Magic Of The Stars

Chapter XI

Meredy and Wendy ran as fast as they could with Carla flying above them. A common thought running through all of their heads is:

What could make Lucy scream that way?

As they got closer to where they presumed the scream came from they heard Jellal's voice shouting. And what they heard him shout made their blood run cold.

"Are you ok?! Lucy! Hey! C'mon, stay with me!"

When they heard that, they quickened their paces.

Wendy in particular was having a minor panic attack, worry bubbling up inside her at imagining what terrible things could have happened to her 'big sister'. The only thing that's helping her keep her head is the fact that she's a healer and that she'll be needed to help Lucy heal....whatever it is that is needed healing.

However, no matter how many times they've mentally prepared themselves, no matter how many times they told themselves that they'll be able to handle it, nothing could've prepared them for the sight they came to.

Lucy on the ground bleeding from a chest wound, her face pale and her blood a dark, dark red.

Jellal bent over her, frantically trying to stop the blood from gushing out like a geyser in the ground. His hands covered in the sticky substance, pulsing through his fingers and running down his hand.

But what shocked them the most was his face. It was pale (like Juvia pale) and held a panicked expression. His eyes held a haunted look that Meredy hadn't seen in years and were filled with unshed tears.

Jellal was snapped out of his panicking by a Wendy's voice.

"Jellal, what happened to Lucy-nee?! What attacked you guys?!" Wendy called out as she dropped next to them, her magic already swirling around her hands.

Jellal didn't answer. He was too busy staring at his hands. His blood-soaked hands.

"JELLAL!" Meredy shouted out, snapping him out of his shock.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" he asked Wendy.

Still working over Lucy with a concerned frown on her face, Wendy reiterated her question. "It was some kind of tiger," Jellal answered. "How's Lucy?"

"She'll be fine," she answered him. "She had some internal bleeding but I've already taken care of that and I'll closed the wound off so she can't bleed anymore. The skin in the area will be sore and shouldn't be overworked too much but other than that, she should make a fine recovery."

Jellal let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding in. "That's good," he said in relief, Meredy nodding along with his statement.

A few minutes later, Wendy looked up from her work and wiped her sweaty brow. "There, all done. She should be waking up soon, the only reason she passed out was because of the pain."

Meredy nodded in acceptance to what she was saying but noticed that Jellal had a slight frown on his face. "Jellal? Is there something wrong?" she asked him.

Jellal's eyes flashes to her face before flickering back to Lucy's. "Why'd she do it?" he asked quietly. So quietly, that Meredy and Wendy almost had a hard time hearing what he said.

"Why'd she do what?" Wendy questioned. She exchanged confused looks when Meredy.

"Why'd she push me out of the way? I was the one about to be attacked. Why did she push me out the way and take the hit herself? She almost died for Kami sake!" he let out in a rush.

Meredy didn't have an answer for that. She doesn't know Lucy as well as she wants to.

"That's just who she is," Wendy said quietly, staring at the girl she thought of as an older sister. "She can act all girly and maybe say a complaint or two, but when it comes down to it, she'll protect those she cares about with a fierceness you wouldn't have thought she had."