Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Fairy Tail and Final Fantasy XVI.

Chapter 2 - Chill

Lucy gasped as she sat up, breathing heavily. She felt like she ran a marathon while asleep as she felt drops of sweat trickling down her forehead and neck. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what her dream was - she came up with a blank. Maybe she was sick again? She swung her legs off her bed to get her own thermometer, and when her feet made contact with the wooden floor, she hissed and pulled her legs back.

Her floors were cold.

'Did Gray swing by?' she thought, looking around her room to see if there were any traces of the Ice-Make mage. Surely he'd have the decency to knock if he wanted to sleep over, or at least wake her up to let her know. He had done it a couple of times.

She looked at her desk clock - 4:49 AM. It was way too early.

Suddenly, she felt a pull on her magic. A flash of light appeared in her room and there was Loke, his eyes flashing a look of concern as he saw her. He sat on the edge of her bed and took one of her hands in his. "Are you okay?" he asked as he pulled a handkerchief from one of his pockets and started patting her forehead gently.

"Yeah," she trailed off, still feeling a little out of it. "I think I just had a dream. Can't remember what it was though."

Loke stood up and made his way to her kitchen. "Your magic was leaking in the Celestial Spirit world." He picked up a glass from one of the cupboards and filled it with water.

"Sorry," she responded softly. She tucked herself back under her blanket, feeling the cold seeping into her skin.

He handed Lucy a glass of water and sat back on her bed, catching sight of a large, black coat with a fur lining that hung at the back of her desk chair. It looked oddly familiar. "Was Gray here? Your room's cold."

Setting the glass down on her bedside table, she shook her head and laid back down. "I don't know, maybe?"

He placed a hand on her forehead, worried that her fever might've come back. "I think… it's probably your irregular sleep schedule while you were at Isfrost," he said, satisfied that her temperature seemed fine. "Get some sleep. I'll ask Wendy for some sleeping pills in the morning."

Lucy finally yawned, feeling her eyes heavy with exhaustion. "Wake me up?" she said softly as she closed her eyes again, hoping for a dreamless sleep.

Loke strolled into the Fairy Tail guild hall, giving off his usual suave charm that effortlessly turned heads, particularly those who weren't regulars. While he normally enjoyed the attention and the chance to flirt with a few "new kittens", today was different as he had priorities. His gaze scanned the bustling hall before settling onto the nearest table where none other than Fairy Tail's resident drunkard and Seer, Cana Alberona, sat nursing a barrel of beer.

"Hey Cana," he greeted, flashing his signature grin - one that never failed to make other women swoon.

Cana mirrored his grin in response. "You know that doesn't work on me, lion."

Loke let out an exaggerated sigh with a theatrical flourish of his hand. "At least I can say I tried."

Cana simply laughed in response and tucked her chin in one of her hands. "Well, did you need anything? It's pretty rare to see you here nowadays."

"I'm here for Wendy," he said. "Lucy hasn't been sleeping well and I'm hoping that our little Wendy can help her."

Cana's face suddenly shifted to that one of concern. "Is Lucy sick again?"

Loke shook his head. "No, just having trouble sleeping. Her sleep pattern has been pretty erratic at her last job because of the weather."

"That girl just needs a boyfriend," she took a big swig from her barrel and threw it somewhere at the back, ignoring the indignant shouts of Macao and Wakaba. "If she's able to find one that meets Team Natsu's standards."

"Loke-san?"

Loke spun around the moment he heard that sweet, familiar voice. "Wendy!" He dropped on one knee with a flourish and took her small hand in his. "Just the princess I was hoping to find."

Wendy blinked in surprise, a sweat drop forming at his dramatic display. Charle, ever the protective Exceed of Wendy, stepped forward with a calculating gaze. "And why are you looking for Wendy?'

The lion spirit stood up as he fixed his glasses. "I was wondering if you have some sleeping pills, or maybe a spell, that can help Lucy sleep through the night."

Wendy tilted her head, concern etched on her features. "Is Lucy-san not sleeping well?"

