Chapter 7
Hope and Hurt
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's, Energy Magic, and Ideas
.:+:.
"... You gonna sit up there all day, Lightning-Boy?"
Frea blinked, her eyes open slightly as she glanced up above her, her eyes landing on the roof and the persistent Energy Signature she felt somewhere overhead. Her voice came out a bit softer than she intended, but she was dangerously slipping on the edge of sleep and she couldn't find the energy to make her voice any louder. Not that it mattered though, she knew all too well he could hear her.
"Do I need to?" Was the low reply, she swore she heard a sigh in there somewhere, and felt annoyance flicker from him too- even with how jumbled it all was.
"... I'm not planning on anything stupid." She mumbled softly. "... I think I've given them enough to worry over... The Energy hanging over the Guild... It's awful..." She winced a little, trying and failing to keep herself from wincing again when a new surge of pain raced through her core.
Damn... i...it...
Laxus blinked from where he was seated alone on the second floor, directly above the Infirmary to which he could hear Frea's voice filtering from softly. He frowned slightly, sweatdropping as he heard her hiss in sudden pain- her words breaking off with it. He could imagine the agony etched into her face, and the way her body must have tensed up to be wincing as harshly as he was hearing her, and her breath hitching too. He shifted, about to move and make his way down there,
"... I'm... fine." Frea's voice was nothing but pained, and tired, but it stopped him from moving. The throbbing faded after a minute, though only just- and she felt all the more exhausted for it, but she didn't need him to come down, and somehow she knew he had been about to... Maybe she heard his feet shift in the back of her head as an indicator.
Laxus shook his head a little, cursing her in his head. "... You're pushing it." He murmured lowly, "... I already told you, you can't be stubborn and strain yourself, it's just gonna make it worse, woman."
"... I'm not trying.. To push it you know..." Was the soft reply, "... But just doing anything... Is harder than it should be..." She winced lightly, shaking her a head a bit in annoyance for a moment. Laxus simply blinked, his eyes narrowed a moment.
It was almost like he could see the fractured pieces still trying to cling to wholeness- even just listening to her. But it was failing, regardless of how hard she tried to hide it... She wasn't anywhere near being as calm and collected as she seemed when she was talking to Moon and Chase. She was putting on a face, like she had been doing all these years- and though she tried to keep it up, he could hear her voice shaking.
For a moment he wondered if 'doing anything' didn't just apply to talking, or staying awake... He knew he'd have to keep an eye on her for that, lest she forget.
"... One day at a time, woman. You don't gotta do everything at once." Laxus grumbled, Frea blinked. "Better to take it slow then rush it and end up right back where you started."
Frea halted, her eyes halfway open and staring at the roof overhead in sheer silence for a long while. She swallowed slightly, her heart clenching painfully enough to almost make her gasp- but she managed not to. And she hadn't any clue why it did so... It just hurt.
"Don't be stubborn. Have a little patience for once in your life, idiot." He added in roughly, she blinked, her eyes falling a little more.
It hurt, but not enough to keep that small smile from pulling at her lips for a moment.
"... Hmm... When did you... get so smart?" She murmured lightly, her eyes flashing slightly in amusement at the very flat and firm reply, with just that little bit of crass Laxus she knew so well.
"Tch, shut it." was the gruff answer. Frea let out a silent breath,
And there's the Laxus I'm used to...
"... hmm... Do what you... Want... Then..." She sighed, her eyes falling closed. He blinked, sweatdropping slightly as his eyes fell to the floor, shaking his head. He could hear her breathing slow to the point he was fairly certain she was out of it- he figured she had been forcing herself to stay awake while her brat and her cat were in here- but there was no denying how exhausted she sounded, it was a bit of a surprise she had stayed awake as long as she had.
She was better than she had been two nights ago, she seemed just that little bit stronger, but she was so hurt it hardly made a difference even now. It took everything she had to stay awake even for that little bit of time, it drained her physically and mentally all at once.
He bit the inside of his cheek, his eyes opening a little and narrowed to slits when he heard her let slip a small hiss of pain from below... she probably looked more a mess than she even sounded... she was a mess, and he was the only one who really understood just how much a mess she actually was.
There it was again, that ache in his chest. That small, dull pain that rose again when his eyes landed on her, when he heard her wince, saw her pain, her exhaustion... when his thoughts flashed back to the waiting, and back to that night- that night that would be forever stuck in his mind now.
Seeing her, terrified, crying, completely fallen apart... she had never looked so broken, not once. For the first time, she had broken down all the way, he'd seen that fear in her, how hopeless she had become and how badly she had wanted it all over. For the first time since he had known her, she'd just given up, and that thought was unnerving, and painful all at once.
He sighed a little, sweatdropping as he swallowed against it.
No, he'd never forget any of that, not ever, and he didn't want to. Knowing, even if maybe she didn't want him to- finally seeing just how far that hurt went, how far down it all dug under the face she kept up for everyone else, knowing meant he might finally start to get it... get her. That mystery she had been for so long, the one that confused the hell out of him, annoyed him too, and maybe knowing now, he'd be able to find some way to convince her of all the things she didn't want to believe.
" ... I'll take it all, even with the attitude, the temper... It doesn't matter to me what you've done, or what you might do, and it doesn't matter to me what you're afraid of, or how broken you feel. If you need it, I'll take it all... All the bad and the good, all the fears and the worry, all the hurt. You don't have to keep thinking you've got to keep it all to yourself, or put on a face for everyone else. You don't need to pretend with me, I don't care about all the details, I don't care if you fall apart on me... I just care that you stay."
He meant it when he said it, he didn't care if she fell apart, if she let him see that side of her she had never let anyone see. He didn't care if she told him anything, and he didn't care if she did- nothing she could or wouldn't say would make any difference to him. There wasn't a damn thing she could say or do or show that would make him look at her any differently, she was who she was. She was that one person... one person he really hadn't realized how much he cared for until it had all come crashing to a halt.
Hmph... I knew things had changed... but I wasn't really expecting...
