Mistress is shadowed. Her gaze is hard, her eyes cold, yet when a memory surfaces, they spark and are inflamed with hateful fire. It is disturbing to see in so kind and gentle a soul as Mistress Lucy. Though she may kill, she struggles. Her Lord Zeref is distant and uninterested in the workings of his lesser tools, but each time Lucy uses violence in his name, another piece of her breaks. We Spirit Familiars can see it, feel it, hear the fragments of happiness and wholeness within her weeping.

She is wilting slowly, depriving herself of joy and light in favor of vengeance and darkness. Even under the stars, as she sleeps, it is written all over her face. Her dreams torment her, yet she does not reach out to us. We are to her what she is to Zeref; tools for personal use. I do not mind being the tool of Lucy Heartfilia; however, I would prefer her to administer punishment upon me than upon herself. It is a hard thing to see one's Master destroy themselves and be forced into silence, not to act or protect. Merely watch, as they crumble further.

The night is dark, the stars veiled by black clouds, lightning flashing between the distant particles. Thunder rolls gently over the land, a natural lullaby beginning as rain begins to pelt the dry earth. The horse is unperturbed, the driver humming softly as he flicks the reigns. The wagon shifts slightly on the beaten path, and my Mistress sleeps, her cloak bundled around her, knees drawn to her chest. She is usually so hard, so rigid and strong - it is like looking at a different person when she sleeps. She becomes frail and vulnerable.

I watch from the wet earth, perturbed at the shifting emotions and morals that hold my Mistress in a tenuous grip. Should either strengthen, the other shall fall; such rigid repression and wild feeling cannot coexist. I worry for her.

The hour grows late, and the wagoner steers the cart to a nearby waypoint, detaching the leads from his horse and retiring for the night. Wisely, he does not wake my master, instead heading directly to the room that is surely awaiting him. When he has disappeared, I surface, looking down at the fragile, brittle human who holds my loyalty.

There is a shift in the energy of the world, and another spirit Familiar appears beside me, with others soon collecting behind. "Hello, Leo. Aquarius." I lower my head in respect to my fellow spirits, stronger than I, but all of us Lucy Heartfilia's strongest. "Mistress is damaged. Soon, she will break."

"So you feel it too?" Leo's voice is quiet, and I am reminded of his forceful return to our plane of existence. "She is growing darker, drenched in the vile corruption leaking from that Emperor of hers." His lips twist in a snarl, teeth glinting dangerously before he smooths his expression into disinterest. "I fear this mission will finally break the dam inside of her, and she will be forever changed." The Lion's breath leaves him in a sigh, his worry filling the air with opaque mist before dissipating. "Whether it shall be a positive or negative change remains to be seen."

Aquarius sneers, her eyes roving over the form of our master in distaste. "Stupid child." Resentment coats her tone, but far beneath is a tender undertone, laden with unspoken disquiet. "As a Spirit Summoner, she really must take better care of herself. All of those memories, locked away, never acknowledged, rarely felt… is it really a wonder that she only ever has nightmares?" Leo and I do not speak, contemplating the logic in Aquarius's theory.

The Water Zodiac huffs a dismissive breath, folding her arms over her chest, but her eyes invariably stray back to our master, taking in the dark circles beneath her eyes, the hollows of her face, the tear tracks glimmering silver in the faint moonlight. "You affect us all, Lucy Heartfilia. We are bound to you, and you alone - should you suffer, so do we." Absentmindedly, she fingers several angry patches of skin on her tail, scales having fallen off. Leo favors his right side. My eyes drop to my hands, dirty and cracked, blood crusting on the nail beds and knuckles swollen.

"Let us depart. Lucy requires rest." Leo speaks finally, a decisive statement that captures Aquarius's attention. She acquiesces, and turns her head to the heavens.

"I shall remain behind to watch over her." The Water and Lion Zodiacs nod in assent, their forms fading from sight before disappearing entirely.

"You must take care of yourself, Lucy. Be more careful." Shaking out the traveling blanket, I spread it over her form before retreating to the comforting darkness of the earth. For all our sakes.

A/N - Well, here you are. Another chapter of Silent Heart. I am fond of putting characters through horrific experiences. Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail characters are no exception. Lucy had already been through a fair amount of grief in the original manga/anime prior to joining Fairy Tail, but this is much, much worse.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Writing from Virgo's perspective is a lot of fun, and I've tried to keep her in character as much as I can (not caught up on the anime or manga - it'll be a while before I can claim that).

As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this installment.

-AT