[X] I had a bad case of 'disappearing files', hence why this took so long. I'm sorry if it's short; I can't recall the lengthy original chapter, after all, since it was mysteriously erased from my hard drive.

Episode 11: Revelation

"Keep calm," Erza told them placidly, though her expression seemed to be a little forced. "We shall figure this out together."

"Hey, Ice Princess!" Natsu turned to Gray, his mouth spewing out ice cubes as he spoke. "This is too cold!"

"The same goes for you, you dolt!" Gray snapped back, fire coming out of his lips. "I can't stand this heat!"

Erza blinked. "I… I don't think I'm going to get used to seeing this…"

I was still too frozen to speak. It now just came to my mind that my magic was in Erza's, and if she found out—

Damn…!

If she finds out, it won't become safe for her anymore… I have… I have to do something…!

When Natsu and Gray raised their fists, prepared to fight each other even in the presence of the invisible enemy, Erza got irritated.

"Cut it out!" she ordered, stretching out her right hand in an attempt to produce a sword. However, what came out was nothing.

Nothing at all.

"Wh—…" Erza was struck speechless, and it went that way for about a few moments before she turned towards me slowly.

Oh no. Please. Not now. I'm not ready… I chanted to myself over and over again in my head, wanting the anxiety to stop. It was getting increasingly maddening as Erza stayed quiet for a few more seconds.

When she spoke, her voice was tinged with disbelief.

"Lucy…"

Here it comes.

"…this is your magic, isn't it?"

"E—Erza…" I stammered. "I—I can explain…"

"It feels so good, so overwhelming. But I can't summon any power, like something's halting me from doing it." Erza paused, seemingly contemplating something inside her head. "…Virgo tells me that it is the effect of Shield Magic. Is that true, Lucy?"

…Huh? I stared at her, probably looking dumbfounded. What is… she talking about…?

Eh?

Shield Magic…

Oh, right. I gambled on the risk of being comatose just to save Natsu's life… and paid the price…

Oh! So that's why I couldn't seem to talk to my Spirits or even use a little of my magic earlier…

When Shield Magic is used beyond its limits, the price is the cease of magic execution for an indefinite period of time. The side effects can come either immediately or by a certain progression of time... My heart soared in relief. Thank goodness... I don't know what I would've done if all of them know about me already...

"Aha!" a voice suddenly called out, sounding smug. "I've got you!"

Erza whirled around, her eyes narrowed. "Who's there?! Show yourself!" she demanded.

"Hahahaha! Never!"

A tic mark formed on Erza's temple. "What did you say?!"

The voice's tone was amused. "Ooh~ scary~"

"You haven't seen nothing yet," Gray muttered under his breath.

I sweatdropped. Erza looks really calm despite her not having any magic to use… Whew, I guess Shield Magic saved my tail in the end! I instead tried to focus on Erza's magic inside me, attempting to channel it properly.

Meanwhile, the mysterious voice was still blabbering on. "You four can have fun with your magics now! Fufufu ~ I need to catch the train!"

"You ain't goin' anywhere!" Natsu hollered. "Happy, hoist me up!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy exclaimed, picking Natsu up from the ground.

"All right, let's do this!" Natsu grinned wolfishly. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

"Idiot!" Gray yelled. "Have you already forgotten—"

What spew out from Natsu's mouth was ice, so thick that it stuck to his lips and he flailed wildly in the air.

"—never mind. I never should've expected anything else," Gray muttered defeatedly.

"Hahahaha!" the voice taunted as it seemed to be going far away. "See ya, losers!"

"Hold it!" Erza yelled, determination on her face as she ran towards the direction of the voice.

"Wait! Erza!" I called out.

Erza stopped in her tracks and turned to me. "What is it, Lucy?"

"Here!" I threw one of her swords at her, smiling at her startled expression. "I can only conjure one sword… sorry about that."

Erza's features softened into a gentle smile. "Not to worry, Lucy. This is more than enough," she reassured. "Now, come! Let's go after him!"

I hummed my agreement, following after her. Gray and Natsu followed suit, Happy still carrying Natsu.

"Gray!" Happy pleaded. "Can't you melt the ice on Natsu's mouth?"

Gray grinned. "My pleasure," he said smoothly as he threw a ball of fire right at Natsu's face.

"ACK!" Happy cried out in alarm, staring in horror as a burst of smoke occurred on Natsu's face. "Gray!"

"Heh." Gray smirked. "A little thing like that won't kill him."

"GRAYYYYY!" Natsu roared, enraged.

When the smoke cleared, Natsu's mouth was surrounded by red burns.

I resisted the uncontrollable urge to laugh.

Unfortunately for me, Natsu noticed it. "This ain't funny, Oopy!"

"How many times do I have to tell you that it's LUCY!" I burst out, offended. Seriously, my name was beginning to grow branches of outrageous nicknames now.

"Yeah, yeah, okay, Luppy."

"You —"

"Lucy! Watch out!" Gray warned just as a cluster of trees fell towards my direction. At his shout, I managed to dodge them, albeit barely.

"That bastard!" Natsu cursed. "Happy! Can you see him?!"

