Chapter Sixty-Two
"Cards?" Natsu asked and was about to step forward when the winds shifted. The hybrids chirped and Happy twisted on Natsu's shoulders.
"They say that the smell is in the wind. It's what they followed."
"It's starlight." Lucy whispered. "I can smell it too. It's on all the cards. It must be because they're falling from the sky."
"Where are they falling from?" Natsu asked and Happy took off flying. After some time he slowly drifted down.
"They're falling from beyond the height I can fly to. It's like its from…"
"The Guild Station." Lucy finished and Happy nodded and landed. She flipped the card in her hand and then froze. Her mouth fell open and Natsu looked at her.
"What is it Lucy?'
"It's…Cana?"
"Cana?" He and Happy made their way to her, careful not to step on the cards. They looked at the card, and it did look like Cana. But she was very tiny. Almost as if she were printed on it to look like she was far away.
"Who would draw a picture of Cana on a card falling from space?" Happy asked and Lucy shook her head.
"Cana always had her tarot cards on her." She whispered and then gasped. The Cana image got larger; and then they realized that it was moving. Arms and legs pumping as if she was running. Then suddenly she was at the front of the card, her face and shoulders the only thing visible.
"What the hell?" Natsu asked and put his finger on the card where her forehead was and they watched as her head moved backwards, as if pushed.
"Don't push me idiot!" Cana's voice came from the card and Lucy jerked, tossing the card in the air and Happy flew up and caught it; holding it towards Lucy and Natsu.
"Cana? I'm so sorry I threw the card."
"It's fine. I'd probably throw away a talking card too." Her friend said and grinned at her. "You are looking good."
"I wish I could say the same but I can't." Lucy said and looked at her friend. "How are you in a card?"
"Hell if I know." Cana cackled. "But I am. And let me tell you, I got dizzy as I fell from space down here. You catching me was a godsend. Took me a while to let my stomach stop rolling before I could get up here."
"Where even are you?"
"No idea. It's like a big white room." She shrugged and looked at them. "I'm alive. So I'm not complaining."
"I'm not either." Lucy murmured, tears falling down her face. She wrapped an arm around Natsu and looked at the card. "I thought I'd lost all of you."
"I thought you lost us too." Cana said and ran her fingers through her hair and pulled it into a ponytail. "But the last thing I remember was a bright light and then waking up in this card."
"I wonder…" Natsu pulled away and Lucy watched him pick up a card from the ground. "It's Sam."
He turned it around. Sam was laying sprawled out, but they could see his chest heaving. Meaning he was breathing.
"Could…everyone be in the cards?" Lucy wondered. They moved and grabbed cards while Happy hovered with Cana's in his paws.
"I have Jet, Kiana, and a slew of items I can't identify." Lucy said and looked over at Natsu.
"I have Droy, Macco, and Akiko. And I have parts and things from the Guild Station too."
"We need help." Lucy said and Cana cheered and Happy flew a loop until Cana started to scold him.
"I have alerted Gray and Juvia and they are coming." Alfie announced and the hybrids looked around in confusion, fear evident.
"Alfie is a system. She's in here!" Lucy said holding up her calm. Alfie hummed and lit up the comm in yellow and blue lights.
"They want to know how you got a person in such a small container." Happy said as the large hybrid clawed at the ground.
"She's not a real person. She's a system, a machine." She said softly. The hybrids chirped and growled and then turned and looked around. Happy giggled and Cana was staring in confusion.
"They are worried we are going to turn them into a machine and carry them on your belt."
"I won't do that. I can't do that." She laughed and shuffled the cards around, putting the cards with the parts in her pocket while keeping the ones with people in her hands. She started picking up more cards. Getting frustrated most were parts of the Guild Station. natsu too was growling in annoyance. Gray and Juvia appeared and stared in confusion.
"Are people really in the cards?" Gray asked and Happy spun around and Cana winked at him.
"Heya Gray. Whose the hottie with you?"
"Cana." Gray groaned and then smiled. Relief evident on his face. "Good to see you, even if you are annoying."
