There existed an old training ground beneath Mercurius that was untouched by the hand of Twilight Empire. It was a fairly rudimentary thing—an oval-shaped arena layered with sand atop gruff dirt. Bleachers extended only three rows deep surrounded it. There were two entrances and exits on either side. It had an indoor atmosphere despite being outdoor, considering how tightly it hugged the base of Mercurius.
Scars of old soldiers and wizards training remained marred along the bleacher stands. The dirt still sizzled with the hints of old magic begging to be reawaken. Burn marks lay everywhere. Centuries ago, no doubt, dragons came to train alongside their human companions. Or, dragons came to hunt. The arena could probably fit, comfortably, only one smaller dragon, so it was more likely that humans were the only ones who'd used it.
It was one of the more striking areas in all of Crocus by virtue of it holding no Imperial insignias. Even the begotten training grounds that were at least used had one or two flags. But there was no sigil nor indication of the Twilight Empire's presence in sight around the training ground. Having that weight removed off their shoulders helped Lucy, Levy, and Kip meet there from time to time and train.
Lucy discovered it on accident, while on one of her walks away from Axel as she was attempting to master more of her Star Dresses. Axel, finally, allowed her to have all of her keys back so that she could dive into the Star Dresses she desired. After two weeks of hard work—lots of sweat, soreness, vomiting, and laying in bed wondering if she was about to keel over from Magical Deficiency Disease—she'd mastered the ability to wear two Star Dresses: Aries's and Sagittarius's. She was getting close to Taurus, as that was one she'd wanted to focus on from the start, given the power the Bull had. Aquarius was going to be a distant goal simply from the Spirit's stubborn nature.
She accomplished Aries first on purpose—to throw Axel off any scent he may think there was of treachery. Aries's magic was hardly offensive in any measure, so, if she were mastering a "weaker" dress, it wouldn't come off as problematic.
Their training didn't start immediately, but the three regularly meeting up did. Lucy made it a priority for Levy to know not only Kip but also that he was on their side. A real mole in the Empire, unlike Lucy and Levy, who'd essentially been planted there (if forcibly). Kip was able to assure them of their friends' escapes and their ability to fend off the Twilight Empire. He was quite giddy to talk about their adventure breaking into the city.
"How'd you get Johan to forget that you know, you attacked him?" Levy had asked.
"When you're a General of the Twilight Empire, simple things like wizards with memory magic aren't hard to come by," Kip told her. "Cost me a pretty penny, but Johan forgot all about me, and thought he simply got beat by Gajeel and Gray."
Kip was, for all intents and purposes, Axel's confidant in ensuring Lucy's dedication to the cause, and the dedication to her training. It made their meetups far easier.
Invel was apparently reluctant to let Levy around Lucy so much, believing that they were scheming—which was true. But August didn't mind. August believed in Levy's dedication far more than Lucy's, maybe even Kip's.
Plus, as Levy told Lucy when she mastered her first Star Dress, Lucy was going to be groomed for inclusion in the Twilight Division soon enough, perhaps even prior to her marriage to Axel, which loomed like a tidal wave over her.
All that aside, Lucy had a perfect situation: Levy attended to her and taught her the methodology of the Twilight Division while Kip was basically Lucy's training instructor. No, he couldn't help her with her magic, as only Yukino was going to help with that, but he could get her in greater physical conditioning. Lucy could hardly believe the beating her body was able to take.
After the first time she ran a full mile, with no breaks, she thought her legs would fall off.
"You've got five more before we're done warming up," Kip told her.
Lucy was about ready to throw in the towel and declare herself a rebel so she could at least rest in jail. But, Natsu kept her going.
That he'd left her behind, entrusted her to do the right thing, and be the one that could cause a catastrophic crack in the Empire's defenses for a potential rebel victory, had her going. She always imagined him leaping out the window of that high tower with no doubt in his mind that he could put his faith in her, and that he would be strong enough to get out of the city alive.
Just like her.
The three always met in the middle of the afternoon, after Lucy's personal meditations and meetings with the other women of the Dragon Division were over. That never included Kristine or Lindara, for they were too important. Lucy instead met with the other wives or mistresses of the Generals and other important members of the Division court. She was seen as one of the more prestigious ones. Minerva, General in the Hunter's Division, was their real idol.
