The grass is greener

by The watcher earth C-137

Ben has spent years traveling from place to place taking odd jobs here and there, and he was content with that. All of that changed when he got a job as a groundskeeper at Heartfilia manor, where a blonde heiress carelessly started breaking down every wall he had built. Will he be able to find peace in his new home or will everything he's been running from destroy his new life

14. Demon's Lullaby

The heat hit Ben's face like a slap, yanking him back to memories he'd tried so hard to bury.

Magnolia was burning.

Flames licked up the sides of buildings, swallowing everything in their path. The familiar stench of smoke clogged his lungs, making each breath a struggle. Around him, people ran screaming, their faces twisted in terror.

"No, no, no," he whispered, his feet carrying him forward on autopilot.

The guildhall stood—or what remained of it. But unlike the surrounding buildings engulfed in flames, Fairy Tail hadn't burned. It had been demolished, torn apart by something far more horrifying.

Massive thorny vines, as thick as tree trunks, had punched through walls and wrapped around support beams, crushing the structure from within. The vines were familiar—terrifyingly familiar. The same distinctive pattern of thorns, the same deep green hue that Ben knew intimately from his own magic.

The proud Fairy Tail flag hung by a thread from a splintered beam, torn and punctured by the same thorns that had destroyed everything else. The wooden doors lay in shattered pieces, and where the bar once stood, only broken boards and crushed furniture remained.

But it wasn't the destruction that made Ben's heart stop. It was what lay scattered across the entrance steps.

Gray's body was sprawled awkwardly, ice magic still crystallized around his fingertips—a desperate final defense against the vines that had wrapped around his torso. Natsu lay face down, his pink hair matted with blood, one arm outstretched as if reaching for something. A thorny tendril still coiled around his ankle.

Mirajane's pale face was frozen in a final expression of defiance, her neck twisted at a terrible angle. Master Makarov's tiny form was crumpled beside them, looking smaller than Ben had ever seen him, surrounded by crushed stone and broken wood.

And others—so many others—guild members whose names he was still learning, guild members he would never get to know.

What made it unbearable was the unmistakable signature of the attack. The distinctive curl of the vines as they wrapped around their targets, the specific pattern of thorns—it was plant magic. His plant magic.

"This can't be happening," Ben choked out, falling to his knees. His hands trembled as they hovered over Natsu's shoulder, afraid to confirm what his eyes were telling him. A single green shoot had sprouted beside Natsu's hand, as if responding to Ben's presence.

Looking closer at the destruction, Ben could see the calculated precision in how the vines had struck—targeting support structures first, then focusing on the strongest guild members. It wasn't random destruction. It was tactical, strategic.

The sound of boots on pavement echoed behind him. Military precision. Ben knew that sound all too well.

Just as panic began to close his throat, a flash of color amongst the rubble caught his eye.

Blonde hair.

"Lucy," he breathed, hope and terror mingling in his chest.

He scrambled to his feet, stumbling over debris as he moved toward that glimpse of gold. Had she survived? Was she hurt? His mind raced with possibilities, each worse than the last.

"Lucy!" The name tore from his throat, barely audible over the roar of flames.

Ben stumbled forward, eyes stinging, lungs burning. Each step felt heavier than the last. The rhythmic thud of boots behind him grew louder, matching the panicked beat of his heart.

"No, no, no..." He dropped to his knees, ignoring the jagged bits of debris stabbing through his pants. His hands, trembling and blackened with soot cast off of the nearby fires, worked frantically to shift the debris.

Lucy lay motionless, her face streaked with dirt and blood from a gash above her eyebrow. Her right arm bent at an unnatural angle.

"Lucy! Can you hear me?" He brushed hair from her face, relief washing over him when her eyelids fluttered.

Her breathing came in shallow gasps. "Ben...?"

"I'm here. I've got you." His voice cracked as he carefully slid his arms beneath her. "We need to get out of here. Those soldiers are coming."

Her eyes, usually so bright, seemed clouded with confusion and something else—something that made Ben's blood run cold. It wasn't pain he saw there. It was fear. Raw, undiluted fear directed at him. And beneath that, a burning anger that he'd never seen in her gentle features before.

She winced as he shifted her weight, pulling away from his touch as much as her injured body would allow.

"It's okay. I've got you. We're gonna be fine," he whispered, the words sounding hollow even to himself. His hands trembled as he tried to steady her, noticing how she flinched at his touch.

Lucy's good hand suddenly clutched at his shirt, not seeking comfort but gripping with accusation. Her fingers were weak but desperate, twisting into the fabric like she wanted to tear it apart. "Why..." Her voice was barely a rasp, but the venom in it was unmistakable. "Why would you do this?"

Ben froze, his stomach plummeting. The world seemed to tilt beneath him. "What?"

"The guild..." Tears cut clean tracks through the grime on her face, but there was no sadness in her eyes—only fury and betrayal. "They were our friends. Why would you attack them? How could you?"

His arms went slack, nearly dropping her. A cold numbness spread through his chest. "Lucy, I didn't—I would never—"

"Liar!" The word exploded from her with more force than seemed possible from her injured state. "You monster! I saw you!"

"They trusted you," she continued, each word a knife twisting deeper, her voice cracking with the force of her rage. "We all trusted you. I trusted you." Her face contorted with disgust, as though looking at something rotten.

Ben's mind raced frantically. None of this made sense. He'd just arrived to find everything already in ruins. How could she think he was responsible? What had she seen—or what did she think she'd seen?

