Will be some time until you read this but thank you, Isanien!
Dust whirled up when Lucy sighed. It made her sneeze, and she rubbed her nose, then eyes. How long had she been sitting here?
Judging by how it was getting dark outside, it must have been hours; nearly the entire day. The front gates opened, startling her. Elfman and Evergreen entered, his beast form gone. As was Natsu, so it seemed, not a trace of a giant, pinkish rabbit to be seen. Lucy, her knees aching and stiff from the wooden floor, sat up where she had been kneeling, just as Mirajane rounded the bar to greet her brother.
"No luck?" She asked with slight shock. He grumbled something affirmative, shaking his head.
"It's not too bad, actually," Evergreen remarked. "We followed him all the way through the forest, and once we made him turn away from town-"
"Only because he wanted to attack us back, not because we sent him running," Elfman sheepishly disclosed. Evergreen gave him a slap where she had been supporting him around his back. They exchanged a glance, his something between a tentative defence and apologetic pout, while hers was a strict scold. Like a married couple, Lucy thought to herself. Not the first where the woman wore the trousers…
"In any case, he discovered Lake Sciliora and began to happily play around in the water and try out his new animal abilities," she reported quite proudly. "He fell asleep before long,"
"Let's hope he'll stay there until tomorrow," Mira attempted a smile.
"Happy is with him," Ever added.
"Thank you both. You really deserved your break," Mira smiled now, though it was evident how her mood was hardly lifted by the slight relief. Juvia was acting as a constant reminder, wailing over her beloved in the corner, his container constantly overflowing with fresh, salty water.
"You look tired," Elfman noted, "why don't you rest?"
"I should be the one telling you that," Mira shook her head. "You can go on home and to bed, don't worry," she said, absently brushing a hand over her skirt. It was rare for Mira to spill even a single drop, yet she had managed to leave a faint stain on her dress. Lucy did not even remember it having happened, too engrossed in her research. The floor was still littered with tomes from the archive in the cellar.
"But I do worry," Elfman remained steadfast. Stepping out of Evergreen's arm and to his sister's side, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's your turn to rest," he insisted. "I'll stay here with Lisanna," he promised.
"It's fine," Mira weakly protested.
"It's not," he retaliated. And he had every reason – she looked exhausted. All of them were – Juvia, Lucy, Mira. Laxus had returned even more down and even more frustrated than before, finally wandering around the archive with Freed oinking his guidance. Lucy wondered whether they had gone home; she really had not perceived all that much despite having been in the Guild Hall the entire time.
The transformed mages were the most affected however. Meredy had fallen asleep hours ago, a constant on and off where her body still bothered her, or her balance made itself scarce. Jet was beyond good an evil, having slumbered for even longer already, but at least staying put.
"I can see it on your face," Elfman went on. "I've been there too, remember?" He raised a brow, sorrow lacing into his voice for an instant. "Emotional exhaustion can be just as manly as physical exercise," he reasoned. Evergreen smacked her palm flat against her forehead.
"He almost had it… that could've almost been touching," she lamented to herself.
"Go on and rest," Elfman gently shoved Mira towards the gates. "Trust me with this, okay?" He smiled reassuringly. Mira's lids had become heavy all of a sudden, admittance allowing tiredness to show.
"Okay," she mumbled.
"We can go see her together," Elfman reconsidered, leading the way upstairs. "And then you can go home – no serving for you tonight," he mildly reprimanded. The way he did it so uncharacteristically made her giggle.
Up on the balcony, they snuck into the infirmary. Their caution reminded Lucy of Erza and Jellal – poor Jellal. Wendy came to her mind, and she hoped the young Dragon Slayer had not been working for as long and tirelessly as Lucy had.
"Guess I'll serve drinks then," Evergreen shrugged where she had been left to stand. A nearby bench creaked, Cana wordlessly joining her in her task. It was late anyway; they would not have to overtake for long. Still, the tension of the unresolved issue hung in the air. Not even the Master had had an enlightening idea. He must have been studying in his office, perhaps as much as Lucy, though apparently just as fruitlessly.