"She's taught me so much about how to treat him," they'd said.
Treathim was more please him, or, at least, get whoever their man was off their back. Literally, sometimes.
Lucy and Axel still hadn't shared more than a kiss, and Axel was, clearly becoming a bit more impatient with her. Their engagement was saving her life in that regard. He wouldn't touch her until they were wed, and so long as she was indecisive on what she wanted, the wedding could not come together.
Kip asked Lucy about Axel when she arrived for training that day. They wore their standard workout clothes: Kip had a gi with heavy weights around his ankles and, especially, his legs. Lucy had a two-piece training suit and her hair tied back in a ponytail. Levy joined shortly after Lucy arrived, ready to train but with no need to work out. Apparently, the muscle she always needed to work on was her mind, so she'd become an even more voracious reader of late.
"How is he taking his stationing?" Kip asked while they stretched. Levy sat in one of the bleachers.
Axel and Kip were the only remaining Dragon Slayers in the city. Zash Caine, recently appointed Captain of the Dragon Division, was on a hunt for any member of Fairy Tail he could find, taking his search out west before coming back eastward. Axel, for failing to defeat Natsu in the Grand Magic Games, was still being punished. Lucy suspected that they were punishing him for failing to catch Natsu when he visited Lucy, too.
Kip, too, was facing punishment. He'd gone off on a mission, he claimed, to rescue Jacob Lessio which resulted in his humiliating defeat. In truth, he'd gone off to also find support and did so. So, at least Kip came up as a winner in his own cause, and Lucy was more than thankful that he was deemed a failure to the Empire.
"Well enough, since it lets him stick around and put pressure on wedding planning," Lucy said. She grunted as she shifted positions. "I think he may involve my dad soon enough, to see if he can do anything."
"Does he think they're pals or something?" Levy asked with a sneer.
"Probably," Lucy said. "He has that attitude, at least.'
"How bothersome," Kip said.
"What have you planned out so far?" Levy asked.
Lucy mulled it over. "I think we have a baker for the cake and Axel has put feelers out to find a good group to do the music."
"Venue, dress?"
"Not yet."
Once those things were in order, the wedding was going to be hard to avoid. Again, Lucy was prepared to completely tank her mission to avoid that man and his bed.
"Engagements in Bosco were typically run on a one-year timeline at most," Kip said. "Do you think you can hold off that long?"
"With how much the Empire is dealing with, yes," Levy said. "It's hardly the time for celebrating, right?"
"Or it's the perfect time, to show how little the rebellion is impacting anyone," Kip said.
They had to be careful about how they spoke. Indeed, there was no Imperial signage around but eyes and ears were all about the place at any moment. Shadows were thicker in Crocus than even the darkest places of the night elsewhere.
"Right," Lucy said. "Enough wedding talk. Ready?"
"Ready," Kip said and straightened into his stance. Lucy did the same.
Kip shifted his foot, knocking the earth around beneath Lucy, sending her flying toward him. She managed to shift around, landed fine, and attacked.
That day, she was going to practice her Taurus Star Dress while using the keys for Cancer and Virgo as external support. She'd taken to that sort of regiment: tapping deep into her magic well with the Star Dress while pushing herself further by summoning further spirits. She was aiming to be able to summon three spirits at once while also maintaining a Star Dress, but the activation of the initial spell was such a drag on her magic that it was hard to manage any more than two.
Plus, she had to focus on her own progress. Lucy wasn't a brawler. She couldn't go in and deliver a single knockout blow like Natsu or Erza. She was lithe on the battlefield. Kip, much more stout both in his abilities and physicality, was a perfect sparring partner for her, as she was with him. They countered one another quite well.
Levy took fast notes while the two worked out, moving around one another while they continued their warmups. Lucy had a sweat breaking quickly, and, to her surprise, so too did Kip. He wasn't often all that worn out by the end of their training, so, this had to be great progress.