"It's what I live for cold stuff."
"Are you with this Cana? Is she your growlkin?" Juvia asked concern on her face as she looked between the card and Gray. Gray stuttered, throwing his arms in the air and denying it while jumping back from Happy as if scalded. Cana cracked up and Juvia looked confused.
"Cana is a shameless flirt." Lucy said and grunted. "There has to be an easier way to find people cards."
She heard a chirp and saw the small hybrid's muzzle pointing at something. She walked over and it was a card. She picked it up and stared. "It's one of the kids."
"Over here are more." Happy translated for the larger hybrid. Juvia walked over and it moved aside to let her pick up the cards near its claws.
"There are three cards with people." She said and Lucy looked at the hybrids.
"How can you pick them out like that?"
"They smell different from the other cards." Happy said as they made sounds. "We will help you find your nestlings."
"Thank you so much." Lucy choked up and looked at Natsu who smiled at her.
They started running around and the two Dragis and two females ran around picking up the people-filled cards. All of them were in the same sleeping state that Sam was in. Alfie was keeping a tally of how many cards were found compared to people who had been on the Guild Station. They still had some to find; but cards were still falling. As the cards hit the ground, the hybrids were sniffing at them.
Happy had given Cana's card to Lucy and was flying around picking up the non-people filled cards. He had a bag in his hand that he put them in. He told them it would be easier to keep the new cards identifiable from the old ones. And that way no one could stumble on the cards and take things. Especially Mard Geer.
"I can't believe this." Lucy said, looking at the cards in her hand. Yukino, Kiana, Laki, and her father. Her father's face looked pinched, as if he was pained. "Does anyone have my mother?"
She asked and looked around. Gray shuffled through his cards and shook his head. Natsu shook his and she sighed. Juvia looked at her cards.
"Juvia has your sister."
"My…what?" Juvia walked over and held out her card and Lucy sighed heavily and smiled at Juvia who looked confused.
"That's my mother, not my sister."
"What? But you two look so alike." Juvia was obviously confused and Lucy just nodded and smiled. She took the card from the Aquaterran's hand and smiled. Her mother looked peaceful in her sleep and she felt a weight leave her shoulders. She smiled and started to lean back. Juvia was about to ask what she was doing when Natsu appeared behind her. His arms wrapped around her waist and he nuzzled the side of her head.
"They move so synchronistically." She murmured, more to herself than anything.
"Yeah…pretty sure Atlas wasn't wrong that they are really growlkins; admitted by Lucy or not." Gray whispered and she looked over at him, surprised he'd heard her.
"I see." She said and watched as Lucy relaxed against Natsu, holding the cards close to her chest.
"I'm glad you got them back Luce." Natsu murmured and kissed the side of her head, feeling her relief washing through him. She smiled and nodded and looked up at him
"I'm glad you get your Guildmates back too." He smiled softly at her and she leaned up and kissed him, twisting so it wasn't an awkward upside-down kiss.
"What is that?" Juvia asked and tilted her head as she watched them kiss.
"Hell if I know." Gray said pulling a confused face.
"It's called a kiss." Alfie said from Gray's waistband. "It is a human form of affection."
"Oh." They said in unison and watched as the two pulled apart.
"There are more people cards." Happy said and pointed to the hybrids who were tapping at the ground. Gray walked over, still a little apprehensive around the hybrids even though they largely disregarded him. He picked up the cards and looked them over. A few members of the engineering and mechanical staff. The last one he flipped over; he gave a cheer which made them all look over at him.
"It's Gramps!" He ran over and showed everyone. Sure enough Makarov was sprawled out; his mouth open and obviously snoring.
"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?" Cana screamed from Lucy's hands and she flipped the card around and Cana stared at the card of Makarov and sighed in relief. "When the light happened and I felt him get pulled away from me I was so scared."
"All Guild Station inhabitants are accounted for." Alfie announced; having finished her list. Everyone sighed in relief and then she hummed. "I have managed to adapt a drone; it will pick up the rest of the cards. I recommend everyone gets inside. The weather is shifting and I do not like the way my readings look."