Unable to hold back a yawn, Lucy asked Cana for a cold drink. She had to stay awake. She had to solve this. If not her, then who?
"Lucy, you should really go to bed," Cana crouched down where Lucy knelt on the ground, nose stuffed in a book.
"I can't stop now," Lucy complained.
"You've been saying that for the past two hours already," Cana complained. Lucy kept on reading. She had found the word 'moon' somewhere in that book – or was it another one? It was her only clue up until this point.
Jellal's points must have made more sense than even she gave them credit, but how in the world had he arrived at his conclusions?
"We're closing," Cana stressed. "Actually, we closed like half an hour ago; even Master went home," she pointed out. "Look, you've smeared parts of the circle; you need sleep," she remarked, finally fetching Lucy's attention. She could hardly keep her eyes focused.
Glancing at the smudged chalk on the ground, she failed to realise how she was too far away to have been the culprit. Neither did she notice that it was not even part of the circle that had been erased, as well as the piece of chalk missing and white powder on Cana's fingertips.
"Come on, I'm sure it'll just click tomorrow," Cana tried anew. Leaving the chalk on the ground, she went over to pluck the tome from Lucy's hands. She turned it upside down to mark the page. "Juvia promised to talk to Gajeel tomorrow, remember? I'm sure Levy will be able to help – why not just call her?"
"You're right," Lucy nodded to the last argument, "why didn't I think of that?" She drawled slightly, words stretching into a yawn.
"You can call her first thing tomorrow," Cana pulled Lucy to her feet. With an arm around her waist, she guided her to the entrance. The fresh air from outside made goosebumps rise on her arms and legs, but Lucy enjoyed a deep inhale. She really could not focus anymore. Common sense returned however as she started to realise how Cana was prepared to walk her all the way home.
"Oh, I'm okay now, thank you," she beamed a grateful smile.
"If you say so," Cana shrugged. She let go only slowly, as if testing the balance of a drunk friend.
"Could you wait with closing up? I wanted to check on Wendy and the others before I left," Lucy asked. Her gaze wandered towards the side, her aim the shore of Lake Sciliora. She really wanted to know whether Natsu was still there; if he was as sane as the others and capable of understanding.
"It's all yours," Cana flicked the keys to the guild into the air. Lucy barely caught them.
Thanking Cana and wishing a good night, she rounded the Guild Hall to make her way through the small forest. Past the undergrowth, from atop the hill, she could already make out an almost globose shape on the sand. Sprawled out on his back, big belly rising and falling steadily, Natsu was snoring loudly into the night. On his tummy was Happy – who was supposed to keep watch over him – in an equally peaceful slumber.
It was as funny as it was sad to watch them. Not for the first time, Lucy wished to have a mind as simple as that of the blue Exceed – because what if she did not succeed in turning them back? What if they were eternally cursed to remain in these animal bodies, unable to speak or go on jobs or partially even fit into a house? Natsu would always be her best friend, she knew, but…
Fists tightening, Lucy nodded to herself in conviction. Marching back up the hill and into the guild, she crept up the stairs. No noise betrayed her when she opened the door to the infirmary.
It was dark and quiet inside. Warm even, not only in comparison to the outside. A sad fortune, seeing as it meant more people to be there; to be affected. By the window, next to Lisanna's bed, were Elfman and Mira. They had both fallen asleep, Mira's head resting against her brother. He still had his arm around her, her own hand joint with her unconscious sister's.
Wendy must have worked as hard as Lucy, as she was asleep, too. Huddled on the bed beside them, she slept with Charle in her arms. In the other bed, closer to the door, was Erza. Her hair was still in its braid, if falling apart, and her flank rose and fell less calmly than those of her friends. In front of her, a small heap of fur was curled up. He looked exhausted, even in the half dark.
Erza's hand came up. Lucy almost lifted her own, guessing to have been spotted, but froze mid-motion when that was clearly not the case. Gently, delicately – as if tracing hand drawn patterns on invaluable porcelain – Erza stroked down what was still the back of her husband. At least the tips of his fur.