She almost landed a nice kick on him, breaking through his defenses, when a wave of pressure washed over all of them. She slid to a sudden halt, her bones freezing. Even Kip tensed. Levy shut her notebook and glanced around until she settled on where the presence was coming from.
"Well isn't this a nice little reunion for most of us?"
Lucy set her jaw, turning to the new arrival.
Mirajane, all done up in a deep crimson dress with black tendrils running up and down her arms and legs, her eyes a fine-slitted black, approached. Her white hair tumbled over the carapace covering the rest of her body.
"Nice to see you all," Mirajane said. "Lucy, it appears you're coming along well with these new powers. Axel will be happy."
"Quite," Lucy said.
"What is this, three new dresses? Very good. Only seven more to go."
"Thanks," Lucy said. "But I'm still working on the third one."
"Of course you are." Mira tapped Lucy's cheek with her talons. "Always a slow learner. Without Natsu or Erza to help you out, what's going to kick your butt into getting stronger?" Her eyes trained on Levy. "At least your bestie is still here."
"What is you want, Mirajane?" Kip asked.
Mira glowered at him but held her tongue. She was a Demon of the Tartaros Division, but not a ranked one. Kip, of all there, held the highest rank, though one could easily make the argument that Levy had the most power at her disposal politically, given her ties to August.
"To visit my old friends," Mira said. "I haven't had the chance to catch up with them in a bit."
It was the first time Lucy and Levy got to see the new Mirajane together, though in the fortnight since the battle in Crocus, both had encountered her at least once separately. Mirajane was probably more in touch with Levy given her involvement with the Empire overall while Lucy was kept shut in her tower until her designated social time and scant free time she used on training with Kip and Levy, thus not granting her much time to see Mirajane.
The pit that formed in Lucy's stomach was still there to see Mira as she was. It was hardly, even physically, the woman she knew before. There was no wide smile, nor the aloof confidence of one of the most powerful women in the room. Tartaros Mirajane held power in the palm of her hand with such malicious intent. Each time she looked at Lucy felt like an instance where Mira could break Lucy in half and not think twice about it.
Standing next to her wasn't like standing next to a stranger, but next to one a vile creature walking in the skin of her friend. Mirajane's body was being pupetted around by something holding her voice and memories.
"Getting good information on them, Levy? I'm sure August is proud of you."
Mira's hips swayed as she turned back to Lucy, who couldn't help her head shaking. Mira tilted Lucy's head up, attempting for them to meet gazes.
"Don't pretend you wouldn't want this if the tables were turned, Lucy," Mira said. "If Fairy Tail was still on top, we'd be pressing our ideologies on everyone. The Empire is doing the same thing."
"What ideology?"
Miratsk'd. "About goodness and bonds. Friendship and family. Come on. You know it. How many people wouldn't want to have that beaten over their heads but we were there to deliver the memo over and over again,especially your little cohort? Fairy Tail's strongest team. You were on that, right? So, now, here you are. In the most powerful force in the world, and you're shaking your head at me after a little bit of work was done? It's hypocritical, Lucy, and I thought you better than that. At least Levy is handling it well. Look at her, still diligently being herself." Mira shrugged. "Shame about her friends, though."
Levy kept her head down, but her grip tightened on her writing tool. Lucy balled a fist as well.
"Don't talk about Jet and Droy like that."
"Or what?" Mira asked, stepping closer to Lucy. "Gonna do something about it? Yeah, you want to. It's in your soul to fight for your family, don't let anyone disgrace them. So go ahead, I'll let you throw the first punch."
"No."
"No?"
Lucy nodded. "No. There's no infighting between divisions. Think I haven't read up on things?"
Mira snarled. "Kip's teaching you well, then."
"Why don't you crawl back into Tartaros's pits already?" Kip asked.
Mira backed away from Lucy. "Why don't you get back to wasting each other's time while I'm gone, too? Even in these slutty dresses Lucy won't be making much of a difference to the Twilight Division. Not as long as she holds onto all of those feelings of hers."
Lucy held her tongue but could feel Natsu trying to egg her on. If he listened to what she wanted him to do, they'd already be exchanging blows.
And Lucy would probably be dead. Mira knew that.