"Lucy, please, you have to believe me," he pleaded, desperation clawing at his throat. "I would never hurt the guild. I would never hurt you. Something's wrong—"

Before he could finish, her eyes drifted past him, widening slightly, focusing on something—or someone—behind him. The boot steps had stopped.

Something solid clapped onto Ben's shoulder, sending icy-hot needles racing down his arm. Not the cold touch of a stranger—no, this grip had memory. Five pressure points that knew exactly where to dig.

"You did good, soldier." The voice sliced through the sounds of Magnolia's destruction like a knife. Clipped consonants, words marching in military formation. "Your intel was spot on. Soon the last few stragglers will be rounded up, chained and brought back to Seven."

Ben's blood froze mid-vein. That voice. The voice that had ordered him into battle after battle. The voice that had critiqued his form as he'd learned to turn living plants into weapons of war.

He turned, slow as nightmare, to face the ghost he'd spent years running from.

Captain Stinger stood tall in his Seven Kingdom military uniform, pristine despite the chaos around them. His face was the same as Ben remembered— long hair tied back, not a strand out of place. Sideburns cut sharp like daggers, eyes like empty bullet casings.

"C-Captain?" Ben's voice cracked, coming out childlike. "You... you're supposed to be dead."

Stinger's thin lips twisted into what passed for his smile. "Disappointed, Witt? The reports of my demise were... tactical." He gestured toward Lucy with a gloved hand. "I see you've found one of our targets. The Celestial mage."

Lucy's eyes darted between them, horror and betrayal shining through her tears. "You know him," she whispered. "You really did do this."

"No—" Ben started.

"Come now, Witt. Let's not play this game," Stinger continued, his tone almost bored. "You've served your purpose beautifully. The memory wipe was necessary, of course—can't have you accidentally revealing the mission. Much more convincing if you believe your own cover story."

Ben's head throbbed suddenly, pain lancing through his temples. Fragments of memories flickered like static—a sterile room, straps on his wrists, a bright light overhead.

"No," he whispered, but doubt crept in like poison.

"Look at yourself," Stinger said softly.

Ben glanced down and froze. The familiar dark green uniform of Seven's military hugged his body—the same uniform he'd sworn never to wear again. His fingers traced the insignia on his chest: a four-winged bird clutching lightning bolts in its talons, with three lines underneath signifying his rank. The embroidered threads felt raised beneath his fingertips, every detail perfect and precise. He could almost feel the phantom burn of the identical mark permanently branded into the flesh of his upper arm—a reminder that soldiers of Seven never left service.

"This isn't... I wasn't wearing..." Ben's voice cracked as his fingers clutched at the uniform. The fabric felt both alien and horribly familiar against his skin, like a second skin he'd shed years ago. His chest tightened, lungs refusing to fill properly. The walls of his past were closing in, brick by suffocating brick.

His hand moved unconsciously to his left arm, pressing against the spot where the brand lay hidden beneath the sleeve. Even through the fabric, he could trace its outline from memory—the wings of the bird stretching outward, the lightning bolts sharp and jagged, the three lines that had marked him as one of their elite mages.

Stinger's laugh cut through the air—sharp and cold like a knife scraping glass. "The lost puppy returns home. You always were my finest creation, Witt." His eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he gestured toward the blazing guildhall. "Look at what you've accomplished. Seven will be pleased."

Lucy's weight in Ben's arms grew unbearable. Not from her physical presence, but from the crushing weight of her stare. Those brown eyes that once looked at him with warmth now burned with something worse than hatred—disappointment. Betrayal.

"You... you were military?" Lucy's voice was barely audible, each word laced with disbelief. "All this time?"

"Lucy, please—" Ben's head throbbed violently. "I never told anyone because I was trying to leave it behind. That's not who I am anymore."

"Liar!" she spat, trying to push away despite her injuries. "I saw you, Ben! I watched you tear through the guild! Those vines... they crushed Elfman when he tried to protect Lisanna!" Tears streamed down her face, cutting clean trails through the grime. "You looked right at me before you attacked Gray. You smiled."

Ben's stomach lurched. "No, that's not—I wouldn't—"

But even as he denied it, images flooded his mind: his hands commanding massive thorned vines to burst through Fairy Tail's doors, the crack of wood splintering, Natsu's shocked face as Ben's plants wrapped around his throat.

"Stop fighting it, Witt," Stinger said, stepping closer. "The programming is reasserting itself. The loyal soldier was always in there, beneath that pathetic gardener disguise."

Ben's vision swam, doubling and tripling. "Programming...?" His head felt like it might split open—two sets of memories warring for dominance.

Stinger knelt beside them, his voice almost gentle. "We put you in deep cover, wiped enough of your memory to make your act convincing. The best lie is the one you believe yourself, after all." He tapped Ben's temple with a gloved finger. "But the soldier was always there, waiting for the right trigger phrase."

"What did you do to me?" Ben's voice trembled, caught between rage and terror.

"Made you better," Stinger replied simply. "Now hand over the Celestial mage. We have collection quotas to meet."

Blood trickled from Ben's nose as pressure built inside his skull. Memories flashed faster: training in Seven's military camps, escaping across the border, gardening at the Heartfilia estate, infiltrating Fairy Tail, befriending Lucy, destroying the guild.

Which ones were real?

Stinger sighed impatiently. "Enough theatrics. Bloom and wither, soldier."

The phrase slithered into Ben's ears like ice water. His spine snapped straight, muscles locking into place. Something cold and slick flooded through his veins, oil-like and suffocating, coating his thoughts.