And now he had too much to think about, too many things to understand, to realize what he said... and why he had meant it, without realizing he had until he said it aloud. A lot of what he said hadn't been thought out, he was just saying it all. A whole mess of things that hadn't even spun around in his head before he said them aloud- a very, very odd thing for him to do... but something about her had him doing stupid, odd things, more and more often. Just being around her had him doing things that surprised and confused himself, and he hated thinking about things too much, especially incessant things and thoughts that kept nagging at him. And to add to it, he was still trying to wrap his head around what happened, and what she had said to him in the midst of her panicking.
He huffed in agitation, his cheek resting against his fist as he propped his elbow up on the table to his left, his eyes falling closed again.
"... you drive me crazy, you know that...?"
Wendy let out a weary sigh, her hands falling into her lap and head bowing as she tried to steady her breathing and the fast pace her heart had adapted in the midst of using her Magic.
She sat down lightly in the chair, Sherria sitting down on the armrest bedside her- Porlyusica was gathering up various supplies and things and placing them in their proper spot on the other side of the bed, organizing them for when she would be using them soon enough. Carla sat on the edge of the nightstand, her paws crossed over her chest and eyes half-way closed, for a moment her eyes landing on that coat that had been moved from laying across the bed to hanging over the back of a chair- she wondered if maybe Laxus had realized he left it behind after he left the room when she, Wendy, Sherria and Porlyusica arrived.
Wendy's eyes flicked away from the Energy Dragon Slayer they had spent the last hour or so trying to Heal again, their Magic was working- where it hadn't been before- but only just, and not enough for comfort. Frea was still asleep in the bed, exhausted enough that she only barely came to as they set to work, before her mind fell away again into nothing, and never awake long enough for either Sherria or Wendy to notice.
"... You two can come back again tomorrow and use your Magic." Porlyusica murmured lowly, Wendy and Sherria nodded slightly.
The Old Lady had asked them to come along with her and allowed them to try using their Magic where she hadn't let them in nearly a week. Porlyusica hadn't elaborated on why she had changed her mind so suddenly, and to be entirely honest- both Wendy and Sherria were glad to be trying again, it had been hard to be told they couldn't do anything anymore.
"... I don't want you wasting your Magic too much at once, so for now you'll keep focusing on trying to repair the internal damage, and I'll focus on the external wounds." Porlyusica went on, Sherria and Wendy nodded slightly.
"... We will do our best, Granny." Wendy murmured, "And thank you, for all the help, Sherria."
"Sure, no problem." Sherria smiled slightly,
"... Hopefully now with Frea's fever going down, she'll start healing a bit more." Wendy mumbled, her eyes flashing as she bit the inside of her lip.
Sherria, Wendy and Porlyusica knew how bad Frea's injuries were, they knew the damage was extensive and it really hadn't been the sickness that had warded off how effective their Healing Magic had been. She was just so hurt, and they knew it was bad, really, really bad- but Wendy had to try and stay optimistic, it took everything she had to not fall apart- but she couldn't. She had to stay focused and help however she could... Even if her and Sherria's Magic did little to piece back together what a broken mess Frea's body had become.
Wendy bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes casting downward as her hands balled into fists in her lap.
"... Try to cheer up, Wendy." Sherria murmured softly,
"Yes, you two are doing everything you can. Without you she wouldn't have survived this long, you have done plenty." Carla assured, resting a gentle look on her Partner who's eyes didn't leave her lap for a few moments.
"... Its... it's just... Everyone's so... Worried... and I don't want her to..." Wendy murmured quietly, her eyes glinting as she struggled to just say the words.
"... Wendy..." Carla and Sherria breathed, looking sad as Wendy shut her eyes tight.
"... I'm sorry, I'm not trying to get all worked up..." Wendy apologized quietly, Sherria's hand fell lightly atop the bluenette's head.
"It's alright to be worried." Sherria murmured, "... It goes to show how much you care about her. But try and brighten up a bit, OK? We'll keep at it, right?" Sherria smiled slightly, Wendy nodded, looking a bit more determined as her sadness died down a little.
"Yes... I want to do everything I can." Wendy murmured, "Granny, I'll help you treat Frea's other injuries too, okay?"
Porlyusica sighed slightly, looking a little cross but more weary than anything.
"... You can't exhaust yourself, child."
"I won't, I promise." Wendy replied easily enough, Carla and Sherria alike smiled faintly, though they looked a little weary at it too.
Porlyusica shook her head a little, looking a bit annoyed, but only slightly. Her arms crossed about her chest, her eyes falling closed as she let out a low sigh, sweatdropping slightly.
"... Foolish girl, now you've got Wendy willing to push herself passed her limits as well." Porlyusica sighed slightly, her words low though they were hardly as angry or stern as she meant them to be. "... I expect you don't intend to give the Guild any more reason to worry over you, correct?"
Wendy, Sherria and Carla blinked, sweatdropping and entirely confused as to the sudden unexpected words. They glanced between one another, confused still as Porlyusica simply let her eyes fall closed in slight annoyance.
"... Yeah... Granny... That's the... Plan..."
Those same three went rigid, their hearts jumping to their throats and pulses quickening. Wendy let out a small gasp, her hands moving up to cover her mouth as her eyes glistened, Sherria sweatdropped, looking quite unsure what to do while Carla bristled, utterly shocked and her jaw dropping slightly.
Frea tilted her head slightly, an exhausted smile pulling at her lips as she glanced their way, she had been just barely awake for a long while now and fighting to come to the surface all the way. Porlyusica had been aware of her doing so, though she had said nothing until that moment on the matter- the Old Lady huffed at the soft reply, but nodded at it too.
"Good." Porlyusica grumbled lowly,
"Y-you're awake?!" Carla stammered,
"Frea!" Wendy breathed, leaning forward in excitement as her lips pulled into a small, breathlessly relieved smile.
"Hey." Frea murmured quietly, Wendy's eyes shone as her hands fell lightly on top of Frea's arm, the little Dragon Slayer nearly beaming- and those same waves of relief she had felt from Master and Moon and Chase alike rammed into her, a cool wave that cut straight through the dark, heavy cloud of Negative Energy still bombarding her senses.
"I can't believe it!" Wendy smiled, "Frea I'm so happy you're awake!" Frea smiled a bit, her eyes flashing as Wendy leaned in a bit more.