Happy was intently searching around with his eyes. "I don't see anyone anywhere!"

It was then that a figure with red hair appeared from the shadows of the forest.

"I lost him." Erza sounded exasperated and irritated.

—×ו××—

We went back to our inn, feeling downcast. I felt uncomfortable with Erza's foreign magic coursing through my veins, so I was slightly restless. Even Natsu and Gray were fuming silently to themselves as they tried to get used to their newfound power. Only Erza was unaffected by the change, remaining her stern self as she proceeded to sit on the bed and think about a proper strategy.

I still couldn't believe that close call. I guess it was a relief that overusing the rare Shield Magic would prohibit me from my magic. I had grown too used to not minding my own magic and only calling upon it when necessary, hence why I didn't realize that my abilities were out of my reach at the moment.

"Natsu's still sulking," Happy told me as he plopped by my side on the floor, sighing. "He said he still feels unbearably cold."

I sighed. "Figures. Gray's magic is ice, after all."

"I wanna do something to help him, but I don't know what to do." Happy hung his head in disappointment.

"Hey, cheer up," I tried to encourage, patting him on the head. "We can overcome this obstacle together."

"Thanks, Lucy," Happy said with a grin.

"That's it!" Erza exclaimed, suddenly standing up.

"Wha—?!" Gray jolted, shocked. "Erza?!"

"I think I've got the solution to our problem!" Erza's smile was filled with pride.

Lucy and Happy leaned towards her closely, very curious.

"We work together!" Erza said.

"...Uhh, how, exactly?" Lucy asked, a sweatdrop forming at her temple.

"First, we will train outside with our magic first thing in the morning and see if we can make them work properly." Erza sent a reassuring glance at Lucy. "Since I am incapacitated at the moment, I will not be joining you, but I will be giving some tips and advices if necessary." She stood up from the bed and stretched her arms.

"Tomorrow?" Gray voiced out. "Why not now?"

"It's already nighttime, and we haven't had dinner yet." Erza managed a smile. "I'll go and buy us some takeout food. I'll take Natsu with me."

"Eh?" Happy exclaimed. "But it's cold out!"

"Think of it as training," said Erza, folding her arms across her chest. "That way, he can adjust to the coldness a lot easier."

"Poor Natsu..." Happy muttered under his breath.

—×ו××—

Later that night, after we had all eaten, I huddled underneath my blanket when I suddenly felt the bed beside me creak slightly.

Turning my head, I noticed that Natsu was rubbing his eyes and trying to get up inconspicuously. He was wearing a thick sweater — which was unusual for him — as well as baggy pants. Maybe Erza bought him those clothes earlier when they went out to buy some food.

Curious, I watched as Natsu tiptoed towards the balcony and shut the door behind him as softly as he could.

Sitting up, I stretched my arms. I think I should keep him company. I can't sleep, anyway. I glanced at my other teammates and muffled my chuckles with my hand. Erza was sleeping like a baby, all curled up with her pillows and donning a small smile on her serene face. Gray, on the other hand, had foregone the blankets and laid spread eagle on the bed. There were small beads of sweat on his face.

Feeling sorry for him, I turned on the air conditioning a bit, then took his blanket from the bed. I smiled as he seemed to calm a bit.

If we're ever going to have to defeat that guy... Markov... I bit my lip unconsciously, feeling worried and anxious. Without Erza and with Natsu and Gray like this, how can we win? I can't even adjust to Erza's magic yet...

Shaking the depressing thoughts out of my mind, I went out to the balcony. Natsu, startled, whipped his head around to look at me, his eyes wide in surprise. He obviously hadn't expected anyone to be awake. He could've sensed me earlier, but I guessed it was part of the cons coming with harbouring a magic that wasn't your own.

"You're here," he said, confused. "Why're you awake?"

"Because I felt you shivering," I teased, draping the blanket over his shoulders. "Feel better now?"

Natsu seemed to bask into the warmth of the material, his expression changing into that of pleasure. "Ahh, you're a lifesaver, Luigi. Thanks a lot!"

I twitched. "Call me that again, and I will retract the blanket."

Natsu looked at me in horror. "Y—You wouldn't...!"

I gave him a creepy grin. "Oh, yes, I would."

He pouted, turning away from me childishly. "You're so uptight! Damn, if only that ice bastard were more careful! We wouldn't have ended up in a situation like this!"

I sighed, looking up at the stars in the night sky. "We still don't know how the guy did that to us... His attack didn't even hit us, and yet..."

"Then we'll just kick his ass next time!" Natsu exclaimed in determination.

I giggled at his positivity. "But you still don't know how to use Gray's magic yet. How can we fight him? Not to mention... Erza..."

Natsu seemed to slump in his position. "Yeah, Erza..."

I swallowed, guilt blossoming inside my chest. "...I'm really sorry."

He frowned. I could feel his stare boring holes into me. I couldn't face him, though. Not yet.

"Sorry? For what?"

I pressed my knees to my chest and hugged them tightly. "The reason why Erza can't use my magic... or any magic at all... is because I took a stupid risk..."