Kip placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder and bid Mirajane off. Mira left, waving the group off. Lucy tried to focus, but couldn't catch her place in the sparring anymore. None of her was into it; body and soul were still locked on feeling Mirajane, on what she'd become versus what she'd been.
Wisely, Kip called it off. Lucy dropped out of her Star Dress, apologized, and saw herself out of the arena. The cold Mirajane had arrived with lingered all the way to Lucy's warm bath. As she washed her face, she made sure to keep the water there so she wouldn't feel the tears.
Invel checked his watch once more while striding about the outdoor balcony of the tiny office he'd chosen to do his business in that day. While August continued his rearrangements of the Division in Yukino's absence, Invel had been diligently moving offices to try and find one he was most comfortable in so he could do the best work for the Empire. He'd found some comfort in this latest one, and liked that it overlooked the courtyard in a subtle way; it allowed him to eavesdrop on the goings-on below while maintaining anonymity in doing so.
Levy knocked on the door to the office. Invel sighed. Her arrival signaled the beginning of the entire Twilight Division meeting, and she was three minutes late.
Invel joined the group in the small conference chamber. Levy stood behind August, who was in the largest seat, like usual. Neinhart and Dimaria were bored out of their skulls and Sorano had her feet up while she spoke mockingly of Lucy Heartfilia. Alok, cloaked and masked as usual, looked like a statue in his seat.
The meeting was to be brief as Zash had confirmed his arrival at the western edges of Fiore and was about to make his way eastward to begin his purge of Fairy Tail. Cobra, the Poison Dragon Slayer, had gone off ahead to wipe out what they considered the little Fairies—the ones who'd survived all these years under Imperial watch. Zash was holding the others, who'd lost in previous battles against Fairy Tail, on a tighter leash.
"What I want to know," Invel said after he gave such news to the group. "Is where Erza and Natsu will be headed next. To the public, they pose the greatest threat to our stability."
"Makarov is the true threat," August said. "A Wizard Saint has connections."
"An old man has no power," Sorano said. She swung down to sit half-decently. "Invel's right. Natsu and those idiots have to go. They've got a spirit that could inspire others."
"We have more than enough troops to dispose of all aspects of Fairy Tail," Invel said.
"We certainly do," August said. "Muster Tartaros."
The utterance of the demonic division gave all in the room a moment of pause, save for Dimaria and Neinhart, who, per usual, still did not care.
"Tartaros is, in some respects, being mustered now," Invel said. He pushed his glasses up.
"Don't consider their current machinations as anything serious," August said.
"Those Dark Guilds were once notorious around here," Dimaria said without a hint of seriousness. "They'll rile up some local villages that might be having second thoughts, probably kill some stragglers or wizards on the fence."
"We should have rounded them up already," August said. "The only divisive force left in this country should be those Fairies that were salvaged by what is, all accounts, a miracle."
Invel was acutely aware of Levy's presence in the room. She was one of those miracles, and look at that.
August already had full control of her.
"Mard Geer has already made his preparations," Invel said. "And the only one who can have Mard Geer change his mind is the queen. That is a separate conversation, August. In the meantime, we do need to round up Fairy Tail and wipe them out."
"Isn't Zash already all over that?" Sorano asked.
"I believe so," Alok agreed.
Invel rolled his eyes. "He'll burnt his country to the ground before he succeeds at anything like that."
"Fine," August said. "Leave our enemies in the ash among the rest of this place."
"That doesn't much help our standing with the other nations of Ishgar, nor in Alikitasia," Invel said. "Powerful as we are, we cannot simply grow enough crops or produce enough exports by simply killing and burning everything we find. Powerful as you are, August, you are no Emperor. However, Zash is still deployed, and he must be maintained, in some way."
"I agree," August said. "So I've gone ahead and called in a favor from another of our allies within the Empire."
He tapped his staff on the ground. The door at the back of the room opened, revealing the leaders of the Hunter's Division, Minerva and Orga, who came into the room with about as much palpable tension between them as possible. However, it all emanated off the Ethereal Witch herself, who exhumed an air of superiority even in the room among those who could all, save for Levy and possibly Sorano, kill her in an instant.