"Indeed, it's a relief to see you up." Carla murmured, having climbed to her paws and standing lightly on the nightstand, her paws on her hips and looking just as relieved as Wendy. Sherria smiled slightly, nodding in agreement as Frea blinked,
"... glad I could.. lighten the mood..." Frea smiled slightly, the three girl's smiled slightly at the light answer.
"How are you feeling, Frea?" Wendy asked gently, "Are you alright? Are you in a lot of pain?" Frea shook her head slightly,
"... mm.. nah it's not so bad..." She murmured gently, though it was most assuredly a lie- she was in pain, a lot of it, but she wasn't going to complain. "... heh... I actually feel a bit better, since I woke up last... so thanks for that." She smiled a bit, failing to notice or otherwise ignoring the surprise and question that appeared on their faces at the reply. "... I appreciate you two Healing me... " She murmured, her eyes flicking between Sherria and Wendy alike as they blinked.
"No problem." Sherria replied easily, blushing slightly at the thanks, Wendy shook her head a little.
"Of course." Wendy assured quietly, Frea let out a small breath, hissing lowly at the sharp stab of pain that simple breath brought with it, as her eyes fell closed a moment. Wendy stiffened slightly as she heard Frea let slip the wince, biting the inside of her cheek as she sweatdropped. Frea seemed to take in a few shaky breaths for a few moments later, and Wendy blinked.
"... Frea, do you remember what happened?" Wendy asked softly, Frea's eyes opened slightly, nodding a bit.
"... y... yeah, for the.. most part..." The Energy Dragon Slayer replied lowly, Wendy looked a little surprised at the confirmation, but only just. "... Some of it's... a bit of blur... but I think... I got the gist..."
Some of it was a little hazy, but only toward the end... when her Magic got out of hand, started tearing her apart, like it was working on its own, her body was moving on its own, the Magic working its way forward and she hardly had to think about it. For the most part she recalled what she was doing, but some of it had muddied together- but the larger picture wasn't something she'd forget.
And she knew why Wendy was asking, the Little Dragon Slayer was trying to determine if Frea herself even realized how badly injured she had been, and to what extent.
"... so you know... how bad your injuries are?" Wendy asked quietly, her eyes flashing a moment as Frea blinked. "... even with our Healing Magic, we haven't been able to fix even half of the damage... both internal and external." Wendy explained cautiously, Frea sighed slightly.
"... yeah... I kinda figured..." The Energy Dragon Slayer mumbled softly, Wendy blinked, sweatdropping a little. "... I kinda knew... with what Mordren did... and what happened with my Magic... I figured I'd been messed up... pretty bad..." Wendy, Carla and Sherria alike seemed to grimace slightly at the words, Frea smiled a little though despite that.
She had told herself at the time, it would have been the last impossible thing... and it would have to be the last. She probably wouldn't survive a second time even if her Magic got going like that again.
"... I'm not worried, though..." Frea breathed lightly, "... I've got you guys lookin' after me... so I'll be ok... in time..." Wendy and Sherria alike stiffened slightly at the words, Porlyusica had returned to gathering up supplies and what not- though her busy hands paused a moment at that comment, looking slightly weary.
Wendy nodded firmly, "I promise, I'll do everything I can to help you get better, Frea." The Little Dragon Slayer said firmly, a small flash of determination alighting in her gaze. Carla blinked at the look, smiling softly as she let out a silent breath.
"I'll do my best too." Sherria smiled slightly, giving the Energy Dragon Slayer a small nod. Frea smiled, hearing Porlyusica grumble under her breath and feeling the annoyance spark from her too- though she knew the Old Lady realized that she had been talking not just about Sherria and Wendy, but her too- after all, Porlyusica was just as much to thank for looking after her, and would assuredly continue to help from here on out. Regardless of how much the Old Lady griped and grumbled, she had always done her very best when it came to helping treat the Guild's injuries and ailments- and Porlyusica had always done well by her. The Old Lady had been patching her up diligently for as long as Frea could remember.
"... even annoying as you are, I will see you back in proper health." Porlyusica grumbled lowly, earning a small smile of amusement from everyone else in the room.
"... see, I've got... nothing to worry about..." Frea murmured lightly, her spirits lifting a little- forced maybe- but it was enough to let everyone in the room relax a little more, and it was plenty worth it.
"The Guild's gonna be so happy to know you'll be ok." Wendy murmured softly,
"I expect their moods to lighten considerably." Carla agreed with a small nod, Frea nodded a little in reply.
"... hehe... hopefully they don't knock down... the door when they hear..." Frea chuckled softly, breaking off at the end to wince a little, the others cringed at her pain, but smiled a little none the less at the comment.
"Tch... I would not allow it." Porlyusica grumbled sternly, "Last thing you need is a whole Guild full of fools rushing in."
"... you're probably right..." Frea relented softly, though silently she wondered how hard the Old Lady would have to fight to keep them at bay and collected enough not to jump ahead head first and think second.
"I do not want you to strain yourself, for any reason if it can be avoided." The Old Lady said firmly, Frea's eyes trailed up toward her, listening. "You're very weak right now, it will take little to send your health falling back in the opposite direction if you push things too far. Any unwanted excitement or stress could make things worse- so you'll not be entertaining any large number of people- or moving very much at all- for a long while." Frea blinked, hearing the command work it's way into the Old Lady's voice, it was a lecture she had heard before, maybe too often- and one she had expected. "You will be confined to this Guild and this bed for as long as I say, you will do as I ask and not argue- and you will most certainly not use any Magic, for any reason."
Frea sweatdropped a bit at that, nodding slightly in a very easy relent of the words.
Though she didn't say it out loud just then, but Frea wasn't sure Magic was even a possibility anymore...
".. I understand.. Granny..." Frea murmured quietly, "... I know I don't... usually listen... but I will this time... I promise..."
Wendy and Carla let out soft sighs at the words, looking a bit relieved that Frea seemed to willing to listen to the Old Lady where they knew well she had pushed herself too fast and too far many, many times before.
"You had better." Porlyusica replied sternly, Frea sighed slightly at the answer. "... Now, I have to treat your wounds, and re-wrap them." The Old Lady's voice dropped slightly at some of that sternness disappeared from her voice again, Frea blinked at the words, ".. you've managed to reopen a few of them, foolish girl. And just how you managed that is beyond me."