"Bloom and wither," he repeated, voice flat and hollow. Not his voice. Not anymore.

His consciousness shrieked in protest as it was shoved backward, trapped behind glass, forced to watch as his body betrayed him. His arms moved mechanically, shifting Lucy's weight, preparing to hand her over.

Inside his mind, Ben raged against invisible restraints. 'No! Stop! STOP!'

His fingers twitched, the only outward sign of his internal battle. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.

"No," he managed to force out, the word barely a whisper.

Stinger's face hardened. "I said, bloom and wither, soldier." He stepped closer, enunciating each syllable with terrifying precision. "You belong to Seven. Always have, always will."

Ben's arms began moving forward, offering Lucy up like a sacrifice. He screamed within the prison of his mind, throwing himself against the walls of whatever magic held him captive.

'My magic. It's still MY magic.'

Ben focused inward, reaching for that familiar current of power that had always been his and his alone. It slipped away like water through fingers, refusing his call. But he pushed harder, desperation lending him strength.

'Come back to me. You're MINE.'

The magic fought him, twisting away, foreign and hostile for the first time since he'd discovered it as a child. But he was relentless, chasing it through the corridors of his mind.

Stinger chuckled, watching Ben's internal struggle play out in tiny facial twitches. "Don't fight it, Witt. You can't win."

Ben's body took another wooden step toward Stinger, arms extending Lucy outward.

Something cracked in the wall holding him back. Ben pulled harder at his magic, no longer chasing but commanding it.

'Return to me. NOW.'

The resistance suddenly gave way with a snap like a rubber band breaking. Pain shot through his leg, sharp and real—his magic responding at last, a thorn piercing through fabric and skin.

The world tilted sickeningly. Stinger's face blurred, then dissolved entirely.

Ben bolted upright with a gasp, nearly throwing himself from his seat. The sudden movement sent his head spinning, vision swimming as he frantically tried to make sense of his surroundings. Not the burning ruins of Magnolia. But reality slowly reasserted itself.

A train. He was on a train.

Ben's was no stranger to nightmares, at all, but this one was different, too vivid, too real. Every image had burned itself into his mind with terrifying clarity—Lucy's betrayed face, her brown eyes wide with hurt; Stinger's cold smile, that familiar twist of his lips that always preceded pain; the uniform he'd sworn never to wear again, somehow back on his body, constricting his chest like a cage.

His heart still hammered against his ribs, sweat cooling uncomfortably on his skin as he fought to ground himself in reality. The nightmare had felt so real he could still smell the metallic tang of blood, still hear the marching of boots on destroyed stone.

"Just a dream," he whispered, voice hoarse. He repeated it like a mantra, trying to convince himself. "Just a dream."

As he moved, he felt an unsettling tugging sensation across his skin, followed by a series of wet, peeling sounds. Ben looked down in horror to see gnarled, ancient-looking roots detaching from his body, slithering away like reluctant parasites. They left behind faint red marks where they had latched onto him, small circular patterns like countless tiny suction cups.

"What the hell?" he gasped, watching as the last of the roots retreated, seeming to pulse with displeasure at losing their host. His plant magic tingled at their proximity—these weren't natural. Something about them felt wrong, corrupted. Like looking at a twisted reflection of what plant life should be.

A sharp throb from his leg drew his attention downward. Ben pushed aside the edge of his coat and cursed under his breath. The flower cutting he'd kept in his pocket for emergencies had responded to his distress during sleep. Inch-long razor-sharp thorns had erupted from the stem, punching through the fabric of his pocket and into his thigh.

"Damn it," he muttered, wincing as he carefully placed his fingers near the plant. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and reached for his magic. The connection came easily now, nothing like the desperate struggle in his nightmare. With gentle focus, he commanded the thorns to retract, watching as they shrank back into the stem, leaving small puncture marks in both his pants and skin.

But something wasn't right. The fog of the nightmare began to disperse, allowing his actual memories to surface. The train to Freesia town. Erza, Natsu, Happy, Gray, Lucy, and himself going to track down Eisenwald. Lullaby—the cursed flute with the dangerous melody. He remembered sitting with the team in this very car, discussing their strategy for when they reached Freesia Town.

Then there had been static from the train's intercom. A strange, haunting melody had played, and then...

Ben pushed the nightmare away and truly focused on his surroundings for the first time. The train car was dark—unnaturally so. What little light remained revealed something impossible. Ancient, gnarled roots covered every surface of the car, crawling up the walls, across the floor, and over the ceiling like petrified wooden veins. They obscured the windows completely, plunging the car into a twilight gloom broken only by thin slivers of light that managed to penetrate through narrow gaps in the twisted growth.

"What the hell?" he murmured, reaching out to touch one of the roots. It felt real—solid, rough, and oldly cold under his fingertips. This wasn't part of his nightmare. This was happening now.

He squinted in the darkness, trying to locate his teammates. Where was everyone? Had they been affected by that melody too? The last thing he remembered before the nightmare was that eerie tune playing through the speakers.

As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, Ben's breath caught in his throat. There they were—Lucy, Happy, Natsu, and Gray—slumped in their seats, but what made his heart race was the sight of the same ancient wooden roots that covered the train car now crawling up their arms and necks like parasitic vines. The roots pulsed with a faint, sickly glow, seeming to tighten with each breath his friends took.

Lucy's face was twisted in what looked like pain or fear, small whimpers escaping her lips. Happy's face was simply frozen in a look of horror. Natsu, despite being unconscious, had beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, while Gray's skin had taken on an unnatural paleness beneath the wooden tendrils.