"Hey! What're ya callin' stupid?!" His frown grew deeper now. "You saved me, ya know!"

My eyes widened. "You... You know...?!"

"Of course I know. Mira told Happy, and Happy told me." Natsu shifted, intentionally moving closer to my side. I stiffened slightly in response. "I don't get why you're blaming yourself, but you saved me, and I'm grateful for that."

"But..." My insecurities filled me at that moment. "...I—I could've just found another way..."

"You can't punish yourself," Natsu said in a matter-of-fact tone. "It's been done now. There's nothing you can do about it, is there?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"No buts!" He sent me a wide grin as he patted my shoulder. "You're Lucy of Fairy Tail, aren't you? Everyone in the guild cares about each other. We'd do anything to save you, just as you'd do anything to save us! We're a family now!"

A family... Everything I had ever wanted. Tears leaked into my eyes. For a long time, I longed for my mother. Not only her warmth and kindness, but also her very presence. My father, even though we were never really close... I still wanted to be with him. He was a part of my mother, just as I was a part of him.

But I ran away. It was too suffocating in that mansion. Maybe, deep inside my heart, I loved him, but the hurt he gave me felt far more tangible than any warmth he could have given me.

When I joined Fairy Tail, I eventually felt the same warmth and kindness I remembered from my mother. They were all so supportive, so cheerful, so positive, so caring... Meeting Natsu was probably the best day of my life; it was because of him that I now had a place where I belonged.

Even though I may grow close to the others, I would always be forever in Natsu's debt.

"...Thank you," I choked out, the tears finally spilling out of my eyes. "I can never thank you enough."

Natsu blinked slowly, surprised. Then he laughed.

"Geez, you're so dramatic," he teased, ruffling my hair. "We're gonna beat up that stupid bastard with or without Erza! Or you can just throw her a sword again or whatever! We're a team, after all!"

I nodded in agreement, laughing along with him.

—×ו××—

Natsu soon fell asleep, sprawled over the balcony floor. I grabbed my own blanket from my bed and covered him with it so he wouldn't get a cold. It wouldn't do for him to sleep inside anyway since I turned up the air conditioning for Gray.

Feeling thirsty, I stalked out of the room, wanting to go try out the inn's cool-looking vending machine. Just as I was about to slip the coin into the slot, though, I sensed someone approaching me from behind.

Thinking it was one of the residents who felt thirsty as well, I quickly pressed the button to the drink I was craving for and waited for the can to fall down.

What I didn't expect, though, was a sudden, sharp jab to one of the pressure points at the base of my neck.

Hazy darkness overcame my vision, and soon I was unconscious.

—×ו××—

I woke up and found myself sprawled across a cold, marbled floor.

Dread shot up my chest, sending chills down my spine. My mouth was covered with thick duct tape, and my body was restricted by a greatly-tied rope. Even my hands were completely bound and wrapped. Instinctively, I attempted to channel magic to my wrists and project a small, defensive fire spell, but found that I couldn't.

Fear rose up my throat. These are... magic-restraining ropes...!

Filled with panic, I tried to wiggle away my restraints, panting internally as I forced my hands free. However, I didn't have the necessary strength to break the ropes. I cursed my weakness once more.

Even if I have my Universe Magic... I still won't stand a chance against these ropes. Frustrated tears pooled up in my eyes as I quietly sobbed. Useless... Still so useless... I have the most powerful magic in the world... but I can never use it properly. I can never fulfill my purpose. I can never save the world.

I'm just an ordinary girl...

I wish...

I wish I were normal...

But then I would never have met Natsu... and I never would have met my family in Fairy Tail...

"Ah, so the girl's awake."

My head snapped towards the source of the voice, but all I could see was darkness. The room was already barely illuminated, so I could only make out a shadowy figure approaching me. My body tensed up, and I prepared myself for whatever would come my way.

Who the hell are you? I wanted to say. Unfortunately for me, I was gagged, so I could only resign myself to staying quiet and glaring at him.

"I can feel you demanding me who I am! Ahahahaha!"

Wait.

I recognize that voice.

"Ahh, the daughter of Layla Heartfilia..." A man, whom I was sure was Markov himself, revealed himself to me. He had long brown hair down to his shoulders and he wore a pressed grey suit along with a cloak which had all buttons opened. "...that woman's little kid has grown up to be a full-fledged teenager. I wonder... have you inherited her powers?"

My eyes widened in shock. No... he can't be...

"The past Mistress of the Universe was Layla Heartfilia, the one who destroyed my town. Now that she is gone from this world..." Markov's lips curved into a cruel smirk. "...I will exact revenge on her beloved child instead."

I backed away immediately. My skin was crawling at this man. He oozed cruelty from his form and was nothing like the self-confident idiot he was when we chased after him.

"My revenge will be slow and painful," Markov promised. "Agent 12! Ungag her so I can hear her screams when I torture her! Hahahahaha!"

Another figure stepped out from the shadows.

Only, this person had my heart stopping in an instant.

No... No way...

"Understood, sir."

The moment Loke's indifferent, chiseled face revealed itself to me, my whole word spun.

END of EPISODE 11

Next time: Episode 12—Betrayal