Frea seemed to blanch a little at that, her expression pulling slightly as she grimaced at the idea. It was a look that was shared between Wendy, Sherria and Carla alike in the next few moments- they saw the small bit of tenseness appear in Porlyusica's face as she said the words, and they understood why Frea seemed so reluctant to the idea.
"... great..." Frea mumbled, her voice so quiet they barely heard her say anything. "... alright... Granny... I understand..." Her eyes fell closed as she seemed to swallow a little.
"... I have a potion that will help to dull your pain." Porlyusica murmured, Frea shook her head though.
"... no... it's fine..." Frea mumbled lowly, Porlyusica raised an eyebrow at the answer. "... honestly... drinking anything... doesn't sound pleasant... I'll be alright..."
"... Frea, are you sure...?" Wendy murmured quietly, her eyes glinting. Frea nodded again, her eyes falling closed.
"... yeah... I'm sure..." Was the low reply, "... are you gonna need me... to sit up... Porlyusica...?"
Those wounds through her chest and her stomach weren't shallow, they had torn all the way through her body, and she knew well enough that she'd probably have to shift a bit to allow the Old Lady good view of the injuries, and to be able to work on them. She grimaced at the thought though, because the idea of moving at all was not a pleasant one, and the idea of having the wounds worked on was even less so.
She almost wished she hadn't drifted back to wakefulness, but it would be painful either way she looked at.
Porlyusica hesitated for a moment, her eyes narrowed to slits.
She had before decided on not moving the Energy Dragon Slayer too much, lest the strain and the shock of doing so, do more harm than good. With the sickness that had taken a hold of her body, she had thought it better to leave the wounds alone and wait awhile to give time for the fever to settle down again- which now it had, but Frea was still so weak and she wasn't sure jostling her too much would be a good idea.
But even then she knew that re-wrapping the wounds needed to be done, and she wanted to make sure there was no infection settling in either... not to mention repairing what stitches must have pulled to ensure that new blood that had seeped through the bandages already there.
Inevitable, maybe... and a risk too- should it put too much strain on her, but maybe a necessary one.
Porlyusica would simply have to go easy with her work, and try to make it as easy on the Dragon Slayer as she could manage.
"Not right now." The Old Lady replied softly, her eyes flashing slightly as her hand fell lightly on Frea's lower arm. Wendy got to her feet, ready to help out as Sherria did the same, Carla took to fluttering lightly above the bed- ready to hand supplies as were needed, all four of them looked just as tense as Frea did.
Frea nodded, just a small little bit, her eyes falling closed as she bit the inside of her cheek- this was not going to be fun, at all. They all knew it, and it made their heart's clench a little to even think how much pain and discomfort Frea would be in because of it.
"... try and lie still for awhile, girl."
Frea noticeably tensed up as they set to work, moving the bandages away slowly as they lay bare the inflamed, messy expanse of the wounds on her stomach and her chest, stitches pulling across the skin and holding it together in a few places where it was needed, blood welling up where they had pulled apart- and the wounds hot to the touch. Wendy, Sherria and Carla grimaced slightly, sweatdropping as the familiar and still ever worrying sight. For a moment both Sherria and Wendy were tempted to let their Magic flare up, but Porlyusica's earlier instruction not to kept them from doing so- they'd do as they were asked and only use their Magic when the Old Lady told them to.
Porlyuscia grimaced slightly after a few minutes of moving bandages and scanning the damage for the hundredth time, her eyes flicking upward toward the pair of younger girls as she nodded silently, though she looked reluctant. Her hand rest lightly over the deepest portions of the wounds and without hardly touching the young woman, grimacing as Frea let slip a hiss of pain at even how barely she was touched. Wendy's hands glowed a pale, slight blue as she let them hover lightly over Frea's heart, her eyes narrowed in concentration as Sherria turned her attention on helping Porlyusica treat the gash that had ripped through Frea's stomach.
Wendy swallowed slightly, her eyes flicking up toward Frea's face a moment and seeing the Energy Dragon Slayer trying to stifle the winces that came with what pain flared from their work, they were being careful and gentle about it all, and Wendy's Magic brought with it some small relief- but not enough, it was still agony to be touched, and before long she could feel her mind slipping, though her pain kept her awake.
The glow of Wendy's Magic faded as they worked, relying less on Magic and more on regular means of medicine, until they had done all Porlyusica was willing to do at the once, and paused for a small while to let Frea compose herself again, though she was hardly paying attention any longer- and more concerned with settling her now suddenly, slightly harsh breathing. Carla rest her paw lightly on Frea's shoulder, her eyes glinting slightly.
"... Frea...?" Wendy murmured quietly after a bit of silence, "... are you ok...?"
"... t..tch... y... yeah..." Frea grumbled quietly, wincing harshly half-way through. She cracked an eye open to glance up toward the bluenette- there was no mistaking what sheer pain had worked it's way into her face though. She was hissing lowly at it too, often, though she was trying to stay as quiet as she could.
Wendy swallowed hard, her eyes flicking up toward Porlyusica who looked just as uneasy as the Sky Dragon Slayer felt. Sherria sweatdropped, her eyes narrowed slightly as she cast Porlyusica a glance too, their work was only part way done, but the amount of pain Frea seemed to be in made them pause.
It took Porlyusica a long number of minutes to finally say something, waiting tensely for awhile as she listened to Frea's breathing ease back down some more.
"... Take it slow." Porlyusica murmured softly, breaking the silence. "... don't sit up... for now just roll over halfway, so I can take a look." Frea let out a shaky sigh at the request, flinching slightly as she started to move, Wendy and Sherria's hands fell lightly on her battered and broken body, sweatdropping heavily as Frea forced herself to shift, trembling and wincing harshly. They helped her move, steadying her as she came to a halt, lying on her side and her trembling arms curling under and around her pillow, hugging it closer to her body with one arm while the other fell atop the bed, her fingers gripping the sheets tightly as her jaw clenched, looking all the more pale and worn at what sheer energy it took to move even that little bit. But it was enough to lay bare the wounds marking across her back and the gash that had settled on her lower back and between her shoulder blades.