"Ok." Natsu said and went to grab Lucy's hand but she was standing by the hybrids. She was stroking their heads one at a time. Everyone watched as they bumped against her and her scalut didn't react. She rested her head against each of theirs.
"Thank you so much for helping find our nestlings." She whispered and they nuzzled her while growling and chirping.
"Your nestlings are our nestlings now." Happy sniffed and Natsu rubbed his head. Juvia inhaled sharply and felt tears prick her eyes.
"I didn't think they could…"
"Feel? They're special." Gray whispered. "The only two of their kind."
"They must be so lonely and scared."
"Well I think we've added them to the Fairy Tail hoard." Gray whispered and pulled some fabric from his pocket and held it out to her. She wiped at her tears.
Alfie vibrated on Natsu's hip and he looked at his comm and headed over to Lucy and the hybrids. They lifted their heads and watched him approach. "Alfie found an older shelter in my supplies and said it can fit them; if they want to stay there during the incoming storm."
"You mean we can stay close?" The little hopped excited from claw to claw. Happy's voice cracking ever so slightly.
"Nestlings stick together." Natsu said and the big one shoved its head into his chest. He gasped as it knocked the air from him. He rubbed its head and it growled against him, making him shake violently.
"We are happy you consider us nestlings. We will stay close." Happy was full on bawling as he translated. Lucy shook her head and held her arms out. He flew into them and she soothed him. Alfie was setting up the shelter next to the Magi-Hover and turned on the cloaking. Luckily, despite being older, the shelter also had cloaking that worked. The hybrids ran into the shelter and settled down side by side. Alfi started to shut the door and the little one jumped up chirping.
"It's scared that this is a trap."
"If you need out; press here." She lit up a panel. The little hybrid walked over and tapped the panel with it's muzzle and it made the door start to close. It pressed it again, and it started to open again. The larger one growled.
"Stop playing and let's rest." Happy giggled against Lucy as the little one made a scoffing growling sound and then made its way to the other's side. Alfie shut the door and the rest headed inside. Almost as if it was timed; the skies opened up as Juvia stepped into the Magi-Hover. The door shut, cutting off the thunderous sound.
"That came out of nowhere." Gray said and shook his head as he placed his cards on the table.
"I didn't even smell it coming." Lucy said and put the cards in her hand next to Gray's deck, propping Cana's up to look around the room as much as she could from the card.
"Not surprising. Your sense of smell is kinda weak." Natsu said and she elbowed him.
"Humans can smell the petrichor you know."
"The what now?" Natsu asked and looked at Lucy in confusion.
"Petrichor is the smell of rain on the air." She explained and laughed as he looked at her Alfie confirmed that it was true.
"You have a word for that?" Juvia asked and sat down on a bench and stretched to put her deck of cards on the table.
"We have words for almost everything." Cana said and chuckled. "And yet a lot of the time we can't use the right ones when we need it."
"That's interesting."
"A lot of this place and its people is interesting." Natsu said and put his cards down as well. Happy was handing Alfie's claw his bag with the cards of stuff. He climbed up onto the table and looked at Cana's card. She smiled at him and he smiled back.
"How do we get you out of there Cana?" He asked as he sniffed at the card.
"Hell if I know." She shrugged and looked around. "There's no door here. And I'm not even sure what these cards are."
"I'm sure we'll find someone who does know." Lucy said and Cana smiled at her.
"Always the optimistic."
"Thats my Lucy." Natsu said and nuzzled her. She turned and fang snapped at him and he grinned widely down at her. Juvia turned and looked at Gray who was trying not to snicker. Cana grinned and Happy rolled his eyes.
"So have the wedding bells rang yet my dear Lucy?"
"Shut up Cana!" Lucy shouted and turned her attention to the card and shook her fist. Everyone was confused as the two started to bicker, and then Alfie started to explain what she knew from the air files.
"We expect entry into Earthland orbit shortly." Alfie announced and everyone started moving to secure seating.