As Ben watched, the roots pulsed with a sickly purpleish glow. With each pulse, the tendrils seemed to grow thicker, advancing another inch up his friends' bodies. The color drained further from their faces with each throb of light.

"Gods," Ben whispered, leaning closer to examine Lucy. Her skin had taken on an ashen quality, veins becoming more visible beneath the surface. The small whimpers escaping her lips grew more desperate, punctuated by tiny jerks of her head as if trying to escape something only she could see.

Another pulse, and Ben noticed something truly disturbing – tiny droplets of what looked like golden light were being drawn from his friends' skin into the roots. The droplets traveled through the wooden veins like fireflies trapped in amber, flowing toward the walls of the train car.

"Lullaby," he whispered, the horrifying realization dawning on him. "This isn't just a death spell..."

The ancient flute's power wasn't what they had assumed. This wasn't simple death magic like they'd theorized. Erza had said that the council's files called it the "eternal sleep", and now Ben understood why. The victims weren't killed. It was something far worse – a prison of the mind while your very essence was consumed.

"I have to get them out," Ben muttered, reaching toward one of the roots on Lucy's arm. Before his fingers could make contact, a soft noise came from behind him.

The sound barely registered – a boot scuffing against the wooden floor – but it was enough. Still raw from the nightmare of Captain Stinger, Ben's body reacted before his mind could process. Years of combat training took over in an instant. He pivoted on his heel, body already coiling, and launched a strike toward the source of the sound.

Metal rang against flesh as Ben's fist collided with something hard. The impact shot pain up his arm, his knuckles throbbing slightly as they met the unexpected barrier. His fist hadn't connected with flesh but with armor—Erza's gauntlet, which had caught his punch mid-flight.

"Erza!" Ben's eyes widened as he registered who stood before him.

She held his fist firmly but not painfully, her stance unruffled by his sudden attack. The dim, root-filtered light cast eerie shadows across her face, highlighting the tension around her eyes despite her composed expression.

Ben yanked his hand back the moment she released her grip, flexing his sore fingers. "Damn, I'm sorry. I just—" His gaze darted around the train car, suddenly realizing something he'd completely missed. "Wait, you're awake too?"

In his panic, he hadn't even noticed that Erza hadn't been among their unconscious teammates. The realization hit him like a bucket of cold water. How had he missed something so obvious?

"I woke up a few minutes before you did," Erza said, her voice clipped and measured. She stood with her shoulders squared, one hand resting on the hilt of her sword—not drawing it, just touching it, like a soldier seeking reassurance from a familiar weapon.

Ben recognized that posture all too well. He'd caught himself standing the same way countless times after escaping Seven. Ready for a threat that wasn't there.

"I checked the other train cars," she continued, eyes darting briefly to the roots pulsing around them. "The passengers are in the same condition as our team—trapped in nightmares while these... things feed on them."

"Any sign of Eisenwald?" Ben asked, searching her face.

"None yet. But they'll come. People don't just set traps without checking to see if they worked."

Ben watched Erza closely, noting the tiny tells in her composure. Her jaw muscles worked beneath her skin, flexing and releasing in a rhythm that spoke of barely contained tension. Her fingers curled into a fist, then relaxed, only to tighten again moments later. Like a coiled spring, she held herself together through sheer force of will.

He recognized that look. He'd worn it himself too many times to count.

"I think I broke free because of this," he said, pulling out the thorn-covered plant cutting from his pocket. The small stem looked almost innocent now, its thorns retracted like a cat's claws at rest. "It responded to my distress during the nightmare and the pain snapped me out of it. But I'm not sure how to help the others without—"

"Without hurting them," Erza finished, her eyes falling on their friends' twisted expressions.

A silence hung between them, broken only by Lucy's soft whimpers. Erza's shoulders dropped a fraction – so slight Ben almost missed it.

"One of my eyes is artificial," she said quietly, not meeting his gaze.

Ben blinked, surprised by the sudden confession.

Erza's fingers hovered near her right eye. "It's... different. It lets me see through illusions and magic disguises." She gestured vaguely at the roots around them. "While trapped in there, I could almost see... cracks in the dream. Like looking through foggy glass and spotting the real world beyond."

She turned away, checking on Natsu. "I found the seams and tore through."

Ben studied her profile in the dim light. The fierce knight commander suddenly seemed... human. Behind that armor and strict demeanor was someone who understood what it meant to be trapped – maybe not just in magical nightmares.

"I had her all wrong, didn't I?" he thought, but kept the realization to himself. Now wasn't the time for bonding.

Instead, he knelt beside Lucy, examining the pulsing roots embracing her arm. "These things are feeding on their fear, their life energy." He watched another golden droplet travel up the wooden veins. "If we don't get them out soon..."

"We will," Erza said, the steel returning to her voice. Her conviction was almost tangible. She studied the roots with narrowed eyes, then looked back at Ben. "Your magic—can you control these?"

Ben rubbed his hands together, feeling the familiar buzz of his magic gathering in his fingertips. "Let me try."

He extended his hand toward the nearest cluster of roots, calling to them the way he would any plant. His magic reached out – tendrils of his consciousness seeking connection with the twisted growth.

The response was immediate and violent.

Ben gasped, yanking his hand back as if burned. His magic recoiled into him so forcefully he stumbled backward, nearly tripping over his own feet.

"What happened?" Erza demanded, steadying him with a firm grip on his shoulder.