Frea swallowed hard, shaking more now and breathing more heavily, a bead of sweat falling down her face as her shoulders seemed to hunch, burying her nose part way into the bed as she stifled another wince. Moving was painful on its own with the wounds from Mordren, but her bones and her muscles and her organs and everything else was so damaged, moving properly was harder a task than it had ever been- and much more painful too, so much so she was in agony from it. She'd been in pain the entire time- there was no way of laying in that bed that didn't hurt or press against some injury, but shifting was enough to have her shaking with the effort and strain of it. And having already woken, and sat up when Laxus... moving around as much as she had that night had left her more worse for wear than maybe even she wanted to admit just then.
Wendy bit her lip, her eyes glittering as she saw how pale Frea looked so suddenly, her worry mimicked in the rest of the woman in the room. They hated how much pain it put Frea in to have her move, and they hated they hadn't any real choice on the matter. Porlyusica had left the wounds alone for a long while, and it was passed time to treat them- it was just worrying how badly Frea seemed to be taking it.
This time Wendy didn't shift around to the other side of the bed as Sherria did, her eyes fell slightly as she stayed still, sweatdropping as her hand reached forward to rest lightly atop Frea's own. Carla lighted down on the bed, her paw resting lightly atop Frea's head as Sherria and Porlyusica set to work in silence. Carla and Wendy stayed close, their hands holding Frea softly, lumps falling into their stomachs as Frea tensed, the pain working ever more deeply into her face as her wounds were treated, looking paler by the minute as near all color seemed to drain from her face.
Wendy swallowed, her eyes flashing as Frea's fingers gripped the bedsheet's more firmly, seeing the Energy Dragon Slayer grow more rigid a moment. Wendy's hand lightly squeezed Frea's own, her eyes falling slightly but ever watchful.
"... Sorry, Frea..." Wendy murmured quietly, "... I know it hurts... we'll be done soon..."
Frea didn't answer, she didn't have time to even think of doing so as her jaw clenched, her body growing more rigid as the pain sharpened just that bit more, her heart rate picking up and her breathing doing the same though she did her best not to let it. She heard Wendy though, she could feel the Little Dragon Slayer's hand resting lightly atop hers, and she could feel Carla's paw resting on top of her head ever so lightly too- they were trying to comfort her, as best they could.
Frea's body slowly lost it's rigidness as the wounds were rewrapped, and Porlyusica and Sherria's work came to a close. She was trembling more now, looking white as a ghost and all the more exhausted, her grip on the bed and around the pillow slackened as she lost the energy to keep tight hold of them, her mind teetering dangerously between darkness again. She didn't move, she remained laying on her side and hardly budged as she fought to calm her breathing down again, another bead of sweat dripping down her face as Wendy and Carla remained where they were.
Sherria frowned a little, looking tense as she lightly pulled the sheets back up, letting them fall lightly over the hardly awake Energy Dragon Slayer. Carla let out a small sigh, lightly brushing the loose strands of hair from Frea's face as Wendy straightened up a little, her eyes casting toward Porlyusica, who nodded slightly.
"... we're done, Frea." Wendy murmured softly, gently. "... are you alright?"
"... I think... so..." Was the shaky, incredibly quiet answer. "... wasn't.. tch... nearly as bad... as I figured..." Wendy sweatdropped at that, her eyes softening a little. "... though I think... tch... maybe for now... I'll just not... roll over... again..." Wendy nodded slightly, it had been hard enough rolling over the first time- and maybe lying on her side was a bit more comfortable for now anyway.
"... that's alright." Wendy murmured, "... That was hard on you, you should just try and rest some more, Frea."
Wendy swallowed a little though, her eyes glinting in worry at the sight of how pale and pained Frea was now. It was always hard to see anyone in the Guild so injured, but Frea had always been so good at getting back on her feet- seeing her this hurt and this seriously, enough so that simple movement was enough to set the Energy Dragon Slayer shaking and looking so feeble... Wendy hated seeing her like this, and she really wished it hadn't happened. She'd never seen Frea in this delicate of a state before, and that worried her too.
Wendy and Sherria alike heard Frea's shallow breathing deepen a little, telling them she had finally fallen unconscious again, Wendy let out a heavy sigh as she leaned back, Sherria's hand falling on top of her head in a reassuring way as Carla sat down too. They all looked more worn than they had before, Porlyusica as well- though the Old Woman looked serious too.
She hoped that strain she had been put through just now wouldn't lash back with a vengeance, and silently resigned herself to staying awhile to keep an eye on her before heading home again... or talking with Makarov again.
There was a soft knock on the door in the quiet room after a while, before the door opened and Mirajane came inside quietly, her blue eyes glinting as he held a small tray with a pitcher of water in it and a few cups. Her eyes flicked sadly toward Frea a moment, her heart jumping slightly to see how worn she looked now, before Mira set the tray down- pouring water into a few of the glasses and offering them to Wendy and Sherria alike with a small, sad smile- and then offering one to Porlyusica and Carla.
"Thanks, Mira..." Wendy sighed slightly after taking a few sips, Mira nodded.
"... how is she?" Mira asked softly,
"... her fever has gone down. And a few of the less serious wounds have been dealt with." Porlyusica replied lowly, "... the larger wounds will take much longer to contend with, but for now her condition seems to slowly be stabilizing." Mira's eyes shone slightly, looking relieved and hopeful at the news for a few moments.
".. thank goodness." Mira breathed, her eyes falling closed as her hand lay on her chest lightly. "... that's very good to hear..." Mira let out another breath, her hand falling as she glanced toward Wendy and Sherria. ".. are you two alright?"
"Yeah, I'm ok." Sherria nodded,
"I'm ok too." Wendy smiled,
"You should probably rest some yourself, Wendy." Carla broke in gently, "You as well, Sherria. You two could use a break."
"... Alright." Both girls murmured softly,
"... you should take a break too, Granny." Wendy spoke up, earning a silent stare from the Old Lady for a few moments.
"She's right, Porlyusica." Mira murmured, "Iki and Uno are preparing some food right now, you four could use some. In the meantime I can stay with her." She added, nodding toward Frea with a soft smile.