"Jellal," she whispered. He did not stir, and it did not seem as if it had been her intention for him to rouse anyway. More to herself, she repeated his name. Lucy felt her stomach coil into a knot when perceiving the first sob. "This… has become my favourite part of the day," she confessed, "going to bed, having you near and all to myself," she started to fade. "I don't know how to feel about it now… I'm sorry," Erza breathed. "I'm so sorry," she sniffled quietly.
Speaking right from Lucy's heart. Neither of them was at fault, but they both felt responsible – at least for resolving their predicament. Both felt sorry for what had happened.
"Jellal," Erza suppressed another sob, chest rocking with it, "I need you," her arm wound around him. "I can't do this alone; I can't tell them," she interrupted herself with a sniffle, "I can't tell them their father is a cat and will never be human again," she drew a shaky inhale. "I want you to hold my hand when I'm in labour. I want you to hold our baby's hand when it's there," she jerked with another sob. "Jellal," she pulled him closer.
Lucy did not notice her own eyes to be watering until her vision blurred. She let the tears fall instead of blinking. She could not tear her gaze away.
Erza put her free hand over her belly. "I'm sorry," she repeated, this time to someone else. "I shouldn't feel this way. I shouldn't make you feel this way," she apologised. "I'll do better," she then said. Another sniffle, this time less quiet. "I promise you both that I'll be the best wife and mother – I'll manage the house, I will," she lowered her head. Both she and Lucy were surprised when Jellal got up where she had stuffed her nose into his pelt.
He must have been awake all along. Stiffly, obviously exhausted, he merely dragged himself to her neck. Curling up there, right below her chin, he touched his tiny nose to it.
"Sorry," was all Erza managed for another moment. Pulling on him more, she inhaled with her breath stuttering. Her voice was hoarse and croaking. As tired as they all were. More tears ran down her stained cheeks. Unintelligibly squeaking, she apologised again, swore to protect him and the baby, and cried how she wanted him back. Each broken word was like a stab to Lucy's chest. She could hardly imagine how it must have felt to Erza herself.
Only when soft purring vibrated against her throat did Erza catch herself. Another stab, but this time filled with warmth. Lucy blinked her vision clear.
"Why are you purring?" Erza sniffled. It took her another heartbeat to stop sobbing, steadying her breath. Her voice was still raw and croaking. "You can't be comfortable in that body, can you?" She asked. Resuming her caresses, the backs of her fingers trailed along the curve of his spine.
Lucy then decided to reveal herself, stepping into the infirmary.
"It's because he wants you to relax," she gently said. Erza winced. Hastily, she wiped at her tears away. "It's okay to cry, you know?" Lucy neared, steps as silent as her tone. Erza shook her head in response, if hardly noticeably. Her dorsum stayed over her eyes, even when she had finished drying them. Or perhaps she had and it was useless either way.
Letting the shield stay where it was, Lucy took Erza's other hand. Leaning over – closing her eyes as not to impose on her friend's already fragile pride – she announced her own promise.
It resounded in her head as she walked the empty streets of Magnolia, just as much as the Queen of the Fairies' sobs did. She could not decide whether it spurred or discouraged her. Asking her stomach, it was the latter.
Sorrow hung heavily when Lucy went to bed. It did not help how she knew that none of her teammates were going to barge into her home for once – and for the first time since the disbanding of the guild, she was nothing but sad about it.
"Lucy," Erza said, her voice shyer that she had hoped it would be. Shy might not have been the right word, though it did have that ring to it. There was insecurity. Leftover embarrassment from the last night. Despair at heart.
"Erza," Lucy stood, having rummaged through her bag's content. "I was just about to check on you," she said. "I'm heading out now – the train leaves in half an hour; I'm sure Levy is already waiting at the station," she explained.
"I still can't believe the Queen reached out to you," Cana remarked where she stood next to Evergreen. Laxus and Freed had returned in the morning. The entire Thunder God Tribe was joining Lucy on her quest, seeing as they knew bits and pieces about enchantments from Freed. That, and they were most likely to understand the little pig.
"I think Master had a finger in the pie," Lucy admitted. "But still, the palace's archives must hold answers to our problem, so we're going to turn the whole thing upside down if we have to," she gave a thumbs up to Erza. The latter fidgeted slightly on the spot.