"They're... wrong," Ben managed, shaking his head to clear the lingering sensation. It felt like plunging his hand into icy sewage. "Not just corrupted. It's like they've been twisted inside out. My magic barely even recognizes them as plants, but there's also... something else."

"Something else?" Erza pressed.

"Almost like they're part of someone's magic circuit." Ben flexed his fingers, still feeling phantom tingles. "They're not responding like normal plants. It's like trying to communicate with a language that's been deliberately butchered."

Erza's stance softened slightly as she turned to face him fully. Her eyes – both real and artificial – studied him with newfound interest.

"Then we'll need another approach," she said. "Your knowledge of plants combined with my sword skills might be enough to free them without causing harm."

She drew her sword, the steel catching what little light filtered through the roots. "If we can't communicate with them, we'll need to understand how they're connected to our friends. Can you tell where these roots are most vulnerable?"

Ben nodded, pushing aside his failed attempt. "Let me look closer. There might be a pattern to how they're attached."

Ben circled Gray's slumped form, studying the roots that had wrapped themselves around his teammate. His fingers hovered inches from the pulsing wooden tendrils, not quite touching them. There was no pattern he could discern—just chaos and hunger.

"Anything?" Erza asked, her voice tight with restrained urgency.

Ben shook his head. "They're completely irregular. No central node, no weak point." He straightened up, wiping sweat from his brow. "I think we need to go with the simplest approach."

"Which is?"

"Brute force." Ben flexed his fingers. "Just grab and pull before these things take any more from them."

Erza's eyes narrowed, but she nodded. "Gray first, then."

They positioned themselves on opposite sides of Gray's unconscious form. The ice wizard's face was twisted in pain, skin ashen beneath the crawling roots.

"On three," Ben said, gripping the largest cluster of roots on Gray's right arm. The wood felt unnaturally cold, almost burning his palm with its chill.

Erza wrapped her gauntleted hands around the roots on Gray's left side. "One."

"Two," Ben continued, meeting her eyes across Gray's body.

"Three!" they said together, yanking with synchronized force.

The roots resisted for one terrible moment—then gave way with a sound like tearing sinew. Golden droplets sprayed from the severed ends, suspended in the air for a heartbeat before dissipating.

Gray's eyes flew open. "UR! NO!" he screamed, lurching upward with such force that both Ben and Erza had to jump back. His right hand instinctively formed an ice-make stance, frost already gathering at his fingertips.

"Gray!" Ben called, catching the disoriented wizard's wrist. "Gray, it's me. It's Ben!"

Gray's wild eyes darted around the train car, his chest heaving. "Where is—what happened to—" His gaze fixed on something only he could see. "The ice... she's in the ice..."

"Gray, look at me." Ben moved into his line of sight, blocking whatever phantom was tormenting him. "You're on a train. With Fairy Tail. Whatever you saw wasn't real."

Gray's breathing started to slow, recognition gradually dawning in his eyes. "Ben?" He blinked hard, then noticed Erza. "Erza? What the hell is going on?" His eyes widened as he took in the root-covered train car. "What are these things?"

Erza placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. "Lullaby's trap. It caught everyone except Ben and me."

Ben exchanged a glance with Erza, a silent understanding passing between them. They'd both recognized the haunted look in Gray's eyes—a look they'd seen in their own reflections too many times. Another person carrying ghosts.

Gray shook his head, blinking rapidly as if trying to clear cobwebs from his vision. His hands trembled slightly.

"It takes a second," Ben said softly, placing a steady hand on Gray's shoulder. "The nightmare fog doesn't clear right away. Just breathe."

Gray took a deep, shuddering breath and nodded. "Yeah... thanks."

"Let's free Lucy next," Ben suggested, already moving toward her slumped form. The roots around her seemed to pulse more intensely, as if sensing their intentions.

Gray pushed himself up, wobbling slightly before finding his balance. "What do you need me to do?"

"Help me pull these things off her," Ben said, gesturing to the tangle of roots embracing Lucy's arms. "Careful though—they don't want to let go."

They positioned themselves on either side of Lucy. Her face was contorted in silent anguish, tears leaking from beneath her closed eyelids. Ben felt a surge of protectiveness sweep through him.

"On three," he said, nodding to Gray who gripped the roots on Lucy's right side. "One... two... three!"

They yanked together. The roots made that same terrible tearing sound, releasing their grip on Lucy with reluctant surrender. Golden droplets scattered into the air like tiny fireflies.

Lucy's eyes flew open, wild and unfocused. "No!" she gasped, jerking upright. Her gaze darted frantically around the train car, unseeing. "Where are—you can't—"

"Lucy," Ben called, leaning into her field of vision. "Lucy, it's okay. You're safe."

For a moment, she stared through him, still trapped in the echoes of her nightmare. Then recognition dawned, her eyes widening.

"Ben?" she whispered, reaching out a trembling hand to touch his face. "Is it really...?"

Before he could answer, Lucy launched herself forward, wrapping her arms around him in a desperate embrace. The force nearly knocked him backward, but he caught himself, arms automatically closing around her.

"You're real," came her muffled voice against his chest, so quiet he barely heard it. Her fingers clutched at the back of his shirt like she was afraid he might disappear. "You're real, you're real..."

Ben held Lucy tightly, one hand resting on her golden hair, his fingers gently moving in small, soothing circles. Looking up over her trembling shoulders, he caught Gray and Erza watching them. Something unspoken passed between them—a silent understanding that needed no words.