Porlyusica looked about ready to argue, she stayed silent for a few moments, before she let out a small huff, shaking her head slightly, but circling around from the other side of the bed slowly.
"Fine. I need to speak with Makarov anyway." Porlyusica grumbled, her hand waving toward Wendy, Carla and Sherria as if she was trying to shoo them ahead of her. "Go on you three, worry over yourselves for awhile." Mira smiled slightly as the four slowly moved toward the door, Porlyusica cast one small, fleeting glance back, before exiting the room entirely.
Mira let out a small breath once they were gone, her blue eyes softening slightly as she glanced away from the door- a small smile crossing her lips as her eyes caught sight of the dark, fur lined cloak that had been moved to lay across the back of a chair near to the bed Frea was asleep in.
She had passed the coat's owner by when she moved passed the bar, the tray in hand as he remained sitting with Freed, Evergreen and Bixlow- content in silence as they murmured amongst themselves. But Mira had seen the way his head tilted though, his ear turning slightly toward the hallway and toward this room, listening in ever so intently- she'd seen the way his eyes narrowed and the tenseness that crept into his shoulders whenever he heard Frea wince in pain.
Mira's eyes fell closed a moment, smiling to herself softly, before she made her way around the bed, her hand falling as she lightly picked the coat up in her hands- before gently laying it across the bed and pulling the top up to rest across Frea's shoulder. Frea shifted slightly as she did so, but didn't wake up, Mira smiled sadly as she lightly pulled a few of the longer pieces of Frea's hair back behind her ear.
Mira sank down into the seat that Wendy had been inhabiting, her hands folded lightly in her lap as she let out a small breath. Her eyes remained fixed to the Energy Dragon Slayer for a few moments, to that same person she had known for so long, that same person she looked up to in her youth, fought with, laughed with... one of her closest friends and someone she saw as an older sister. It hurt to know how badly wounded she had been, the memory of that day still stung so fresh and so raw as it did for everyone else in the Guild- but there was no denying the lightness that settled into Mira's heart upon hearing the Energy Dragon Slayer was starting to get better... just as there was no denying the small bit of warmth that crept into her stomach either. For more reasons than one.
"... Thank you, for not leaving us, Frea." Mira murmured softly, "... I know the Guild will appreciate it... It'll mean a lot to everyone."
Her eyes flicked across the coat, her smile softening a little more.
Master stared, his face falling slightly slack in relief as he glanced up at Porlyusica- who stood before him, her arms crossed over her chest and ever serious, the whole of the rest of the Guild behind her having crowded in slightly to hear what she said.
"... Despite the numerous wounds and the extent of the damage, her fever has gone down and her condition has begun to stabilize." Porlyusica murmured, her arms crossed about her chest and face neutral.
The Guild full of people behind her seemed to hold their breaths, eyes wide and hardly believing their ears for a few moments- it seemed almost too good to be true.
"... it will take a lot of work, and a lot of time, but she should heal." Porlyusica went on, unaware of or uncaring of the shining eyes fixed on her back and the slightly slack jaws. "... healing will be slow going, and we'll need to watch and make sure she doesn't push things too quickly. With Wendy and Sherria's Healing Magic, in time- the worst damage should be dealt with, and she can rely on her own strength to heal the rest. And hopefully with no lasting repercussions."
Master's eyes flashed for a minute, his eyes narrowing slightly as he heard the Old Lady's voice drop ever so slightly near the end- about the 'no lasting repercussions'. Given how wounded and serious the injuries had been, Porlyusica had a few doubts how well the Energy Dragon Slayer would overcome some of the worst sorts of injuries. And worried too over what could happen if her Magic ever got going to the extent it had- knowing full well it was Frea's Magic that had done some of the worst damage to her own body.
Porlyusica didn't voice her thoughts on the matter though, mostly because she had every intention of helping to heal the Energy Dragon Slayer enough that none of the injuries would leave her inhibited for the rest of her life. It would take a lot of care and detail to do so, but she planned to do it- and she would have a conversation on Frea's Magic with Makarov and the Energy Dragon Slayer a bit later, and preferably when Frea herself wasn't in an out of wakefulness and strong enough to have a serious discussion with.
"Hopefully with a few more days, Sherria can return home." Porlyusica went on, casting a glance toward the Sky God Slayer, who blinked upon hearing her name. "Once we reach a point where I am comfortable her injuries can do without Wendy and Sherria's Magic combined, I expect she may go home to her own city then."
"... I can stay as long as you need me, there's no rush." Sherria called quietly, smiling.
"Sherria, you've got your own Guild to get back to though, right?" Wendy asked, Sherria shook her head slightly.
"It's not a big deal, really. I don't mind staying, Wendy." Sherria assured brightly, Wendy smiled in appreciation, nodding a little.
"Thanks."
Porlyusica let out a small sigh, shaking her head slightly but not arguing the point further- those from the other Guilds had been in Magnolia the entire time, too long for normal standards- they all had lives of their own to get back to and she was sure they realized it, they simply hesitated at the idea of leaving... but maybe now-
The Guild behind her were glancing between each other, their hearts pounding and eyes gleaming in a small rush of hope, uncertainty and nervousness.
"... are you sure, Porlyusica?" Cana asked softly, looking wary from where she was standing beside a stony faced Gildarts.
"... you mean it?" Jet and Droy asked quietly,
"Frea's really gonna be ok..?" Was the collective question from more than a few people, breathless and quiet words and murmurings of the same caliber and same question passing over the hall as they seemed to wait with bated breath, shoulders tight and barely breathing a few moments. The Guild Hall had filled up more than it had been the last few days- mostly due to the sudden lack of rain hanging over the town. Now there stood a collection of people- all watching intently with baited breath and fixed attentions.
Porlyusica turned slightly to settle her red gaze on the lot of them, neutral faced as ever as she nodded stiffly.
"In time, yes, I expect she'll be alright." Was the affirmative answer, that in the next instant seemed an order for everyone to breath again. Small smiles appeared cross their faces, their postures becoming more relaxed as happy, relieved tears pricked at the corners of their eyes.
Cana let out a breathless sigh, her hands clapping together lightly in front of her chest as her eyes fell closed, looking weary but happy none the less. Gildarts seemed to let out a breath beside her, his hand falling lightly on top of her head as his lips twitched at the corners in a small smile.