Loke rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, she wasn't sleeping too well while she was on that job at Isfrost so…"

Charle's eyes sparkled as an idea struck and snapped her paw. "Maybe we can give her some of those pills that Porlyusica-san made," she suggested.

Wendy's face lit up instantly. "That's a great idea, Charle!"

The white Exceed unfurled her wings and flew up in the air. "I'll go ahead and fetch them," she said, flying off swiftly back to the Fairy Hills dorm.

Unbeknownst to Loke and Wendy, Lucy had strolled in with a neatly folded coat in her hands. She paused for a moment, her eyes flicking to the second floor and searching for a familiar figure. Seeing neither him nor his team, she turned her attention to the group nearby. "Hey guys!" she greeted, her voice warm.

Cana, who had spotted the blonde the moment she entered, had the most wicked grin on her face. "Hey Lucy! Whatcha got there in your hands?"

Lucy sighed, already knowing the train of thought Cana was having. "It's Laxus' coat," she said as she sat down between Cana and Wendy.

Loke eyed the piece of garment in Lucy's hands, recognition flickering in his eyes. "Why is it with you?"

"He walked me home last night since it was raining," she said as she carefully placed the coat on her lap. "Have you seen him?"

"They actually just left for a job," Cana explained, a grin still on her face. "It was so weird seeing him without his coat."

"Oh," Lucy looked down and glanced at Laxus' coat. She remembers it feeling pretty warm when he put it on her last night. "I'll… hold onto it then."

"Lucy, good thing you're here."

Lucy turned around and faced her red-headed friend, Erza, who had a flier in her hands. "Hey Erza," she greeted, eyeing the flier. "Are we taking on a job?"

Erza simply nodded. "Wendy won't be joining us. Master has her on another job," she said as a faint, sad smile touched her lips as she turned to face the young Sky Dragon Slayer. "It's not too hard of a job, right? You know that I can always talk to Master."

Wendy shook her head vigorously and smiled brightly at Erza, reassuring the Requip mage. "It's not hard at all! I just need to help Porlyusica-san gather some herbs for medicines for the guild. I'll be fine, I promise!"

Lucy smiled brightly as she patted Wendy's head. "I'm sure she'll do great!"

Erza shifted her gaze back to the blonde. "We leave at 1 PM. Pack for a week," she said, her tone as direct as ever. "See you at the train station," she added before turning and walking away.

Lucy stood up and her eyes fell on her lion spirit. "Loke? We should go."

"I'll follow," he said, tilting his head towards Wendy. "I'm waiting on Charle."

She waved to both Cana and Wendy before turning and heading back to her apartment, all the while thinking whether she should have Virgo keep Laxus' coat or just hang it on her apartment door so Laxus can pick it up once he gets back.

"Ughghh…"

Lucy sighed and stared at a green-faced Natsu who was being mercilessly dragged by Erza. "Natsu," she called out, trying to catch his attention. "We're not even on a train anymore."

"He better not hurl while he's still like that," Gray said coolly, looking at his surroundings. "I am not picking him up."

Lucy gazed at the orange-hued sky, the setting sun casting an ethereal glow over the mountains and trees. "It would be so nice to camp out on days like this…" she muttered under her breath.

Gray followed her gaze, taking in the serene view. "Yeah, it would be," he agreed, a hint of wistfulness in his tone. "Too bad this forest is crawling with dangerous creatures."

Silence hung on the group as they ventured deeper into the forest, looking for a spot to place their tents. After a couple of hours, they finally found a small clearing. Natsu, thankfully over his motion-sickness, made a small fire to cook their meal and provide warmth through the night.

Lucy summoned Aries to create bedrolls for everyone, while Natsu and Gray set up the tents. Erza scouted the perimeter of their campsite, and Happy took to the skies to watch for any airborne threats.

All in all, the night was wrapping up nicely despite their location.

The entire team sat in front of the bonfire, enjoying a round of grilled fish. "I hope the job goes smoothly…" Lucy murmured to herself, but they all caught it.

"A baby wyvern's a piece of cake, Luce!" Natsu said enthusiastically after swallowing an entire grilled fish.