Juvia had taken Gray and Meredy to her place at Fairy Hills. First thing the next morning, she had marched up to Gajeel's house. Together with Lily, she had succeeded in convincing him to allow Levy to help – of course, they now had to expand their party by the Iron Dragon Slayer as well. After that, Juvia had deemed her home the safest place for the two transformed ones, staying in the dorms.
As for Erza, she was starting to feel more and more out of place with her friends gone. The infirmary was emptying, and that only made the eerie feeling it possessed increase. So she had stored away her beloved's clothes from the spot he had been transformed, scooped the unfortunate soul up in her arms, and made up her mind.
"In any case, you will need all the help you can get," Evergreen was saying, refusing to be left behind. Elfman nodded decisively.
"Extra muscle is manly," he grunted. Evergreen rolled her eyes.
"Actually," Lucy awkwardly raised a finger, "I think the extra muscle would be by far more manly where it is needed – remember Natsu's still outside," she reminded. "I hope," she added between gritted teeth. For a moment, Evergreen and Elfman exchanged a glance that could have almost been called rueful. They agreed however, and he stepped back from the departing group. His fist tightened, striking up in front of his chest to wish them luck.
"We're going home now…" Erza finally piped up. She did not see the gazes land on her, but she felt them. She was staring down – not at her feet, which she had not been able to see as of late, but at her husband. He looked back with big eyes, clueless perhaps, or merely confused. She wondered if he really understood her.
"Okay," Lucy stepped closer. "We'll be back before you know it and with answers in hand," she declared. "Just hang in there a little longer," she tilted her head, but the only eyes that met hers were green and frightened. She offered the tip of her finger, having to stay still until he sniffed it from afar. "It'll be fine, I promise," she said. Both to him and her. Erza briefly closed her eyes, trying to believe it. She waited for everyone to leave, then made her way home. Rucking Jellal up, she was glad how it was not cold anymore – she would not know how to protect him from icy winds and snow. It was hard, if not impossible to keep her eyes off him. The cat in her arms.
Feeling helpless, she let out a sigh. The pressure in her chest did not make itself scarce.
As soon as fighting was not an option, Erza could only stand by. Watch. Feel out of place. She was impulsive, yes, but she was not stupid. She could analyse foes, forge strategies, reveal vicious operations. All on her own; all within short periods of time. How none of her skills – neither tactical nor fighting – were of use gnawed on her like a hungry hyena, tearing juicy flesh off bones, only to grind them in its fangs. Relentless and brutally merciless.
Leaving her completely and utterly helpless.
Erza blinked her vision clear when feeling his gaze. It were still his eyes; still his gaze that fixed her with serene urgency. As if to tell her to stop worrying. To have faith, even if that had only ever been the last thing on his list. He had always had faith in her, but Erza did not see herself to be of use in any way. Not to the circumstances, and not to him. She would keep him safe, that much was certain.
Levy was not allowed to speak spells, pronounce her findings word by word or draw even a single character or rune. Erza was beginning to think it should have been Jellal and not her to have stopped working and be drawn out of risky situations.
Unlocking the door, she entered their house. Hardly twenty-four hours ago, she had been overjoyed to have returned. Not a single step did not feel strange and unwelcome now. Crouching down, she let Jellal out of her arms. He landed by far more gracefully that he had the first time. Not yet passing as an actual cat – perhaps an inexperienced kitten – but not as ungainly as the day before either. Erza could not choose whether the change soothed or upset her. The better he felt in his body, the happier she was, yet… he was not supposed to become an actual cat!
"Alright," Erza straightened. Taking a sharp inhale, she puffed out her chest. Keeping him safe would involve mental support. She would have to let go of her own fears and be an example. If Lucy had been right, then he had already pushed his own aside to console her – she would not let him down. "Let's start with the housewife-ing," she squared her shoulders.
It took her a moment to come up with what was all meant by that. With one task coming to mind, she was almost flooded with what other works had to be done. Jellal watched her mutely, curiously, or so she interpreted. It was going to be a long day…