XXX

April 5th, X778

It was a few days after Natsu had left that Lucy found herself faced with some trouble. Though her arm still ached on occasion, she'd asked Rogue, Yukino, and Sting if there was some kind of work she could do to help out. Sting had cheerfully taken her to the docks, where Hyacinth's primary source of food and supplies came from. They fished a lot of things out of the ocean – not just the fish they caught with their poles and nets. It was the fishing nets that Lucy was helping with. She was in charge of checking them for tears and helping remove things that shouldn't have been there from the nets.

Most of the work was relatively easy and unexciting. Wendy occasionally helped out when she wasn't helping Yukino. It helped distract Lucy from the hallucinations that still occasionally plagued her, though they'd lessened as time went on. Freeing sea life and fishing out the nets in their entirety meant shoving her hands into the water, and the bite of the cold sea helped remind her of what was reality.

Dragging a heavy net onto the docks with the help of a few others, Lucy found something tangled in the net.

She dropped the net with a shriek, jumping back. It drew the attention of others, who gathered around to peer at the snarling creature that had nearly snapped her fingers from her hands. Vhalis. It was in the first few stages of transformation, skin not yet blackened and teeth mostly blunted. It was new, realized Lucy. The person the Vhalis had been had died recently. Not it, her. The Vhalis writhing in the net, half-submerged, had clothes so shredded, her chest hung out on full display. Even her dirty blonde hair remained, stringy and clumped by water.

None of the others seemed to care all that much though. They were too focused on what the woman had become rather than what she'd been. Lucy touched the scarf she wore for comfort, wondering if Natsu could sense her unease as she studied the Vhalis. Her face paled when she realized there was more to the situation than she'd initially thought. The Vhalis's wrists had been bound together with chains and rope combined, as had much of the rest of its body. There were no signs of a death wound.

Lucy didn't need to see one to guess at what had happened to her. She felt sick. This Vhalis had likely once been a woman who'd been murdered.

"Alright, Lucy?" asked a dock worker she'd been working with for some time. Jerome wasn't necessarily what she'd call a friend, but she'd spoken with him often enough to consider him an acquaintance. He looked troubled by the sight of the Vhalis before them. Others were muttering around them, too, wondering what they ought to do.

"Yeah," she muttered, uneasy. The boat the net was attached to hadn't gone too far out to sea today. It meant the Vhalis had been caught up close enough to town that Lucy worried the woman's killer had been one of Hyacinth's residents. She glanced at Jerome, furrowing her brow. "What happens now?"

Jerome shrugged, looking seaward. "We throw the undead out to sea, so the sharks can have them." He grimaced almost guiltily. "We hate doing it, but we can't heal them. We can't bring back the person they used to be. So we don't really have a choice." He let out a soft breath, running his hands through his hair. "I'm surprised the undead got this close. Usually the sea life gets them. We really might need to start thinking about our defenses."

Natsu wouldn't have liked hearing that, thought Lucy, though she understood why they did it. What else could they actually do? It wasn't like they could kill the Vhalis. She winced as the dockworkers cut their losses and tossed the Vhalis and the net back into the sea, complaining about the loss of the net. Though Jerome had commented on how the group hated doing this, she noted that none of them seemed particularly upset about the loss of a life. And did none of them notice what she had? Apparently not, for no one said anything about it as the shrieking Vhalis vanished beneath the waves.

And they certainly said nothing when a worker found some fish, chopped them up, and threw them and their blood into the sea. Within minutes, a handful of sharks were thrashing beneath the docks as they ripped the Vhalis apart.

Deciding she was done working for the day, Lucy left. Her stomach churned. How had they not noticed? Or maybe, she thought, they just didn't want to. There were so few safe places in this world that they didn't want to disrupt their peace.

She tried not to think them cowards for it.

Natsu had rubbed off on her. It was the only explanation Lucy had for why she asked Rogue when she stepped inside the home he shared with his friends, "Have people ever gone missing here?" She'd come to pick up Wendy. That was most certainly not what she'd intended to say at all.

Rogue stopped dead to stare at her, an odd twist to his expression. He furrowed his brow. "A few, here and there. People go missing when they go scouting. Why?"