She wasn't sure why she was feeling so nervous when she was teammates with the person who defeated Zeref and Acnologia. Maybe it's camping out in a dangerous forest that's making her feel a little unsettled… maybe.

A cold breeze swept through the forest, and something clicked in Lucy's mind. She instantly fixed her gaze at her now-shirtless best friend. "Gray, I've been meaning to ask you something."

He looked up at her, his cheeks bulging out from eating. "What?"

"Did you happen to stop by my apartment last night while I was asleep?"

That gained Gray curious stares from the rest of the group. Gray shook his head. "I hung out with Bickslow and Max last night," he responded, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. "Did something happen?"

Lucy blinked. She kind of already knew what his answer would be. "Nothing really, just that my place was colder than normal when I woke up this morning," she responded casually as she stood up and threw her stick to the campfire, pointedly ignoring the questioning looks from the group. She should've just asked Gray personally. "Well, I'm calling it a night." She waved and retired to the tent that she'll be sharing with Erza, hoping that she'll be able to get a good night's rest.

She had a feeling she won't be sleeping alone in her apartment after this job.

"Star Dress: Sagittarius Form!"

Lucy looked at the blue Exceed with a determined face. "Let's go, Happy!"

Happy effortlessly lifted Lucy off the ground, the two ascending swiftly into the air. "Do you see it?" he shouted over the loud chaos despite it happening on the ground.

The plan sounded pretty simple: Erza, Gray, and Natsu were to give Lucy an opening and have her shoot its weakest spot, which was at the top of its head.

"Yes! I see it!" Lucy yelled out in response. Oh, she can see it. She knew where it was even before Erza told her. But what she didn't expect was how fast and erratic its movements were that it was hard for her to get a lock on its head.

She just needed the damn baby to stay still for 3 seconds, at least.

"Guys!" she shouted again. "I'm gonna need 3 seconds!"

"Got that!" The trio shouted in unison.

Gray stood, his form slightly hunched and hands glowing an icy blue hue, ready to cast out his next spell. "You two, don't let it fly! I'll try to hold it down!" He slammed both hands to the ground. "Ice Geyser!" Shards of ice erupted from the ground, trapping the wyvern's legs and body.

The creature flapped its wings furiously to get out of its ice bindings… and Gray's ice shattered. "Shit!" He immediately raised his hands to shield his eyes from the flying ice shards.

The baby wyvern thrashed violently, slamming its tail onto the ground that it created shockwaves knocking Natsu and Erza at their feet. The ground trembled beneath them as it let out a deafening roar, its wings flapping ferociously that it was creating huge gusts of winds.

Natsu got back up to his feet and charged forward, his fists igniting in brilliant flames. "Alright, stay still!" he bellowed, leaping into the air and delivering a fiery punch into the wyvern's side. The wyvern screeched in pain and retaliated with a swipe of its massive tail, sending Natsu skidding across the dirt.

So much for being a "baby" wyvern.

"Focus, Natsu!" Erza commanded as she requipped into her Black Wing armor. She dashed forward with speed, her blade instantly cutting into the wyvern's leg, forcing it to falter slightly. Without a second to rest, she flew up and slashed at its wings, sparks flying as her blade clashed with its hardened scales. Natsu joined in as his mouth was bursting with flames. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" His flames swallowed the wyvern's face, causing it to rear back in pain.

Seeing the chance, Gray activated his Devil Slayer Magic. "Ice-Make: Silver!" Layers of ice emerged, freezing the creature in place, leaving its neck and head wide open.

"Now, Lucy!" Erza yelled, keeping a tight grip on her sword.

"Happy," Lucy called the Exceed in an unusually calm voice. "Steady now." She pulled the bowstring back, a golden arrow materializing as she infused it with every ounce of magic that she could muster.

The wyvern snapped its head towards her, noticing the golden glow. "Star Shot!" Lucy released the arrow and it zoomed through the air like a comet. The arrow pierced the top of its head, and an explosion of golden energy erupted, illuminating the forest in a golden light.

