𝙉𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙁𝙏 // 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙭 𝙤𝙘

ＴＷＯ．

Rue found herself being dragged along on one of Fuyumi's little fantasies.

On a job with Natsu and Erza a couple of months ago, Fuyumi had learned of something that could enhance her power - a Dragon Slayer Lacrima.

These Lacrimae were rare, and extremely expensive, made from the processed heart of a Dragon. She had heard Erza briefly mention it when Laxus came up in the conversation. Fuyumi had been fully under the impression that Laxus had also been raised by a Dragon, although never made much sense of it considering Master Makarov was his grandfather. So the idea of him being implanted with a Lacrima made from the heart of a Lightning Dragon made a lot more sense.

And now, Fuyumi had gotten it into her brain that if someone who was raised by a Dragon was implanted with a Dragon Slayer Lacrima, they would become immensely more powerful.

"Fuyumi, what are the chances that we come across a Dragon Slayer Lacrima? Never mind one made from an Ice Dragon! They wouldn't just be laying around!" Rue squeaked.
"Listen to me," Fuyumi said as they ran, "I believe we're in... some kind of illusion trap. How else could the city have vanished behind us?"

When Rue didn't reply, Fuyumi continued.
"So if this is an illusion, I can will a Lacrima into existence, right?" they said, "or at least, maybe..."

She abruptly stopped running, wide-eyed.
"What is that?" Rue whispered.

"A facility," Fuyumi grinned, "a facility that produces Dragon Slayer Lacrimae."
"How do you know?" Rue asked.
"Because I just believed it would appear," Fuyumi shook their head, "I toldja. I could just will it into existence."

The building was small, and stark white. It seemed awfully modern, compared to the ancient forest around it.

"Let's go," Fuyumi said.
"What? No!" Rue exclaimed, "Fuyumi, this is dangerous. We should come back with Natsu later if you really want to get this Lacrima."
"What if the spell wears off before we come back?" Fuyumi shook their head, "I love you but I'm going, with or without you. Are you in?"

Rue took a deep breath in, "fine!"

Fuyumi grinned and then raced towards the facility. It seemed unreal. It was unreal.
"There should be a window with no glass," she said, searching along the wall, "here!"

Rue sighed and followed Fuyumi as she clambered through the window. The sight that met them was - an insanity, to say the least. The room was suddenly dark despite all of the windows, and the room was huge compare to the relatively tiny exterior of the building. From the ceiling to the floor were rows and rows of shelves, all filled with Lacrimae. Each shelf was labeled a letter of the alphabet.

"We're looking for 'I', okay?" YN whispered.
"I know that," Rue huffed.

Fuyumi ran down to the middle of the room towards the shelves labeled 'I', stopping when they reached it.

"Iron, Illusion, Illogic, Insect, Infinity... gee, why are there so many obscure kinds of Dragon Slayer Magic... Ion, Identity, Ice!" Fuyumi finally found the Lacrima that came from the heart of an Ice Dragon. Briefly, she wondered if it had been her master and mother, Isolde.

"Alright... oh, it's cold to the touch," Fuyumi observed as they took it in their hands, "perfect. Rue, do you understand? This... contains the power of a whole other Dragon. I can be twice as strong."

"That's cool, Fuyumi, but I-I think we should get out of her," Rue quivered.
"Maybe I should grab one for Natsu, too..." the young Dragon Slayer wondered.

She started towards the aisle of shelves with the label, 'F', when a crash rang out through the room. Her head perked up and she whipped around, scanning the large room for the source of the noise. Rue slowly backed into them, quivering.

"Can we go now?" the Exceed said shakily.
"Uh... yes," Fuyumi nodded, doubt pitting in her stomach, "come on."

With the help of Rue, Fuyumi clambered out of the window from which she had come through, just as the unmistakeable sound of thousands of Lacrimae shattering rang out. She stared back in shock as the shelves caved in on each other, destroying every single Lacrima in the room.

"Rue... come on!" she shouted, leaping from the wall and sprinting hard as the walls of the building itself started to rumble. The Ice Dragon Lacrima was safely in her grasp, no larger than her palm.

They could hear the frantic flap of the Exceed's wings beside her and, before she knew it, the city was back in front of view. She skidded through one of the many entrance gates, the dirt beneath her becoming cobble.

And when they looked back, all that was behind was a mass of vegetation.
"How odd," they said.
"I-I don't trust that thing," Rue whined, staring at the Lacrima.
"Hey, hey... Rue, it's fine," Fuyumi tucked it into their bag, safely, "it's for the better, isn't it? I'll be able to protect us better. I'm going to get stronger anyway, aren't I? I'm only young. So... I'll become so much more times the strength I should be!"

Rue contemplated the statement, plopping down onto the ground as her wings disappeared with a quiet poof.
"Okay..."

"And, uh... we won't tell the guild about this," Fuyumi frowned.
"What? Why?!" Rue exclaimed.
"Just... because!" Fuyumi folded her arms, letting a huff out of her nose and stomping a boot into the ground.

Rue stared at her with sullen, purple eyes before sighing sadly.
"Okay, Fuyumi," she said quietly, "but— but if anything goes wrong at all, and it's because of that, I'm telling!"

"That's understandable," the Ice Dragon Slayer nodded, scooping Rue into her arms, "now, uh, let's try and find our way back to the guild from here."

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

"What do you mean you lost her?!"

Gray's shriek rang out through the guildhall, almost faster than the speed at which his shirt flew across the room as he unconsciously stripped in pure disbelief.

"I dunno, we were racing to the guildhall and then I looked back when we got her, and she was gone!" Natsu clasped his cheeks while Happy moaned and cried beside him, "I didn't mean to lose her, I promise!"

"Natsu, you flame-brain! She's just a kid! What if somethin' bad happens to her?!" Gray yelled, grabbing him by his scarf.
"Nothin' will, she's real strong!" Happy chimed in, in an attempt to save his best friend.

"What are you two arguing about now?" the voice of reason herself, Erza Scarlet, approached the quarrel and immediately Gray dropped Natsu.
"N-nothing, Erza! We were just playing!" Gray squeaked.
"Uh-huh! Yeah! Me and my best bud, Gray!" Natsu winced as he put his arm around Gray in a forced manner.

Erza looked from fire to ice and then smiled in satisfaction.
"Good, good," she brushed her braid over her left shoulder, "because if I were to find out you were arguing about, say, losing our little sister, that wouldn't be very good, would it?"

The boys' stomachs dropped at the same time Erza's smile did. She raised her fists and then brought them both down on their heads.
"You numbskulls!" she shouted, "how could you have lost a whole child? And an Exceed?!"

"E-Erza, she can handle herself," Natsu stuttered.
"Like hell she can!" Gray yelled, "she's ten!"
"Yeah, and?!" Natsu hissed.
"When you were ten, you were still wetting the bed!" the Ice-Make mage retorted.
"Shut up!" Natsu yelled.

"Both of you, stop this quarrel, before I knock your heads together!" Erza exclaimed, "can anyone contact Fuyumi in any way?"
"Uh... no," Natsu shook his head. The redhead sighed.
"That's just... great. You two, go and look for her," she ordered.

"Huh? Why me?!" Gray said indignantly, "I didn't do anything!"
"If you hadn't been fighting with Natsu, maybe I wouldn't have told you to go," Erza shook her head.

Gray sighed in defeat.
"Fine. C'mon Natsu," he said, "let's go find your sister."