Gray's eyes flicked toward Natsu's trapped form, then back to Ben with a slight nod. The ice wizard's jaw remained tight from his own nightmare, but his message was clear. Erza's expression softened momentarily, her armored hand resting absently on her sword hilt. She gave Ben the smallest of nods before turning away toward their other teammates.

"Come on," Gray said quietly to Erza, already moving toward their pink-haired teammate. The ice wizard's hands still trembled slightly, but his steps were steady. "Natsu's still caught. And Happy too."

Erza followed, giving Ben and Lucy the space they needed. "We need to move quickly," she said, just loud enough for Ben to hear. "Whatever these roots are taking from them, they're taking more by the second."

Ben understood their gesture immediately—they were giving him a moment to help Lucy ground herself, to bring her back from whatever nightmare had gripped her. The compassion in their actions made something twist in his chest. In another life, another army, privacy in vulnerability was never allowed. But here, among these wizards, there was a different kind of strength.

"I've got you," Ben whispered, his breath stirring the fine strands of hair near Lucy's ear as he turned his full attention back to her. His voice was soft, meant only for her. "It wasn't real."

He kept his arms around her, a steady anchor as her breathing gradually slowed against his chest. In the background, he could hear Gray and Erza working to free Natsu, their voices low and focused, deliberately giving them this moment of quiet recovery.

Lucy's fingers uncurled slightly from their death grip on his shirt, though she stayed pressed against him. "It felt real," she murmured, voice muffled against his chest. "I was back there, Ben. Back at the estate. Like none of this had happened. Like you'd never worked there, never helped me." Her voice cracked slightly. "My keys were gone. Father was making me marry that disgusting Sawaar from the party, and I couldn't—I tried to run away but the gates wouldn't open and every hallway just led back to that awful ballroom and—"

Ben pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, keeping his hands steady on her shoulders. "Hey, look at me," he said softly. "You're not there. You're here, with Fairy Tail. With me." He held up his pinky finger between them, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I've got your back, remember?"

Despite the lingering horror of her nightmare, Lucy gave a watery laugh, hooking her own pinky around his. "Pinky promise," she whispered back, the childish gesture grounding her in reality more effectively than anything else could have.

Lucy pulled back slightly, her eyes red-rimmed but clearer now. When she noticed her hands still clutching Ben's shirt, a flush crept up her neck. "Sorry, I—"

"Hey," Ben said softly, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You should've seen me. Pretty sure I came up swinging."

Her lips curved in a wobbly almost-smile. "Really?"

"Oh yeah," he nodded, keeping his voice light despite the memory of his own nightmare still lurking at the edges of his mind. "Complete mess. Erza nearly had to knock me out again."

Across from them, Gray snorted as he positioned himself by Natsu's slumped form. "If it makes you feel better, I was ready to freeze the whole train." A shadow crossed his face. "Those nightmares... they stick with you." Gray looked away, jaw tightening. "Let's just get flame-brain out of whatever hell he's trapped in."

Lucy wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and gave Ben's arm a gentle squeeze before moving to help with Happy. "Thank you," she whispered, just for him.

Ben nodded, trying not to think about how his nightmare had featured Lucy looking at him with disgust and hatred. How in the dream, she'd called him nothing but a weapon, a killer playing at being human.

He couldn't help but remember Gray's panicked voice as he'd awakened. The ice wizard had shouted a name—Ur—something about being trapped in ice. The raw anguish in Gray's voice had been unmistakable, like a wound that had never properly healed.

Ben glanced at Gray, who was now focused intently on freeing Natsu. Whoever Ur was, they clearly meant a great deal to him. Ben understood better than most the desire to keep certain parts of your past buried. Some ghosts were too painful to discuss, especially with people who hadn't been there. He'd respect Gray's privacy the same way he hoped the others would respect his.

"One, two, three—PULL!" Erza commanded, her voice cutting through Ben's musings.

The sound of roots tearing from Natsu's body pulled Ben back to the present. He shook his head slightly, pushing away thoughts of both his own nightmare and Gray's mysterious past. Right now, they needed to focus on getting everyone safely awake and figuring out who had set this trap. The past—both his and Gray's—would have to wait.

She and Gray yanked the roots from Natsu's body. The dragon slayer came awake with a roar, flames erupting from his fists. Unlike the others, there was no disorientation in his eyes—just pure, unfiltered rage.

"WHERE ARE THEY?" he bellowed, flames intensifying. "WHERE'S IGNEEL? I'LL BURN THEM ALL!"

Gray tackled him before he could set the entire train car ablaze. "Natsu! It was a dream! A nightmare!"

Natsu struggled against Gray's hold, his eyes wild. "LET GO! They had him in chains! They were hurting him!"

"No one has Igneel," Erza said firmly, her voice cutting through Natsu's panic. "It was the magic making you see things."

Natsu's flames dimmed slightly, confusion replacing some of the fury. "But I saw—"

"We all saw things," Ben said, moving to help Lucy free Happy. "Things that weren't real but knew exactly how to hurt us."

Lucy's hands were gentle as she worked to untangle the roots from Happy's small body. "It's okay, Natsu," she said, looking over her shoulder at him. "I had a nightmare too. We all did."

Natsu's flames flickered out entirely, leaving him sagging against Gray's restraining arms. "It was so real," he said, his voice uncharacteristically small. "I couldn't help him."

"I know," Gray said, releasing his hold but staying close. "Trust me, I know."