The wyvern let out a final, anguished roar before collapsing to the ground. Dust and smoke filled the air and the forest was silent. Lucy and Happy descended slowly, her star dress fading. She landed shakily on the ground, her knees almost giving out from the amount of magic power she pushed into that attack. "We did it…" she whispered, glancing at her teammates.

"Nice shot, Luce!" Natsu said happily as he clapped her on her back quite heavily, making her cough. He earned a half-glare from the blonde.

"Natsu! Stop doing that!"

Happy flew and sat on Lucy's head, snickering behind his paw. "Natsu, you should do that on Lucy's tush."

"Please don't."

Erza walked over to the group. "Excellent work, everyone," she praised her team. "If it weren't for Natsu, we wouldn't have found the wyvern." At the corner of her eye, she noticed Gray rolling his shoulder. "Gray, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Gray responded casually, popping his neck with a slight wince. "Just a kink in my neck. Probably slept weird last night."

Before Erza could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps reached their ears. The team turned, and lo and behold, it was none other than Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe approaching.

"Erza!" Laxus called out as he jogged towards the group with his team in tow.

Erza's eyes widened at the sight of them. "Laxus? What are you guys doing here?"

"We were on our way back to Magnolia from a job when we heard what sounded like a dragon. We came to check it out," he responded gruffly, his grey eyes scanning the group. His eyes lingered on Lucy for a brief moment before returning to Erza. "Are you guys on a job?"

Erza nodded. "We just took down a wyvern. The resort owner reported seeing it near the hotel several times and was causing distress to his customers."

"And the bright light?" Freed jumped in, his curiosity piqued.

"Oh, that was Lucy," Gray responded casually.

Evergreen sighed and crossed her arms as she looked at the Ice mage. "Gray, your clothes."

Gray looked down and cursed - he was once again shirtless. Natsu and Happy burst into laughter, while Lucy gave a sheepish smile. Erza shifted her attention back to Laxus. "We're heading back to the resort to report to the client. I assume you'll be returning to Magnolia?"

Evergreen raised her hand before Laxus could answer, determination gleaming in her eyes. "I'm going with you guys! I know the owner will let you stay for free for a few days, and I could really use their hot springs."

"Hey, if Ever's in, I'm in too!" Bickslow chimed in, throwing an arm around Freed's shoulders. "Think about it… all the hot girls at the casino…" he trailed off.

Freed simply sighed in resignation. "As long as I get some time to catch up on my reading, I don't mind." He glanced at their leader who had an unreadable expression on his features. "What do you think, Laxus?"

Erza's eyes glinted in amusement. If Laxus had still been that pompous jerk from before, he probably wouldn't have even bothered checking. She would always be proud of Laxus' change. "I can put in a good word for everyone, but that depends on Laxus," she said.

All eyes turned expectantly to the Lightning Dragon Slayer, who sighed heavily. "Fine."

Natsu cheered, pumping his fist into the air. "Alright! What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Are you sure you don't wanna go, Lucy?"

Lucy popped her lip gloss open and swiped it across Erza's rosy lips. She shook her head in response, smiling softly at Erza through the mirror. "I hate being sick, so I'm going to listen to Wendy and take it easy for a few days." She started working on Erza's red tresses, smoothing it down so she can style it easily. "Make sure to have fun for me, okay?"

Erza closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of Lucy's light hands. "What do you plan on doing for the rest of the night?"

"Order room service for dinner and stargaze with Plue at the beach," she said as she added a few bobby pins in Erza's hair to hold her messy bun. "And yes, I promise to stay in well-lit areas."

The red-head chuckled, her visible eye gazing softly at the blonde. "And to not talk to strangers while we're away."

"Now you just sound like my mom," Lucy teased as she spritzed hairspray on Erza's hair style. She stepped back a bit to admire her handiwork and grinned. "There, all finished!"

Erza stood up, smoothing down her black tube top dress as she gave herself a once-over in the mirror. "Thank you, Lucy," she said with a small smile, liking what she's seeing.