"Zash intends to march eastward and destroy any hint of Fairy Tail he can find," August said. "But for a particular group of them, I believe we need to be a bit more precise. Levy, do you agree?"
"Yes," Levy said.
"You believe Natsu and Erza are in their small entourage, not training with the others as you suspect?"
Levy shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I don't think they'd be able to sit still for that long. They'd have all probably gone their separate ways."
Invel raised an eyebrow and pushed up his glasses once more. Perhaps August wasn't entirely wasting his time on this one after all.
"Where, then, might they have gone?" Invel asked.
Levy considered the thought for just a moment. "Clover Town, if I had to guess."
"And why there?" Invel asked.
"Well, I think they would've gone in the opposite direction as Makarov," Levy said. "Which would take them closer to Bosco. Maybe they think they can spark up some rebels from there?"
"There are none left," August said. "But, they've no way of knowing that."
"So they'll probably stop at Clover Town," Levy said. "Before heading to one of the train stations that can lead them into Bosco."
Invel waited for August to say anything. Levy was his problem and as such his ideas could fall under his accreditation.
"We'll take care of them, then," Minerva said before August could.
Dimaria snickered and looked over her shoulder. "You? Come on."
"All of the Hunter's Division is going to descend on those fools and wipe them out, simple as that," Minerva said. "All of us."
"I understand," August said. "Those three have already been following the others from a good distance away, and an engagement will certainly be something they don't see coming." August folded his hands on the table. "Very well. Do not make a mess of this. The other Fairies cannot discover the deaths of these children."
"Should just send one of us to do it," Dimaria said. "Wipe 'em right out!"
August's gaze fell on Dimaria, who wisely chose not to say anything further. Minerva and the others saw themselves out of a room that stayed completely silent until August spoke up.
"If one of us were to move in any sort of visible capacity, some sort of sting operation, it could send the wrong message," August said, "particularly for a woman such as yourself, Dimaria. You must strike fear. You are an axe, not a dagger like Minerva or Orga."
"I must ask," Invel said, "why you insist on continuing to give them second chances."
"I am drawing thin the string," August said. "To cut their rank would show a sign of crumbling from within. Sometimes, the best death is a natural one."
"Pardon my questioning, great Wizard King," Alok said, "but to lose the Ethereal Witch and Lightning God Slayer are significant blows, are they not?"
"Those are fine questions," August said, "so I would ask you to consider the Twilight Empire a great tree. Our roots now extend deep into Fiore, Bosco, and Stella, with much more room to grow should the rest of Ishgar become compliant upon the great Emperor's will. However, to ensure the proper channels and branches are receiving nourishment, must we not then prune that which is sapping life all toward the cause of a rotted death?"
Ah. No wonder August had been so lackadaisical about Sting and Rogue's departure, or Yukino's betrayal.
"When Sabertooth folded into the Empire it was under the guise of promise for their development and to that end I expected great things out of Sting and Rogue that were, to be fair, delivered," August said.
Certainly. They reinvigorated life into the Grand Magic Games, as the final conquerors of those games in the traditional Fiore sense. It helped ease those wary of the Empire into their embrace.
"However," August said, his voice deepening. "Rooted with Sabertooth has always been an air of undeniable corruption, seeded by their master Jiemma's need for total domination in all areas of life, save for those anyone with a shred of empathy may care for. Orga and Minerva are those byproducts, willing to do what is necessary for them to rise to their highest possible station.
"That behavior and mindset is useless to me. Should it not serve to further the will of the Emperor it must be expunged and to that end, I will allow Minerva and Orga to see through their responsibilities until death itself claims them, to no loss of our own. If Minerva, or Orga, decide to turn their will upon us then justice will be exacted appropriately, as it would any."
"Why is it that Yukino may still walk freely?" Invel asked.
Sorano's eyes darted across the room to August.
"Because I have faith in the only one who'd been frail enough to need the Empire to see just how much she still needs it," August said. "Fairy Tail's strength of arms comes in their familiarity with one another, something Yukino sorely lacked. She had but two confidants in the Empire, both of whom failed to manage to retain her."
