"But what about-"

Irene raised a hand, cutting him off, "This is something you need to bring up with your teacher. Since it's in her spellbook, I'm sure she knows enough to teach you more about your magic, and how to cope with your new sleeping schedule. If not, then you two should discuss practicing a different magic."

Macbeth nodded slowly, "I see.. Thank you, Ms. Irene.." he hurried out. He grabbed onto the hand of an older woman. Likely a foster parent.

"Do you know what's wrong with him..?" Jude asked, watching Irene as she checked Erik's ears. Long, pointed ears, not a trait seen on many Dragons. Erik whined, rubbing them.

"You say he can hear things others cannot..?"

"Lucy said she thought it was like tinnitus, with the ringing, but Erik said it wasn't.." Jude sighed, "She also claimed he could read her mind.."

Irene's eyes widened slightly, "Enhanced hearing.. and mind reading..?"

"You think you have an idea?"

"It sounds.. By the stars, I haven't heard of this in a long time.. But I think it's Soul Listening magic.."

Jude shook his head, "Erik doesn't practice anything outside of his poisonous spells. At least, nothing that I know of.."

"There are some spells you don't have to learn. It's possible that Erik's ancestry is made of Dragons who did use Soul Listening, and it later passed down onto him.."

"Genetic magic, huh..?"

"Yep.. Those noises he can hear that others cannot are everyone else's thoughts, and their souls."

"I-I can.. hear.. souls..?" Erik tilted his head. "But.. I don't know what they.. sound like.."

"You'll be able to learn soon enough," Irene gently rubbed his head. "I can give you a Sealing Cloth in order to dim the magic enough to let you sleep," she said as she stood up, before grabbing the cloth in question and tying it around his neck like a bandana. Almost instantly, Erik flicked his ears, then sighed and lowered his head. "Everything is.. quiet now.."

"We can bring this up during training tomorrow, okay?" Irene scratched his head. Erik nodded, "Yeah.. and I can finally sleep now.." he pushed himself up and out of the nest.

"Indeed," Jude said. Erik grinned, "Thanks, Ms. Irene!" he nodded happily. Irene smiled back at him, before changing back to Dragon. "If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask."

"I will! Or.. won't.. I won't!" he nodded again, then stayed by Jude's side as the two made their way out. "Have a nice night, Irene," Jude said. "I will, thank you. Have a nice night."

"This is so cool!" Erik exclaimed, "It was scary at first, and painful, but I can hear thoughts?"

"It seems so, yes," Jude smiled. Erik bounced around excitedly, "Once I figure out a way to make it not hurt.. It could come really in handy!"

"Indeed it could, but for now, focus on getting some sleep, alright?" Jude pushed open the door, letting Erik inside. Erik wasted no time rushing back to the bedroom, slowly nosing the slightly ajar door further open, "Lucy..?"

"Erik..? You're back!" she whispered excitedly. He climbed into her bed, just barely managing to fit, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, Irene gave me this cloth that seals magic.."

"Magic?"

Erik giggled, "You aren't going to believe what I have to tell you.."