Lucy's eyes glinted playfully as a smirk slowly tugged on her lips. "Too bad Jellal's not here to see."

Erza felt herself burst into flames.

Lucy couldn't help but burst out in laughter at the sight of Erza's bright red cheeks and ears. Before Erza could recover, she grabbed her by the shoulders and steered her towards the door. "Come on, you look amazing!" With a final shove, Lucy watched Erza stumbled out of their room, her movements stiff and robotic. The blonde couldn't help but giggle.

Erza Scarlet, the most-feared S-class mage in Fairy Tail, was a complete nervous wreck when it comes to the blue-haired, Crime Sorciere mage.

As the door clicked shut, Lucy sighed happily and plopped herself on the plush bed, relishing in the peace and quiet. She soaked in the silence for a few minutes before getting up and running herself a hot bath. "I'll definitely enjoy tonight…" she muttered to herself.

Over the next three hours, Lucy indulged in the luxury of her downtime. She soaked in a hot bath, letting the water ease her tired muscles, ordered delicious food through room service, and got herself ready to head out to the beach. She looked at herself in the mirror one more time before turning to her companion for the night. "Plue, I'm ready! Are you done eating your sundae?"

Plue gobbled up the remaining sundae in one big bite and waddled over to Lucy. "Pu-puuun~!"

Lucy picked him up and started to make her way to the beach. The resort was breathtaking at night. The lights from the amusement park painted the area in a kaleidoscope of colors, giving it a magical feel. Laughter and cheerful chatter filled the air as families and couples walked around, their smiles creating a happy vibe. She took to pointing different rides to Plue and promised to take him on one someday.

As she reached the beach area, the lively sounds of the amusement park dwindled down into a distant hum, replaced by the soothing crash of waves against the shore. She dipped her feet by the seashore and took in the scent of the sea breeze that instantly calmed her. Above, the stars shimmered like crystals. The ocean sparkled under the moonlight. Lucy stood there, mesmerized by the sight of it all.

"Pu-puu-puuun~…" Plue smiled and placed a soft paw on Lucy's arms, enjoying her warmth and the view. Loke would be so jealous.

Lucy hugged her spirit a little tighter and kept her gaze ahead, memorizing the view. "It is beautiful, Plue…" she said with a small smile on her face.

She stood there for a while, enjoying the feel of the sea breeze brushing against her skin, until an unfamiliar voice cut through her peace.

"That's quite an interesting creature you've got there, milady."

Lucy turned around and found herself staring at a man that had long, silver hair that cascaded over one side of his face and fell in a braided fashion behind his shoulder. He had a pale complexion that heavily contrasted with his icy gray-blue eyes. His facial features were striking - high cheekbones, sharp jawline, and straight nose would make women jealous.

To her, it seemed like an otherworldly being took their time in sculpting this man - he was beautiful.

In situations like this, she would typically be reduced to a stammering mess. But this time was different - she didn't.

Her spirit, Plue, was bristling. His beady eyes glared daggers at the unknown man.

While Lucy trusted her instincts, she trusted her spirits even more. They just had a way of sensing things that are beyond her. She made a mental note to ask Plue about it later.

She gave the man a polite smile. "He's a Celestial Spirit," she responded.

The man raised an elegant eyebrow, his eyes still fixated on Plue. "Is he now?" His cold eyes then shifted to Lucy's. "Is it safe to assume that you're a Celestial Wizard?"

Lucy nodded.

His eyes then sparkled with awe, his thin lips curling into a smile. "Forgive my intrusion, milady. But this is the first time I'm encountering a Celestial Wizard. It is an honor," he said with a slight bow. "From where I live, there's not even a record of a Celestial Wizard and I've only ever read about your kind in books."

Lucy blinked and realized what he just said. "From where you live?" she repeated and tilted her head. Sure, Celestial Spirit mages are pretty rare, but here in Fiore, almost everyone knows that there's at least one or two - there was her and Yukino who had been widely recognized after the GMG. There was also the queen herself, Queen Hisui. "If you don't mind me asking, where are you from?"