"Do I want to know what you all did to make this shuttle travel so fast? It took a lot longer to get Solarium." Erza said as she let the straps appear and pull her tightly against the seat. Jellal chuckled and shook his head.
"Excited to see your Guildmates again?" He asked to take her mind off of the approach.
"Yes. But I don't look forward to the fighting that we will have to do either."
"Those who look forward to war have issues." He commented and she nodded. Erza watched as the planet grew larger. The light around the windows changed hues and Erza assumed it was flames; like in the movies. She closed her eyes as the ship started to shake and rattle. She felt her ears pop and she flinched. She felt a hand grab her hand and squeeze and she cracked her eye open and saw that it was Jellal but that he was looking out the window and not paying her attention. She felt somewhat calmer.
The craft evened out and she released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. They were still high in the atmosphere and she could make out the coastline of Europe; specifically Italy and Greece. She had never expected to see that view in her life; especially not from this position.
"We need to head west, we're on the wrong side of the planet." She murmured and Alfie corrected the course and everyone breathed heavily and looked at the view of the planet in front of them as they continued to lower.
"Look at this planet." Meredy said in awe. "So much water and yet, look at the amount of land too."
"There's a more under the water that you can't see too. Parts of land that fell into the water over time. And further to the east there are hundreds if not thousands of islands dotting the ocean as well." Erza murmured and Meredy's eyes widened.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. Seriously. Sometime you'll have to ask Alfie to show you maps and history files." Erza smiled and watched as they flew quickly over the land; passing western Europe and hitting the Atlantic. She inhaled and shook her head.
"What's wrong Erza?" Romeo asked and she she looked over at him.
"I didn't think I'd see my planet from this vantage point. And I wasn't sure if I'd ever see Europe…the land we just flew over. There was a chance if I had managed to join the military if things hadn't gone to hell. But I could have also been stationed in other parts of the world."
"You all don't travel around unless in the military?" Ultear asked and Erza shook her head.
"We can. I just didn't have the money to do it. It's a bit expensive." Everyone nodded.
"Wow…we've already hit the Eastern seaboard." She said and stared.
"The what now?" Lyon asked and she motioned with her hand.
"This is the East Coast of the North American continent." She said and pointed at something in the water. "That is what's left of the Statue of Liberty. A bronze statue gifted to us by a foreign country as a gift. She was a symbol of peace, justice, and hope."
The statue washout jaggedly in half; the crown and most of the head submerged in water while the rest of the torso was on it's side and the legs looking burnt out. She shook her head. "Not sure what did that. Doesn't look like a human weapon."
"It doesn't matter. In time, maybe Gajeel and the other metal Dragis can fix it." Jellal say and Erza nodded. He was right. It didn't matter. What did matter was getting to their friends and ending this war.
"We are approaching the location of Natsu and Lucy's Magi-Hover." Alfie stated.
"Good to know." Everyone inhaled. They watched as the sky darkened and water and hail came down.
"That looks horrible.' Sting muttered darkly and they watched as the storm strengthened as they continued pushing forward.
"Summer storms are unpredictable." Erza said and they heard some beeping. "Alfie?"
"Due to the intensity of the storm; we will be doing a stacked landing."
"Stacked landing?" Rouge asked and looked at Sting who shrugged. The AI hummed as the shuttle moved through the high winds.
"A stacked landing is not common but has been done in the past." The AI informed them. "I will hover over the Magi-Hover on the ground; and extend support poles for stability. Then a tube connecting the the two will form. It is not preferred due to being made into a larger target. But once the last person is in the Magi-Hover below; I will unstack and move this ship."
"Sounds good." Jellal stated and they waited, flinching as the storm raged around them. Rouge and Sting watched as the lightening flared; surprised by the intensity of it.
"I thought only Laxus could cause this much lightning." Sting murmured and Rouge nodded in surprise.
Romeo shifted in his seat and watched the storm raging. He'd been doing his best to avoid crying about his loss, but his heart hurt. He couldn't remember his mother; so his father and him were the only family he had ever known. Joining Fairy Tail had allowed them an extended family of sorts; but even the majority of them were gone. He looked around; while everyone looked somber, none looked heartbroken. He wondered how they weren't so upset.