Jet and Droy slammed into eachother as they hugged, looking excited and crying as Levy smiled at the both of them, looking sad a minute regardless of how good it felt to hear Porlyusica say the words. Lily beside her smiled a bit sadly too, his eyes trailing from her and toward a window a moment- not for the first wondering where it was his Partner had disappeared to, and that small pit of worry in his stomach knotted itself a little tighter for a few moments.
Moon let out a happy breath, smiling slightly as Iki and Uno alike let their paws land on top of her head, smiling brightly at her, looking as happy as Jet and Droy seemed, their tails twitching in excitement.
"That's great!" They purred, Moon chuckled, nodding toward them.
Jura smirked, his eyes falling closed and arms crossed about his chest, beside him Ichiya, Hibiki, Ren and Eve bursting with happiness and sparkling slightly,
"Never doubted her, Men~!" Ichiya smiled,
Natsu beamed, his lips pulled into a toothy grin as he scooped Lucy up in his arms, tears in his eyes as the blonde stiffened at the contact, looking surprised, before she smiled slightly at the pinkette.
"You hear that, Luce?!" Natsu smiled, Lucy nodded slightly, for now ignoring the fact that he had picked her up- and more concerned with the fact that he was back to his normal, goofy self- that same goofy side of him that had disappeared entirely the last two weeks.
"Yeah, it's such a relief." Lucy smiled in return,
Loke- who had come through his Gate a little earlier- his glasses fell halfway down his nose without him caring, his eyes gleaming as he smiled slightly, looking tired and excited all at once. Solana beside him seemed to deflate a little, looking more relaxed than she had been in weeks- she cast him a small glance, smirking slightly as she lightly pushed his glasses up his nose again. He caught her hand lightly, smirking in return,
"Looks like Frea made it through after all, huh?" Solana murmured quietly, Loke nodded a little.
"Of course." He smiled, "She's too stubborn to give up." Solana smiled slightly at that,
"Guess that's true..." Solana murmured, smiling a little more- before Happy crashed into her chest, tearing her gaze away from Loke's as he smiled, his tail wagging back and forth happily as he held on to her.
"Did you hear that, Solana?!" Happy exclaimed, "Porlyusica said Frea's gonna be ok!" Solana blinked, before letting out an amused breath, her hand rubbing between Happy's ears gently as she nodded at him.
"I heard, furball."
Aisha let out a small huff, her cheek falling into her open palm as her eyes fell closed to the sudden wash of noise, Chase glanced up at her, smiling slightly to himself when he saw the small, faint wisp of a relieved smile appear on the MoonLight Mage's face.
Gray backed up a few paces, taking a heavy seat down on a bench as Lyon stiffened, the Lamia Mages eyes snapping away from the sudden light celebration moving over the hall toward the other Ice Mage. Lyon blinked, sweatdropping slightly as Gray's elbows fell onto his knees, his head bowed slightly and a hand running through his hair in near exhaustion, looking much less thrilled than everyone else and more worn than anything. Gray sweatdropped, letting out a low sigh as his hand fell to hold his chin, his fingers brushing just under his nose as his eyes fell closed a moment.
Gray's shoulders hunched slightly, his lips twitching up in a small half smile- Lyon stiffened a little, his eyes glinting as he watched the tears stream down Gray's face in sheer silence, before Lyon himself smiled slightly, his arms crossing over his chest.
"Gray!"
Lyon jumped a bit, a blur of blue moving in front of him as Juvia jumped at Gray, her arms latching tightly around his neck and knocking him off the bench entirely, the Water Mage beaming and tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as she looked down at Gray, who looked up at her in slightly stunned silence.
"Juvia is so happy!" Juvia breathed, "Juvia is so relieved that Frea will be alright! Are you happy as well?" Juvia asked brightly, earning a small smile from Gray in return, the Ice Mage not at all bothered by the sudden way she had jumped at him.
"Yeah, Juvia." He replied,
"Juvia is happy Gray is happy too!"
"Yes!" Sting exclaimed, grinning toothily and looking like an idiot as he snatched Lector up in his arms, crying all the while as he bounced up and down like a child, Lector crying away with just as wide a grin on his face and very unconcerned with how he was being held. This action was mirrored by an equally as happy and relieved Rogue, who had scooped Frosch up in his arms- the pair of Saber Wizards looking ridiculous but they hardly cared, they were too happy.
"That's fantastic news!" Rogue smirked,
"Fro thinks so too!"
"Awesome, awesome~!" Bixlow's Tiki Dolls cheered quietly, hovering around Lisanna's head as she smiled across toward the Seith Mage, the pair looking exited though they kept themselves under better control than the Saber Wizards. Elfman had scooped Evergreen up in his arms in his excitement, tears in his eyes and looking as foolish as Sting and Rogue maybe- much to Evergreen's annoyance, though for now she let it slide.
Master smiled too, looking relieved as everyone else did though he kept his tears at bay as he nodded toward Porlyusica, "Thank you, Porlyusica." The Old Man murmured quietly, feeling his own heart lighten as moods seemed to turn in the Hall so suddenly. "... has Frea woken up again?" He asked quietly,
"... she was awake while we were working." Porlyusica murmured in reply, Master's eyes flashed slightly at the mention of it. "... Though being awake like that put a lot of strain on her, working on her injuries and re-wrapping them was painful, and now she's exhausted and with every right to be. I doubt she'll be awake again for a few hours at least." Master nodded slightly in understanding, "Mirajane is keeping an eye on her for now. I don't want too many people crowding into that room at once, either. So keep your brats at bay, lest they cause a fuss."
"Alright." Master murmured, letting out a small sigh. "... I will make it clear to the Guild they are not to be crowding in all at once."
Though inwardly he wondered how easy a time he would have at doing that.
"Such wonderful news to hear, hmm Maki?" Master Bob murmured softly, leaning against the bar with a slight smile.
"It's certainly is." Master replied,
"... let's hope the Council agrees." Goldmine mumbled, earning a small nod from Master Bob- Makarov didn't seem to hear the words, or otherwise- he didn't give any indication he had.