Lucy considered whether she ought to drop the subject. But then she remembered the Vhalis's bound hands. A shiver went down her spine at the thought of someone capable of that living among those who were too scared of ruining their vision of safety. No one else would ask hard questions, because they didn't want to think about difficult answers. "We pulled a Vhalis – one of the undead, I mean – up in a net today."

Rogue blinked once, but the lack of surprise told Lucy enough. This had happened before. "It happens," he said with a small shrug. "The sharks and eels and fish can't get them all, Lucy."

"But it was a newly made one," argued Lucy. Her insistence was definitely Natsu's fault. "It's hands were bound, Rogue. Someone doesn't just wander off and magically get their hands bound together by the weather!" She'd seen enough about the clever Vhalis to know that regardless of how intelligent they could be, they wouldn't be capable of that.

"You found a Vhalis today?" Lucy immediately looked up at the sound of Wendy's quivering voice. She was frozen halfway down the stairs, her lips pursed anxiously and her knuckles white as she gripped the banister. Lucy regretted saying anything where she could hear. She was only a kid, and she'd been so happy to be somewhere safe, where they needn't fear anything. Better to hate the truth than not know it though.

Sometimes they get a little too close," Rogue, who'd been around them long enough on the Borealis to recognize what Wendy meant by "Vhalis," told Wendy. He ignored what Lucy had said entirely, which only confirmed what Lucy had thought: no one here wanted to believe that a murderer might live among them. "It's rare. Once every few months at this point. We've only seen a handful since the sky first fell."

Lucy huffed, suspicious, but gave up. She didn't want to spook Wendy further with tales of potential murder. She simply smiled reassuringly at Wendy, who relaxed and smiled back in relief. Lucy's heart ached for her. She was so happy to feel safe.

The pair set off not too long after they'd bid Rogue farewell. Yukino wasn't there at the moment; she'd left earlier in the afternoon to tend to some sick families around Hyacinth. Apparently there was an illness spreading among the people living in Hyacinth. Lucy was almost as nervous about the potential for disease as she was about a killer, especially after the tale Gray had spun of Erza and Jellal, who'd caught a literal plague.

Upon reaching their shared townhouse, Wendy broke away and headed upstairs, shouting that she'd be back down before long. Lucy laughed softly as she dumped her coat on a chair, ensuring Natsu's diale was secure around her neck. She went to work on preparing tea, humming under her breath and wondering if it might be worth figuring out how to contact Juvia. The Vhalis caught in the nets really bothered her, and she knew Julia believed whole-heartedly that Hyacinth was truly safe. She'd prided herself on its safety and seclusion.

Not that Lucy knew how to contact Juvia without Gray or Natsu around, and she doubted Wendy would know how. Half-spirit or not, Wendy leaned more towards her human side. She'd lived among humans more than she had among gods and spirits.

By the time Wendy came downstairs, Lucy was finished with making tea, and she pushed a cup of it into Wendy's hands. Wendy thanked her cheerfully and sipped cautiously at the hot liquid. "Lucy," she said, the mug pressed to her lips, "when do you think Natsu will come back?"

Lucy's stomach twisted at the question she'd been trying not to think of. She'd started becoming worried about what was taking Natsu so long to come back to Hyacinth. She knew he would come back and that he'd not really been gone too long in the grand scheme of things, but still. It had been some time, and worry was setting in. Not wanting Wendy to know how concerned she was, however, she simply forced a smile and said, "I don't know. Probably soon. He's worried about the other gods, so he's probably taking his time." It was a reasonable enough explanation that it soothed her own concerns. He probably was just concerned about the god he'd gone searching for and was combing the area thoroughly.

Wendy didn't seem as convinced, but chose to drink her tea. They fell into a companionable silence. Lucy fought the urge to let her thoughts drift back into dangerous territory. She was tired of worrying about everything – about Natsu, the Vhalis, the end of the world.

She might have understood then why no one else wanted to know about the potential danger in their midst.

Staring at the sea, Lucy wrinkled her nose and kicked at a stone on the beach, puzzling out what she was going to do. Did she just…yell for Juvia until she was hoarse? Would the spirit show up? She should have thought to ask Natsu what to do in this situation before he'd left.