Sorano slumped back in her seat, blowing a bit of stray hair out of her face. Dimaria managed to actually hold back a snicker that Neinhart couldn't. Alok stared at Sorano.
"Now," August said. "This meeting may adjourn. Levy, do ensure Minerva and the others have whatever provisions or arms necessary. I must see to Brandish."
"Why wasn't Brandy here?" Dimaria asked. "How come she gets out of this?"
"She had prior business to take care of with the Heartfilia Foundation," August said. "It sounds as if young Lucy's courtship with Axel has stalled some, so Brandish made sure to seek out her father to bring her in and speed things along."
"Cold foot bitch," Dimaria muttered. "Why can't she just be like all the other little girls Axel plays with?"
"Because," Invel answered for August, "she's stubborn."
Sorano groaned as she stood. "Tell me about it."
Minerva, Orga, Briar, the Broken Fairies and Mermaids, Dobengal, and their trainees all stood in the loading bay of the station, waiting for the high-speed train's final maintenance check to complete. Her bag was off to the side to be loaded by a porter, though all she had in there were a few tools of torture she'd use if she managed to get her hands on any of those Fairies, particularly Erza.
"What will we do if we see Yukino?" Orga asked.
"I'm going to pop her head like a little pimple," Minerva said. "You can do as you will with her body."
Orga frowned at her. "I'm no freak."
"No, of course not."
"So then, leave her alive for me first."
Minerva huffed out a little laugh. Orga, still deadpan and serious, stepped away as Dobengal called for him. What Minerva wouldn't give to pop hisl ittle head.
But, he'd be useful. If their approximations were correct, they'd be going up against three Dragon Slayers, that scarlet slut Erza, the Rain Woman, and that Ice-Make wizard that was giving even Sting a hard time.
Minerva could shut down the magic of at least the Rain Woman and Erza without much concern, while Dobengal assassinated the youngest of the Dragon Slayers and Ice-Make wizard with his speed. That left Orga to deal with two Dragon Slayers proven capable of thwarting at least the Second Generation ones raised up by Sting and Rogue. Orga was powerful, yes, and could surely defeat one of them. Both?
Well, Minerva thought, that was where their strength of numbers came from. Not to mention they'd get the jump on these fairies.
Two heads would roll before they even realized what was happening if all went according to plan. If not? They'd get to actively participate in all of their deaths.
Minerva did like the idea of taking at least one alive before bringing their corpse back to Crocus. Erza would do. She'd escaped once too many times. She wished she could publicly humiliate her but she needed to be efficient with this hunt. If they were successful, hopefully, they'd let her go after the rest. Zash was supposed to deal with those but he took too much time with these sorts of things and caused far more destruction than was necessary.
The porter took Minerva's bags with a haunted look on his face. Another indentured little servant broken to the will of the Empire. Good.
However, he was not the only little one to come up to her. Holding tight to a lacrima pad of information and wound up in petite little Imperial clothes was August's little student, Levy. Minerva pretended not to acknowledge her.
"You think you're springing a trap but Minerva you're going to get yourself killed," Levy said.
"What does he want? To make sure I'm all set? Go off, little girl."
"You need to understand that August doesn't care about this mission at all. You still have time."
"For what?"
Levy pursed her lips. "Getting away. You, Orga, Dobengal, all of you are expendable." She sighed. "He said he'll cut you out if he has to. Naturally."
"He'd be a fool to let us go," Minerva said. "He'd sooner Break us."
"Why bother?" Levy muttered, so quietly Minerva almost didn't hear.
She barked, "Come again?"
"Why bother trying to break you when you're already broken?"
Minerva snarled. "Hold your tongue, girl. August might think it's funny to have you around but I find it quite sickening he'd bring someone like you into his fold before one of us."
Levy pushed her hair back a little bit yet was otherwise mostly unfazed. Minerva balled her fist.
"What does he want?"
"I'm here by myself, for you. Your safety."
"No. You're here so I second-guess killing your friends. Hmm. I was considering leaving them for dead on the battlefield, but perhaps I'll bring a few back to make sure you watch them die. Who are you closest with among them? Erza, one of the Dragon Slayers?"