Happy came awake with a tiny gasp, his wings appearing instantly as he shot upward. "LUCY! NATSU! WHERE—"

"Here, Happy," Lucy called, holding out her arms. "We're all here."

The blue cat zoomed to her, burying his face in her chest. "Everyone disappeared," he whispered. "Even the fish!"

Despite everything, a collective chuckle broke the tension.

"At least we know what really matters to the cat," Gray said dryly.

Happy looked up indignantly. "You guys disappeared first! The fish was just the final straw!"

Lucy stroked the cat's head, her smile more genuine now. "We're all okay now."

Ben felt the tension in his shoulders ease as he glanced around at his companions. His gaze lingered on Lucy, who was still comforting Happy, then moved to Gray helping Natsu to his feet, and finally to Erza standing vigilant near the door. Something warm bloomed in his chest—not quite familiar, not yet, but welcome all the same.

"We need to move," Erza said, her voice cutting through his thoughts. Her tone was softer than usual, but the steel underneath remained. "Whoever set this trap might return to check their handiwork."

Ben pushed himself up, wincing as his muscles protested. "What about the other passengers?" He gestured to the rows of slumped bodies, each wrapped in the same glowing roots. Their faces twitched in silent nightmares. "We can't just leave them like this."

"We'll free them," Erza agreed, already moving toward the nearest passenger.

Natsu attempted to stand, his face suddenly turning a sickly shade of green. "I'll h-help—" His words died as the train lurched around a bend, sending him crashing back to the floor with a groan. "Still... moving..."

"Forget it, flame-brain," Gray sighed, stepping over Natsu's prone form. "You're useless on transportation."

Lucy chewed her bottom lip, surveying the car full of trapped passengers. "If these roots are draining magic or... whatever they're taking... we need to hurry."

"Before Lullaby does permanent damage," Ben added, a chill running down his spine as he noticed the golden droplets growing larger around some of the longer-trapped victims. "Whatever that stuff is, it's getting worse."

Lucy's eyes lit up. "I have just the spirit for this!" Her hand moved to her key ring, fingers dancing over the gold and silver keys until she selected one with a triumphant smile. "Cancer can cut through these roots in seconds!"

The key gleamed as she held it out. "Open, Gate of the Giant Crab! Cancer!"

A doorbell chime rang through the train car as a tall, stylish man with crab legs protruding from his back materialized in a golden flash. He adjusted his sunglasses with one hand, massive scissors snipping in the other.

"You need a trim, baby?" Cancer asked, scissors clicking rhythmically.

Lucy pointed to the nearest passenger. "Those roots—we need them cut away without hurting the people trapped inside."

Cancer spun his scissors expertly. "No problem, baby. I'll—"

"Wait." Gray's hand shot out, stopping Cancer before he could approach the first passenger. "What happens when they wake up?"

Everyone froze.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

Gray ran a hand through his hair, leaving it standing at odd angles. "I mean, we all came out swinging. Natsu was shooting flames. Ben nearly took Erza's head off." He gestured around the crowded train car. "What happens when twenty panicked civilians wake up from their worst nightmares? In a moving train?"

Ben glanced at the emergency brake on the wall. "Mass panic."

"Exactly," Gray nodded. "We need a plan for when they wake up."

Erza's expression turned grim. "He's right. We could cause a stampede."

"But we can't just leave them," Lucy protested, her hand gripping her keys tighter.

Ben knelt beside the nearest passenger, a middle-aged woman whose face was contorted in silent terror. Roots crept and pulsed along her entire body, larger than the ones he'd seen around his friends.

"We don't have time to debate this," he said quietly. "Look at how much bigger these roots already are compared to ours and they're still growing. These people are on a ticking clock."

The reality of his words settled over the group like a shadow.

"So what do we do?" Lucy whispered.

Ben straightened up suddenly, a thought striking him. "Erza, how many cars are ahead of us? Any more passengers?"

Erza shook her head, her red hair catching the dim light. "None. Ours is the last passenger car. The three in front are an unused dining car, overflow storage, and the employee cabin before the engine."

A plan began to form in Ben's mind. He met Erza's gaze, and something in his expression must have clicked with her because she nodded slightly.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.

"Divide and conquer," she replied firmly.

Gray looked between them, brows furrowed. "Care to explain to the rest of us?"

Erza's hand went to her sword hilt. "We split into two teams. One stays in this car with the passengers, the other heads forward to find Lullaby and whoever played it." She glanced toward the front of the train. "To access the intercom system to play the flute throughout all cars, they would have had to be in one of the front sections—likely near the conductor's cabin or the engine room."

"Makes sense," Ben nodded. "And we can detach the cars," he added, gesturing toward the coupling mechanism at the end of their car. "Pull the pin on the coupler between cars, and this section will gradually slow down and stop. That way, one team can focus on freeing everyone safely without worrying about the train moving or whoever's behind this coming back."

Natsu groaned from his spot on the floor, the mention of the car eventually stopping bringing a weak smile to his green face. "Not... moving... sounds... good..."

Lucy's eyes widened with understanding. "And Cancer can safely cut everyone free without risking a panic on a moving train!" Lucy added, her key glinting in the dim light. "We won't have to worry about disoriented passengers stumbling around a speeding train when they wake up."

"Exactly," Ben nodded, his mind racing through the logistics. "Once the car stops completely, we wake everyone up gradually, explain what happened, and get them safely away from the tracks."

Gray crossed his arms, a thin layer of frost forming around his fingers as he considered the plan. "The train's still moving pretty fast. Pulling that coupler pin won't be easy without getting crushed or dragged under."

