Quest for the Eighty-Eight Keys

Chapter Twenty-Four: Rock, Paper, Scissors, and a Tiebreaker

WARNING: GAMBLING!

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Lucy walked into their assigned quarters, watching as Rufus sat on the couch. Her eyes were still glistening with unshed tears as she reached toward him, quickly pulling her hand away before she could touch him when she noticed that he was still trembling. Her heart was still beating fast and hard, and she still felt sick to her stomach. Her body wasn't yet calmed down from witnessing her friend almost die. She tightened her bandaged grip on her two new keys as she asked, "Rufus...?" She didn't know what should accompany his name. What should she ask? 'Is there anything you want?' What could she give him that would make him feel less shaken? 'Are you alright?' That was stupid. He clearly wasn't alright.

Midnight walked up to stand next to her, saying to the blonde man on the couch, "hey, Rufus, don't let what happened get to you too much. That happens around here and you shouldn't let on that you were affected by it."

Lucy shot him a glare. She didn't miss the hint of a sympathetic tone in his voice, but she still didn't think that he should have said anything, or at least phrase his statement to be softer and reflect his sympathy.

She looked back at Rufus and stepped closer to him. She slowly rested a hand on his shoulder, slightly wincing when he gave a small flinch. Her heart twisted painfully at the sight. Rufus was leaning forward and his head was bowed, hiding his face from all eyes that were watching him. His arms were wrapped around himself, as if trying to comfort himself, and he was still trembling.

Lucy whispered, "we're here, Rufus. You're safe."

Rufus gave no verbal answer. Instead, he gently brushed her hand off his shoulder, stood up, and walked into the bedroom he and Midnight had shared the previous night. Lucy took a few steps in the direction of the bedroom, but was stopped when a hand grabbed hers. She turned around to see Freed, staring back at her with his usual poker face. He said, "leave him alone. If he wants company, then he'll say so."

Lucy looked back at the closed bedroom door, the fact that her friend was shaken and scared just behind it was pulling her forward. The urge to comfort her friend was difficult to resist. She knew how he felt, and she didn't like that he was going through something that resembled what she had gone through.

Knowing that Freed was right, she walked to the front of the room to summon her two new spirits. She looked at the first key, noting who it was, before she pointed it outward in front of her and summoned, "I connect to the World of Celestial Spirits! Heed my call and pass through the gate! Open! Gate of the Wolf: Lupus!"

As the celestial spirit appeared, it gave such a mighty howl that it took Lucy by surprise and she jumped. She relaxed when she laid her eyes on the spirit that now stood in front of her. Lupus was a large, grey-and-white wolf. The animal stared at her with fierce, yellow eyes that seemed to glow. It was huge, its shoulder seeming to reach Lucy's hips. She guessed that it was either as long as she was tall, or just slightly more so.

Lucy reached her hand out, greeting the large wolf, "hello, Lupus. I'm Lucy." She waited, wanting to see the spirit's reaction to her reaching toward it. When Lupus nosed the palm of her hand and rubbed its head against her hand, Lucy brought her other hand up to pet it. Lupus sat and Lucy continued to rub the top of its head as she asked, "would you like to make a contract with me?"

Lupus pulled its head away from her and spoke, "I would be honored, Miss Lucy."

Lucy blinked a few times at the wolf, not expecting him to talk. His voice was deep, unexpectedly so. Quickly recovering from the moment of surprise, she rested her hand on Lupus' head again and asked, "what days can I summon you?"