Levy sucked in a slight breath at the mention of that group.
"Fine. I'll keep them alive so they can see you one last time."
Levy bobbled for words, but they failed her. Minerva gently caressed the side of Levy's face. She was soft, likely so frail that with a flick of her wrist, Minerva could break the little girl's neck.
"Your father…" Levy said, still quiet. "Your father is in Tartaros now. He's one of them, a demon."
The conductor blew his whistle, and lacrima lit up around the train, powering it on. Magic whirred in the station. The rails glowed a brilliant blue.
"Fine," Minerva said. "I suppose he's finally become one of us, then. Or, maybe, he'll finally be useful."
She bumped shoulders with Levy as she stepped into the train, smirking as she did so, and leaving the Fairy all alone on the station. She took a seat by herself, away from the others.
This would be a good mission. No, a great one.
For, at last, Minerva Orland would take charge of the Division and lead it to victory upon a blood-stained battlefield. At last, she'd rectify the one mistake of her tenure with the Empire, and resume her path toward the peaks of power promised to her so many years ago.
Lucy stared at the keys in her hand. Aquarius. Leo.
The bath water ran hot. Steam filled the room, blocking her from seeing her reflection in the mirror, hiding her naked body. It was the exact view she wanted Axel to have.
Once, she would have stood in front of the mirror and checked all over for imperfections. Not for measurements, but, for any inconsistencies with the beauties ofSorcerer's Weekly.
Now, she only wished she could have a better view of the toned muscles she could feel appearing all over, or even the bruising that came with it. Lucy swiped her hand across the mirror, startled by the figure that loomed behind her in the bathroom.
"Oh my god," Lucy said, holding her hand over her heart.
Aquarius lounged in the bathtub, one finally fit for someone of her size—for the most part. Her tail still flipped and flapped around out of the bath but most of Aquarius's body was submerged.
"Did I accidentally summon you?" Lucy asked.
Axel was away on a meeting with other Division Generals while they figured out what to do about the absence of the Hunter's Division in the city—as the group was sent to go eliminate Natsu and Erza's team, which definitely didn't give Lucyanystress—so she was free to speak to Aquarius. What a relief.
"I wanted to come personally," Aquarius said. "I know you and I have had our—disagreements, I guess, in the past. You're a little runt, Lucy, always have been, and no matter what those boobs or those muscles say, you're always gonna be a pipsqueak who doesn't know any better." Aquarius raised a finger. "But, I need to tell you how proud of you we are."
"Proud?" Lucy whispered in echo.
"Two Star Dresses in as many weeks is about as incredible a feat as any Celestial Wizard has ever pulled off, including your new buddy, Yukino."
Lucy paused. "New buddy?"
Aquarius rolled her eyes. "Jeez, Lucy, you really are dense. Yes, new buddy! That chick Yukino has been paling around with your boyfriends and those other girls, they're headed off to find some Jellal guy. Her spirits told us all about it. She's pretty torn up that you're still stuck here but they all have faith in you, kid. Not sure why, you'd fold under questioning in a second…"
Lucy quickly swiped her face. Was the steam giving her moisture buildup around her cheeks or something? No, wait, now her throat was closing—oh! She was crying. Lucy smiled and wiped more tears away.
"Thanks," Lucy said. "I didn't know I'd made a new friend but I'm glad that she's able to be with them to help out."
"Yeah her spirits are happy she's out of this crap fest of a city," Aquarius muttered. She sat up. "Speaking of, we gotta get you outta here soon enough, and the only way you're gonna do that is with more power, hear that? Better not start slacking off."
"I'm not!" Lucy exclaimed. "I've almost got Taurus's Star Dress down."
"That's good," Aquarius said. "So what, you can make clouds and shoot some arrows? Good stuff. It's really useful, actually, in a pinch. Now you've got a bit of power behind all that." Aquarius's lips thinned into a smile as her eyes intensified. "But how's about you get some real magic in that arsenal?"
Lucy's heartbeat raced. "Wh-what?"
"Your next Star Dress? Mine. And let me tell ya, kid, you master this thing? You'll have that idiot fiancé of yours begging for the days he thought he had any power over you."