"Erza is going to be so happy when she hears." Levy smiled slightly, "She's been really worried too."
"Where is she, anyway?" Iki asked, his head tilting slightly.
"I think she's at her apartment with Kagura and Milliana." Levy replied softly, "... I think Gajeel will be happy too, when he gets back." Levy's voice fell slightly, Iki blinked.
"... No sign of him still?" The tomcat asked quietly, Levy shook her head. "... Don't worry, I'm sure he'll turn up soon."
"I hope so."
Freed's eyes moved away from watching the rest of the hall, his attention casting slowly toward the silent and unmoving figure of Laxus- who was sitting with his arms crossed about his chest and leaning slightly on the bar counter-top, his eyes closed and hardly seeming to pay any attention to the sudden light attitude and mirth in the building.
"Is something the matter, Laxus?" Freed murmured quietly, earning a small blink from the Lightning Dragon Slayer.
"Hmm?"
"You do not seem surprised at the news." Freed murmured, Laxus glanced away, his eyes falling closed again as he sighed slightly. "... is it perhaps because you already had hope she would be alright?" Freed asked slowly, Laxus stiffened ever so slowly at the question, taking a few moments of silence before answering.
"... you were standing outside the door longer than you said." Laxus grumbled, Freed smiled slightly.
"Perhaps I had been there a bit longer." He relented easily enough, Laxus grumbled under his breath a little. "... you did not mention that Frea had woken up to the either the Guild or the Master, Laxus."
"And?" Was the low reply, Freed tilted his head a little. "Long as she ain't dying, it doesn't matter if I mentioned it or not." Freed blinked, his eyes softening slightly.
He saw the tenseness work its way into Laxus shoulders at the thought, though he was sure the Lightning Dragon Slayer had tried to hide it- why he was so tense, however, Freed hadn't a clue, he just had a feeling he had missed something- that maybe something had happened long before he had arrived outside the door between Frea and Laxus, and clearly Laxus wasn't going to talk about it.
He let it be, regardless of what questions that mention of a 'Chance' had brought up in his own mind.
Freed sighed slightly, smiling to himself as he looked away from Laxus again.
"I suppose it is no matter." Freed murmured, "... it's enough to know she won't be leaving us, I expect the Guild will begin to return to its old self, in time." He heard Laxus let out a low breath as his only reply to the statement,
Freed's eyes fell closed a moment, his mind flashing back to the gentleness and care that had crept into that Lightning Dragon Slayer as he sat with Frea, and without the rest of the world to see.
... Even if you seem bent on not admitting it out loud, or showing it outwardly either, I expect you're relieved to hear the Porlyusica confirm she'll be alright, Laxus...
"Back again so soon, Malurey?"
Frea blinked, her eyes opening slightly to sheer bright white, she sighed heavily, sitting up slowly as her eyes trailed up toward that ever present massive figure of Naraka, still settled so casually on his stomach a few feet in front of her- close enough his breath washed over her.
He smelled less like rot though, and death... If it was possible he smelled more like roses the more often she saw him. A strong, familiar scent that seemed to mask the scent of death and decay.
Frea rubbed the back of her neck, sweatdropping as she frowned a little- even here she still felt exhausted and she certainly wasn't looking for another lecture... He'd said enough and she couldn't make sense of any of it. She just wanted a few minutes of nothing, no new information, no swirling thoughts and memories all mashed together in one.
"... Not by choice." She mumbled softly, earning a smirk from him at the answer. "... I'm really not in the mood, Naraka..."
"Well, all you had to do was ask for a break, Malurey." Naraka replied lightly, looking amused as Frea settled a disbelieving look on him. Naraka smiled a bit wider at the look, pressing a clawed hand to his chest and smiling all the while. "I'm not heartless, Malurey. I realize you've been through quite an ordeal the last few weeks, and I am sympathetic to your pain!"
"Mhmm." Frea grumbled lowly,
"Hehe, believe me or not, we do not have to recant everything all at once." Naraka smirked, "... we have limited time, but there is time- and hopefully time enough for you to heal before things become set too far in motion to avoid." Frea's eyes narrowed slightly,
"What things?" She asked immediately,
"I thought you wanted a break, Malurey?" Naraka replied easily,
"Don't give me that." Frea growled, "The last time someone mentioned something about events moving into motion and soon- I ended up in a goddamn battle for the Balance of the World against an ancient Energy God Slayer with too much power, and who killed me." Her eyes flashed slightly, "If you're even faintly mentioning that something is coming, I have every right to know just what." Naraka looked all the more amused at the words, his head tilting slightly as they simply looked at one another.
"... you recall what I told you, of the Legendary Black Wizard?" Naraka murmured, Frea stiffened, sweatdropping slightly. "You know him well, you've contended with many of his creations in your time, and your life has been touched by many of them as well." Frea's eyes narrowed to slits, biting the inside of her cheek.
"... you're fucking kidding me." She growled, "... you're not telling me Zeref's planning something, right?"
"... indeed he is, Malurey. Though how soon he will act is up for debate, as well as what he plans precisely." Naraka murmured, there was a flash of fear that passed her face for a split second, her eyes falling away from him entirely.
Shit... Zeref's bad enough... but if it's too soon? With me like I am?
She stiffened, her breath catching in her throat slightly.
... what if... going against him... that much Dark Energy... what if I lose it...?
"... you see? Now you're more tense than you were before, Malurey." Naraka murmured lowly, "... I have no advice to give on the matter, but what Zeref plans has been a long time coming. You cannot avoid it, no one can... and what comes with him, I expect, will be even less pleasant." Frea's heart jumped slightly, her eyes snapping upward toward the Dragon, sweatdropping heavily as she paled.
"... you mean?" She breathed, "... if Zeref starts something... he'll show up again too...?"
A seriousness dawned upon Naraka's face then, green eyes narrowed and expression stony and grim, he nodded that massive head, once.
Frea felt her heart drop to her feet.
... I don't... I don't know if I... can...
Hello all! I lied, this Chapter has come before "Slain Among Ice and Fire", as well as "Rewind". I know I promised those first, but I hope you can forgive me~
Please enjoy this Chapter! Thank you all for the continued support and thank you for keeping on reading!
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