A New Universe

Dreaming and Daring

"_______!" A voice cried inside your head. It sounded faraway and odd, like it didn't really exist. You felt like you were floating. You didn't seem to be in pain, either. But....you swore you were just in a battle. Maybe it had finished?

"Write a song about me!" Natsu? You questioned. You looked around but you couldn't see him.

"Of course we believe you." Mira's voice followed, sounding equally floaty and distant.

"We're nakama!" Levy's tearful voice shouted.

"Who is she?"

"Stop ogling her, Macao!"

The voices drifted around you. Where were you? Everything seemed dark. You strained to open your eyes when a more clear voice crossed your thoughts.

"Be safe." Sting's voice. You saw his face in front of you. He offered his hand. "Still haven't gotten you back for that night where you kissed me and then promptly left me to blow up a water park with Natsu-san."

You reached for his hand and light seemed to envelope and blind you. You screwed your eyes shut. When you tried to open them again, your eyelids felt heavy. You persisted and opened them with a groan, your head pounding and your arm hurting horrendously. There was lots of light and you noticed you were in a room with a white ceiling, tucked up in a bed. You felt something resting against your side on your right but your head hurt too much to turn and look.

"Ugh..." You said weakly.

"________-san!" A familiar voice cried out happily. You looked to your left and saw Wendy leaning over you.

"Ow..." You muttered. "Be careful of that exploding portal, guys, it packs a punch..." You added sarcastically.

"I'm glad you're awake! Is anything hurting?"

"Yeah, my arm, my head....and my pride." You said with a slight smile. "How's everyone doing? Did we win?"

"Yes." Wendy said happily, before her eyes were distracted looking to your right. You turned your head to see what she was looking at.

"Oh." You said in surprise. Sting was sat in a chair next to your bed, his head resting on his arms crossed over on side of the bed, snoring gently, Lector curled up sleeping in his lap. You blushed.

"How long has he been here?" You asked quietly.

"Two days. He brought you here and him and that cat refused to leave." Another voice said. You gazed up to see Poluchka. "Stubborn child."

You couldn't help but smile. "I don't know if I have the heart to wake him." You said.

"Well I do. It's about time he left." Poluchka grumbled, shaking Sting. "Boy."

"Wha?" He said angrily, before seeing you staring at him with a raised eyebrow. "______, you're awake!"

"Told you I'd look after Lector, didn't I?" You said with a small grin, looking at the still sleeping Exceed in his lap.

"He told me what you did for him and Frosch....I'm sorry for everything, I shouldn't have let you be alone." He mumbled.

"Oh stop blaming yourself." You tried to wave your hand in dismissal and gasped in agony as a shock of pain went through your arm.

"Try not to move it." Wendy said, before applying some more healing magic to it.

"But....the ball!" You realised. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow." Wendy said in surprise. "Why?"

"I was supposed to play." You said sadly, looking down at your arm in the cast. "Will it be healed by then?"