The man kept his polite smile. "Pergrande."

Lucy's eyes widened. The biggest nation in Ishgal does not have a Celestial Wizard? "That's… a bit surprising," she said, sounding a bit unsure.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but -"

"Lucy."

Lucy wasn't sure if she should be disappointed or relieved, but she was thankful for his impeccable timing as she didn't wanna stress Plue further. She turned to him with a small smile on her face as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Laxus," she said softly.

Laxus gazed at Lucy, pointedly ignoring the other person as he walked up to them. She had on a simple white sundress that fell to her mid-thigh with small ribbons at the top of each strap on her shoulders. Her blonde hair cascaded all the way down to her hips and it glinted subtly under the moonlight that made his hand itch to touch it.

"I've been looking for you," he said gruffly, his eyes boring into hers.

Lucy knew what he was doing, so she decided to play along with it. She did need to talk to Plue anyway who had been awfully quiet during the entire exchange. "Sorry," she said with a shy smile on her lips. "I'll head back in with you."

She turned to the silver-haired man who was looking at them with curiosity. "I'm sorry, um…" she trailed off, suddenly remembering that she forgot to ask his name.

"Ah, where are my manners. Forgive me. It's Bard," the man replied.

Lucy simply smiled. The way he spoke reminded her so much of the nobles she had met back when she was still living with her parents. "You're fine, Bard. I do need to go though. It was nice meeting you. I hope you enjoy your stay here in Fiore," she said politely as she sidled closer to Laxus' side.

Bard bowed again slightly, a small smile on his lips. "I hope we meet again in better circumstances, milady."

And with that, he turned on his heel and left.

As soon as he was out of sight, Lucy looked up at Laxus. "Please tell me that Erza's still at the casino."

Laxus glanced at the blonde beside him and smirked, noticing the worried look on her face. "Scared because you were talking to a stranger?" he teased.

Lucy rolled her eyes at him. "I don't need her chasing the poor guy down with a sword."

She finally glanced down at her spirit who now wore a neutral expression on his face. "Plue, are you okay?" she asked, worry etched in her voice. "You seemed really upset earlier."

She noticed Plue's eyebrow furrow. "Pu-puuun-pun!" he said with a shaky paw.

Laxus blinked. He didn't know why, but he understood the little spirit. "Why do you say that?" he asked.

Lucy gaped at Laxus. "You understand him?" she asked incredulously.

"Puu-puun-pun!" Plue responded as he crossed his arms in front of him.

Laxus sighed. "Alright, I hear ya."

"Hey," Lucy pouted, feeling a little left out. "What are you guys talking about?"

"He says that the guy was bad news and he can't really explain why," Laxus said as he stared at the beady eyes of Plue. "You told that guy to enjoy his stay here in Fiore… where's he from?"

"Pergrande," Lucy responded.

Laxus' eyes widened slightly. "What's he doing here in Fiore?"

The blonde shrugged. "I didn't get to ask. Vacation, I'd assume."

"And what did he say to you?"

"He actually asked about Plue. And when I told him that he's a Celestial Spirit, he said that a Celestial Wizard doesn't exist in Pergrande," she replied, turning to him with questioning eyes. "Can you believe that though?"

Laxus crossed his arms in front of him, his face looking thoughtful. "I've never been, so I can't say for sure. But your magic is pretty rare to begin with, so it could be true."

Lucy sighed, not really knowing what else to say. "I should probably start heading back, and besides," she looked down at her chest, gazing at Plue who was now nodding his head off. "It's way past his bedtime. I'll have to call Virgo to pick him up."

Laxus nodded. "I'll walk you to your room."

She blinked. She wasn't expecting that from him… again. "You're not going back to the casino with the others?" she asked as she slipped on her sandals and started walking back towards the hotel.

He shook his head. "Wasn't planning on blowing my cash."

The walk back to her room was just as quiet as the first time that Laxus walked her home. When they reached Lucy's room, she turned to face him. "Can you wait here for a sec?"

"Uh, sure," he replied.