"I can handle it," Ben said, already mentally calculating how his vines could be used to safely disengage the mechanism.

"No," Erza interjected, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I'll use my sword to cut the connection from a safe distance."

Erza's hand went to her sword hilt. "We split into two teams. One stays on this car with the passengers, the other heads forward to find Lullaby and whoever played it." She glanced toward the front of the train. "To access the intercom system to play the flute throughout all cars, they would have had to be in one of the front sections—likely near the conductor's cabin or the engine room."

"Makes sense," Ben nodded. "And we can detach the cars," he added, gesturing toward the coupling mechanism at the end of their car. "Pull the pin on the coupler between cars, and this section will gradually slow down and stop. That way, one team can focus on freeing everyone safely without worrying about the train moving or whoever's behind this coming back."

Natsu groaned from his spot on the floor, the mention of the car eventually stopping bringing a weak smile to his green face. "Not... moving... sounds... good..."

Lucy's eyes widened with understanding. "And Cancer can safely cut everyone free without risking a panic on a moving train!" Lucy added, her key glinting in the dim light. "We won't have to worry about disoriented passengers stumbling around a speeding train when they wake up."

"Exactly," Ben nodded, his mind racing through the logistics. "Once the car stops completely, we wake everyone up gradually, explain what happened, and get them safely away from the tracks."

Gray crossed his arms, a thin layer of frost forming around his fingers as he considered the plan. "The train's still moving pretty fast. Pulling that coupler pin won't be easy without getting crushed or dragged under."

"I can handle it," Ben said, already mentally calculating how his vines could be used to safely disengage the mechanism.

"No," Erza interjected, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I'll use my sword to cut the connection from a safe distance."

Erza scanned the group with a tactical eye. Her gaze lingered on Natsu's pitiable form. "Natsu's clearly useless on the moving portion of the train."

"Hey!" Natsu protested weakly, raising his head before another lurch of the train sent him collapsing back with a groan, proving Erza's point better than any words could have.

Erza's gaze swept over the team, her armor catching the dim light filtering through the train windows. She turned to Ben, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him.

"We haven't worked together before," she said, stepping closer to him. The clink of her armor punctuated her movements. "So I need you to answer honestly can you handle yourself in a fight?"

The directness of her question caught Ben off guard, but he straightened his shoulders and met her gaze. This wasn't the military, but some things never changed – when someone asked if you could fight, there was only one acceptable answer.

"Yes," he said, meeting Erza's gaze without flinching. His fingers twitched at his side, ready to call forth his magic at a moment's notice. The vines beneath his skin seemed to pulse, eager to prove their worth.

Erza held his stare, sizing him up. Her eyes narrowed slightly, searching for any hint of weakness or hesitation. Finding none, she gave a curt nod.

"Good. You're with me," she said, then turned toward Gray. "You as well Gray, the three of us will make up the forward team."

Gray's jaw tightened, a muscle twitching in his cheek. Frost crackled across his knuckles as he clenched and unclenched his fists. "Perfect," he muttered, his eyes darker than usual. "I've got plenty to work out."

Ben noticed how Gray's magic seemed to pulse with his emotions, tiny ice crystals forming and melting on his skin in rapid succession.

Erza caught it too. She didn't comment, just gave him a knowing look. "Save it for whoever's responsible."

Gray nodded sharply, already slipping off his shirt without seeming to realize it. "Oh, I intend to."

Erza turned to Lucy, who was still cradling Happy against her chest. "Lucy, you're in charge of this car with Natsu and Happy. Your spirit can free everyone safely, and you three can handle the aftermath."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Wait—me? In charge?" She glanced down at Natsu, who looked more like a seasick corpse than backup.

"You'll be fine," Erza cut her off, but her tone softened slightly. "Your spirits give you versatility. Use that."

"And I'll protect Lucy!" Happy chirped, puffing up his tiny blue chest.

Natsu raised a shaky fist from his spot on the floor. "Just... stop... the stupid... train..." He turned an even more impressive shade of green as the car jolted around a bend.

Gray snorted, a small cloud of frost escaping his lips. "Some backup. The cat's your best bet."

"I can handle it," Lucy shot back, fire flashing in her eyes. She straightened up, keys jingling at her hip. "Right, Cancer?"

"No problem, baby," the crab spirit replied with a flourish of his scissors.

Ben caught Lucy's eye and gave her a quick nod. "She's got this," he said to Gray, not bothering to hide the pride in his voice.

Gray raised an eyebrow but said nothing, the frost around his hands intensifying as he turned toward the door. Something about the way he stood—shoulders tight, expression hard—told Ben that Gray was itching for a fight.

"Let's get moving," Erza said, already striding toward the door connecting to the next car. A tangle of glowing roots had wrapped around the handle and frame. "The longer we wait, the stronger these tendrils grow."

With a swift motion that Ben could barely follow, Erza drew her sword and sliced through the vines blocking the exit. They fell away with a hissing sound, golden droplets spattering the floor.

"Stand back," she warned, grasping the handle. With a powerful yank, she threw the door open.

Sunlight flooded into the dim car, momentarily blinding them all. The rushing sound of wind and tracks filled the space as the landscape blurred past outside. Ben raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sudden brightness, squinting as they adjusted.

"Ready?" Erza asked, looking back at Ben and Gray.

Ben nodded, feeling the familiar pre-battle focus settling over him. Somewhere ahead on this train was a threat, and he was damn well going to help stop it.

"Let's go," he said, stepping forward into the light.