Lucy looked out at the churning gray waves, listening to them crash down across the rocks across the channel. She bit her lip in frustration. Deciding she had no other options, she simply sucked in a breath and hollered at the top of her lungs, "JUVIA!"

She stood there waiting, and nothing happened.

Lucy wound her fingers in Natsu's scarf and simultaneously touched the ring of keys in her pocket. Despite all of his silly behaviors and ridiculous comments, Natsu was her friend, and she missed him more than ever. He would have known how to get ahold of Juvia. He would have had suggestions on what to do. He would have helped her investigate this potential danger even when no one else would, if only to help the Vhalis now suffering at the jaws of sea life.

He'd help simply because Lucy wanted to make sure this place was truly safe for those that called it home.

Lucy pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes, forcing herself to stop and take a few deep breaths. She erased negative thoughts from her head, and reminded herself that she'd survived just fine on her own. When she felt ready to focus again on the more important situation at hand, she dropped her hands so they slapped against her thighs and irritably looked at the waters again.

She still saw nothing.

Lucy glumly sat at the table in her townhouse, chin propped on her hands. She tried not to be bitter towards Hyacinth, which she was very quickly finding she wasn't too fond of. For a safe zone, no one seemed particularly interested in maintaining that safety past making sure the Vhalis weren't coming around. As it was, Jerome had come by and, in the kindest way possible, told Lucy that she wasn't welcome back at the docks after the questioning she'd done the day before. Apparently, she'd made too many people uncomfortable.

Lucy huffed. When Natsu came back, she'd have to see if he'd help her find somewhere else to live. She wasn't comfortable or happy here, no matter how hard she tried. Wendy would be upset no matter what they chose to do, she supposed. She'd be upset if they left without her, but she'd be upset if they left at all, too. She liked working with Yukino, but she liked her friends, too. Lucy felt guilty just thinking about making her choose.

Lucy had lifted the mug of coffee halfway to her lips when a knock on the door caught her off guard. She eyed it uncertainly. It wasn't Wendy; Wendy didn't knock, she simply let herself in. Besides that, Wendy was out with Yukino. Sting knocked and let himself in, too. Rogue just never came around. Others avoided her.

Cautiously, Lucy set her mug aside and rose to her feet. She went to the door and pried it open with caution, peeking at the person on the other side.

A woman Lucy had never seen before stood there. She certainly wasn't a resident of Hyacinth, or Lucy would have known her. It was small enough that even in the short time they'd been there, she could recognize everyone on sight even if she didn't know their name. Lucy would have remembered the woman's striking silver hair with ease. She had blue eyes that were cold and warm all at once, and she wore a simple yet pretty red gown. When Lucy opened the door to frown at her, confused, the woman's lips parted and her eyes widened. "You're not Natsu."

Lucy thought she might possess some magical magnet for gods and spirits and goddesses alike.

The woman's gaze swept past her to investigate the room behind Lucy ever so briefly. "Where is he?" she asked somewhat suspiciously.

Lucy gripped the door tightly, cursing Natsu. Apparently, all he had to do was stay in one place. With her. They seemed to come looking if he could summon the patience to wait. "Um," she whispered, "he's not here right now. Actually…I think he might be looking for you."

The goddess's lips curved into a small smile. Lucy caught a flash of what might have been fangs. "He's never been good at tracking others." Without waiting for permission, she whisked past Lucy into the house, humming. Lucy grimaced, wondering how she'd gotten across the shark-infested channels. She radiated an otherworldliness that Natsu had long since lost, which made Lucy curious. If Natsu had regained some power trying to go home, then how had she done the same? There hadn't been any reported fallen stars as of late.

"I'm Lucy by the way," said Lucy instead of asking any of her questions. She'd not had much luck with questions as of late.

"Mirajane," she replied with a look over her shoulder. "You can call me Mira though." She wandered into Lucy's kitchen with Lucy trailing a few feet behind. Somehow, Lucy wasn't surprised when she began scrounging through cabinets, found a bag of candy Yukino had given Wendy, and began to steal a few pieces out of it. The gods all seemed to have a thing for sweets.