He lifted his fist to his mouth and gnawed on his knuckles. He loathed how calm and unaffected they were. It was taking everything not to cry, even now. A crashing clash of thunder exploded around them, shaking the shuttle and he cried out; surprised. Others also made noises and Erza turned and looked over at Romeo. His dark eyes locked onto hers and he watched as her face wavered. He saw the stoic facade fall. Then, to his surprise and Alfie's annoyance, she got up out of her seat and walked back to him. She knelt beside his seat; and he felt all eyes on them as she knelt there. She reached around him, pulling him as far forward as he could be in his restraints and hugged him.
"It's okay to let go." She whispered and stroked his back. His eyes started to water and he felt his lips quiver. He reached around her and fisted handfuls of her shirt and started to cry. Everyone took a half a second to watch and then looked away. Erza held him, refusing to let go; even as she was bumped roughly against his seat. She whispered how she understood it was hard, that losing everyone felt like the world was ending; and that he felt shattered.
"How can you all look unaffected?" He asked and she tilted her head as he pulled back to look down at her. She ran a hand through his hair, combing it over the side of his brow.
"Because we want to try and be strong for each other; and we don't want to be the one who starts a crying-fest."
"But my tears won't cause a crying-fest?" He demanded and she shook her head.
"Look around Romeo. Really look." He did and he realized that several of the others had silent tears running down their faces. He looked back at her.
"I don't understand."
"We all hurt. But we are trying to hold it together. But we still let our tears and feelings happen."
"Then why can't I?"
"Because you are young. And its something you learn as you go through repeated heartaches in life. Don't try and pretend to be an adult. Just let your emotions out. Don't bottle them up and let them eat at you." She told him and he lowered his head back to her shoulder. Letting more tears fall.
"Thank you Erza." He whispered after some time and she nodded and pulled back a bit but didn't release the hug. "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about." She looked around and lowered her voice to a conspirator's tone. "I kinda needed the hug too."
"Anytime." He offered and she smiled as his arms dropped from around her. She slowly got up, grimacing as the blood rushed back to her muscles and she felt like she was walking on pins and needles as she headed back to her seat. The shuttle lurched and she landed on Jellal's lap and she blushed as she tried to stand up but he wrapped an arm around her waist, his hand landing on her hip.
"Don't. At this point; I think it's better to stay still until Alfie lands this thing. We can't risk you being injured."
"Right." She said and looked out the window. In the flashes of lightening; she thought she could make out a Magi-Hover in the distance.
"We are nearing Natsu and Lucy's Magi-Hover. Apparently they have erected a shelter on the side for the hybrids to bunker down in during the storm."
"Hybrids?" Jellal asked and Erza made a face and shook her head. He squeezed her hip and she sighed.
"Draconic hybrids." She said and licked her lips. He stared at her.
"What are Draconic hybrids?"
"Mard Geer has been genetically breeding them with each other. But why they're protecting any I can' tell you."
"They are friendly draconics who have fought against Mard Geer and protected our Guildmates." Alfie stated and overlook took a few moments and then Sting and Rouge started to crack up.
"Trust Natsu and Lucy to befriend freaking Draconic hybrids." Rouge swiped at a tear at the corner of his eyes.
"They probably feel like Natsu is on their mental level." Sting giggled and everyone else choked a bit on their own laughter who knew Natsu. Ultear, Meredy and Jellal grinned but didn't fully grasp the humor as they hadn't met Natsu personally yet.
"Well hopefully they don't think we're an enemy about to attack…Lucy wouldn't forgive us for hurting anyone or anything she considers a friend or ally." Erza sighed and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands.
"If they're smart; they're not going to step out in this storm." Jellal said and hoped he was right. The shuttle settled over the Magi-Hover with some rocking and they gritted their teeth and waited. They could hear the sound of metal moving and rearranging itself under their feet and they stared at the floors as if they were going to open up and something was going to jump out at them. But nothing happened. So they kept waiting.