Lucy opened the door and stepped inside. She called out Virgo to carry a sleeping Plue back to the Celestial World, then headed straight for her bag, rummaging through her things. She pulled out his coat and returned to the doorway. "Here," she said, holding it out to him. "I was planning on giving it to you the next day, but Cana said you guys had already left. Thanks again, by the way," she added, her cheeks pink.

He took the coat from her, his hand brushing hers briefly before pulling back. As he held his coat, her familiar scent wafted up to him. His grip on his coat tightened slightly, and though he didn't say anything, a part of him didn't mind that her scent lingered.

"Thanks," he replied gruffly, keeping his expression neutral.

Lucy stepped back, offering him a small, warm smile. "Good night, Laxus. And thanks again."

As the door closed softly in front of him, he glanced down at the coat in his hand before draping it over his shoulder. He knew he looked stupid since he already had a coat on from his suit, but he didn't really care. Her scent clinging onto his coat was oddly comforting. He turned and headed back to his room with a small smile on his face.

She woke up to the muffled sound of shouting coming from the next room - her parents' bedroom. The soft glow of the moonlight streaming through the window told her that it was still in the middle of the night. Normally, at times Iike this, she would slip out of bed, crawl between her parents, and let their presence lull her to sleep.

But she won't be doing that today.

Instead, she closed her eyes, willing for sleep to come easily to her.

"Layla, we have to do this," she heard his Dad plead.

"We are not sending her off to some cult, Jude!" That was her Mom. Her mom was usually pretty level-headed and if she got angry, she was never one to shout.

"Lucy's getting sicker by the day, Layla! Can't you see that?!"

Her heart sank at the mention of her name. Was this about her sickness again? She never understood why she was constantly getting sick even though she took good care of herself. They were hiring the best chefs, doctors, and maids left and right just for her, yet she just kept getting sick.

Then for a moment, everything was quiet. Until she heard her mom sniffling. "Why… why did it have to be our baby…"

She couldn't hear anything after that. She stayed in bed, crying in silence, until sleep finally claimed her.

Lucy felt herself slowly waking up, her eyes still heavy from sleep. She stared blankly at the ceiling, unwilling to move just yet. The distant sounds of activity outside and the soft patter of the shower running filtered into the room, but her thoughts were elsewhere - her dream.

It felt vivid, almost… too real. 'Did that really happen?' she wondered, frowning slightly. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was a memory rather than a dream. Her thoughts then suddenly wandered to her childhood memories, trying to pinpoint when it happened, but nothing came. The more she thought about it, the more hollow she felt.

Lucy sighed, turning onto her side and clutching her pillow closer. 'I should probably give them a visit…' she thought.

A few moments later, she heard the bathroom door open. Lucy propped herself up to turn and greet a towel-clad Erza. "Good morning, Erza," she greeted, her voice still hoarse from sleep.

Erza looked up as she towel-dried her wet hair, steam still rolling out of the bathroom. "Ah, good morning, Lucy. Did you sleep well?"

Lucy finally managed to sit up and stretch, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Yeah, all thanks to Wendy again. I took the pill that Loke got from her."

Just as Erza was about to respond, they heard a knock.

"Erza? Lucy? Are you guys awake?"

It was Happy.

Erza moved to open the door. "Happy? Where's Natsu?"

Happy walked in the room and plopped on Erza's bed with a tired face. "Natsu's outside with Gray."

Lucy blinked. "They're not trying to kill each other?"

Happy closed his eyes, his breathing even. "You should take a look outside."

She locked eyes with Erza for a brief moment before both ladies stepped out onto the balcony. What they saw made their jaws literally drop: some parts of the ocean had been frozen, there were multiple towering slides of varying heights on different parts of the beach, and just a few feet away from the seashore, were Gray and Natsu in the ocean, heavily glaring at each other, their bodies glowing from their magic and constantly changing the temperature of the ocean.

Erza's eyes turned into slits and glowed red.

"GRAY! NATSU!"