"Not to be rude," said Lucy with caution, not wanting to upset Mirajane, "but why are you here? I mean, Natsu went out with Gray to find you–"

Mirajane whipped around. "Gray and Natsu are working together?"

"Sort of. Neither of them were happy about it."

Amused, Mirajane snorted. "I suppose that was Erza's doing, more than likely. She likes to try and coerce them into good terms with one another." She put her hands on her hips, eyeing Lucy's mug on the table with interest. "That would explain why Gray was in the area. Had I known they were looking for me, I'd have gone to him first. I have questions for him anyhow. I'll find him next. But there are more important matters for me here." She grew icy cold, face like marble. "Someone stole the life of one of my Favored."

Immediately, Lucy thought of the Vhalis she'd pulled up in the net. "Did they have blonde hair?"

Mirajane's eyes narrowed. "You've seen her?"

"There was a Vhalis when I pulled up the nets at the dock the other day," admitted Lucy, picking her words with great care. Just because Natsu and Gray or any of the other gods she'd met hadn't killed her, didn't mean this one wouldn't. "She was bound in a way that was unnatural."

Mirajane's lips twisted into a snarl. For a moment, she was terrifying enough that Lucy cringed away, heart skipping a beat in fear. Mirajane's teeth grew sharp, and her fingers were tipped with black claws that could tear the heart from someone's chest. Scales that shone like oil on pavement flecked her cheekbones.

Just as quickly, Mirajane was calm again. Her breathing remained ragged from her rage. "She was one I found just before…" She trailed off, pain flashing in her eyes. She knew as little as the rest of them did about the Fall. "She was loyal to her craft. She left beautiful offerings for me. In return, I granted the blessings she desired. She wanted to help so many people, whether it be granting them children or with something as simple as a meal.

"Mirajane likes people who practice witchcraft," Lucy recalled Natsu telling her.

Lucy really hoped Mirajane wasn't angry with her. At the same time, she was delighted. Finally, she'd found someone who might be willing to help her figure out what was happening. "This town…the people here like the idea of safety more than they want to make sure it stays that way," Lucy said quietly. "It's not their fault. But it's detrimental."

Mirajane trailed a finger over the kitchen table. "Juvia protects this place, does she not? I've felt her power in the seas that fill the channels…" When Lucy nodded, Mirajane became thoughtful. After a moment, she looked sharply at Lucy. "You're one of Natsu's Favored, yet you know him better than you should. We don't tend to actually show ourselves to our Favored. It's against Mavis's rules."

Lucy fought back an exasperated sigh. "Yeah," she muttered, "I've heard. He wants to figure out what's happening to create the Vhalis. He and Gray thought the other gods might have some idea. That's why they went to find you."

"I don't know anything," admitted Mirajane, tipping her head to the side. "Vhalis," she murmured, echoing the word thoughtfully. "Lost souls. That's a good name for them. That's precisely what they are. I was hoping I'd find Natsu since I followed his diale here. He's always liked to help others, so I thought he might help me. I didn't expect him to have made someone one of his Favored, let alone given them his diale."

Lucy wondered just briefly if Natsu had any other Favored. "He's coming back. He didn't tell me when, but he will." She hesitated, then offered, "You're welcome to stay here until he does as long as you don't try to hurt me or Wendy. I tried asking around about other disappearances, but the town won't say a word. No one wants to think about it. I got kicked out of the docks. But Wendy – her mother is Grandeeney – works with a nurse who goes around more of the town than I do; maybe I can ask her to keep an ear out for something." If Yukino didn't already know.

Mirajane perked up. "A daughter of Grandeeney? I'd like to meet her." Some excitement sparkled in her gaze.

"Well then." Lucy smiled nervously. "Welcome to Hyacinth, Mira."

MIRA! When I was initially struggling through this section, I didn't intend to bring in suspicious deaths or Mira at all. I was very excited when the idea popped into my head. Some fun is coming~ ;)

Thanks to reviewers (SecretAddition, Meow Orbit, TheAngelicPyro, hopelesskar, Nami4Life, Uchida Akira, and CMenard!) as well as those who favorited and followed! It really does mean a lot. :D