Lucy, on the other hand, chuckled softly, picked up her bath towel and went to the bathroom to get ready for the day. As the morning progressed with Gray and Natsu now sporting huge bumps on their forehead, both Team Natsu and the Thunder God Tribe all set out to head back to Magnolia.

At the train station, Erza had already knocked Natsu out and is currently being dragged by his scarf, gaining a couple of onlookers at the weird scene.

"That seems… convenient for him, I think," Lucy turned to Freed who had an unreadable expression on his face.

"He's much more manageable when he's out cold," Lucy replied and briefly glanced at Laxus who was walking right behind Erza. "Does Laxus get motion sick too?"

Freed nodded. "He's pretty good at hiding it by sleeping through the entire ride."

"I've got some pills with me that Wendy made," she said as she took out a small bottle from her pocket and handed it to Freed. "I can share some with you, if you'd like. Just don't let him take it every train ride though. He'll eventually grow an immunity to it."

Freed's eyes sparkled with curiosity as he took the bottle. "Like her 'Troia' spell?"

Lucy nodded. "We only let Natsu take one if we know it's going to be a long ride."

"Good luck on getting Boss pop one of those," Bickslow joined in, his hands in his pockets.

Just as Lucy was about to respond, she felt someone bump into her, completely throwing her off balance. Her hand reached out and unknowingly grasped Bickslow's arm as she stumbled awkwardly and landed on her backside unceremoniously on the ground.

Bickslow managed to stop Lucy from completely falling flat. Looking behind them, his sharp eyes zeroed onto a black-haired man in a deep blue shirt who was already walking away without so much as a second glance. "Watch where you're going, you idiot!" he barked, his voice laced with irritation. He helped Lucy up as she dusted off her skirt. "You okay?" he asked as he gave her a quick once-over.

"Yeah," she said as she smoothed down her skirt. "I didn't see him, sorry." She turned to look for whoever had bumped into her, and when her brown eyes locked onto unfamiliar onyx ones, it seemed like time had stopped. The bustling noise of the train station faded to nothing, and the crowd blurred into obscurity. It was just her and a man in a deep blue shirt, standing far apart.

She could hear own heart pounding heavily in her chest. This time, she didn't need Plue's intuition - this man was dangerous.

He was too far away to clearly make out every detail, but she could see his tousled dark hair and the faint shadow of stubble along his jaw. She didn't know how long she'd been staring, but when his mouth moved, she heard him as if he was standing right beside her -

I found you.

Somewhere within the recesses of her brain, a memory was triggered, but as quickly as she remembered, it slipped out of her grasp quickly as well. This irked her for a bit.

Lucy opened her mouth to call him out, but all of a sudden, whatever spell she was in, broke. The station's noise surged back, and the crowd around her came into sharp focus. She blinked, looking frantically in every direction.

He was gone.

"Lucy?"

She turned to find Bickslow and Freed looking at her with concern in their eyes. "You kind of… zoned out for a bit," Bickslow said, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "You sure you're okay?"

Lucy nodded wordlessly and put on a small smile. "Sorry, just had to make sure I didn't drop my keys. C'mon!" Bickslow and Freed looked at each other for a moment before shrugging and following the blonde. Nothing seemed out of place with her.

Women can be a little strange sometimes.

Makarov sat at the top of his table with a pensive look on his face. He gazed at the afternoon sky, hoping that it would enlighten him with answers. But he'd lived long enough to know that sometimes, it takes more than a little sky-gazing to know the truths of the world.

"That sounds… concerning," Makarov muttered, his gravelly voice carrying a note of unease. "And no one knows how long the King has disappeared?"

Mest shook his head. "The Council has identified a few people here in Fiore that were citizens from the Kingdom, but according to the reports, they were all accounted for."

"What about the royal family?" Makarov pressed further.

"No word from them either," Mest replied.

Makarov's eyes drifted towards the sky again. "A kingdom without its king…" he said thoughtfully. "That could prove to be a bit messy."

Author's Note:

I know it's a bit boring and there's a lot of scene-switching and some things aren't making any sense, but I promise you it'll all make sense at some point!

Hope you enjoyed this one! =)

Love lots,
nana