Fairy Tail - The World of Mages -

Chapter 7

"... Mildred?"

She still wasn't sure, but he was the only one ever to call her by that name. She tried to approach him a bit more, but the magic power at the centre of Lekya was too strong. The more she tried to go near the centre, the cuts she suffered were worse.

*Ο φύλακας του ύδατος... Απάντηση στην κλήση μου και ερχόμενος εμπρός... Με ευλογήστε η δύναμη προστασίας σας. Νηρηίδα.*

[Translation -> the guardian of water... Answer to my call and come forth... Bless me your power of protection. Undine.]

A bubble-like barrier were formed around her, protecting her from the magic power that was emitting from the centre of Lekya, where Mildred was located at. Fortunately it worked, even though it was not all that effective. This spell also slowly healed her wounds. Now she was completedly sure he was Mildred, being able to sense his magic power better after stopping the interference. At that moment of time, she also realized that his magic power was sucked by Lekya. If this went on, he would definitely lose his life.

*… I need to get him out of here, fast, but the question is how?? If I just took him out of here, his soul will still trap in here… I need to separate his body from Lekya’s first.* she kept on thinking and thinking, but unable to think of anything useful, except two solutions with risk, *… One, using dispel spell but I am not that good at it… So it is out of question… … Two… that forbidden spell… … …* she thought and thought, but couldn’t come up with other solution, *Damn! This is not the time to hesitate! Not much time left!*

Vyera gathered your magic power to the palm on her hands, magic circle appeared under the floating her. She chanted in your mind, *Ο φύλακας του διαστήματος και ο χρόνος... παρακαλώ απαντούν στο απαγορευμένο αίτημά μου και κατεβαίνουν σε με... Μου δανείστε τη φοβησμένη δύναμή σας δημιουργίας διαστήματος και χρόνου. Kronos.*

[Translation -> the guardian of space and time… please answer to my forbidden request and descend to me… Lend me your scared power of space and time creation. Kronos.]

Out of the sudden, the liquid-kind of space around her disappeared, an entire new space was formed around the core of Lekya. However it was vacuum space. She immediately rushed to grab Mildred so that he would be wrapped in a bubble-like spell she just casted to get air to breathe.

She managed to get a hold of him and casted the spell to get out from Lekya’s body immediately. Both of them appeared in the middle of the raging battle to keep Lekya’s movement stopped. She immediately shouted, “I managed to get the mage out! Gray! Keep it frozen for a while more!”

“Got it!!” he replied while keeping his ice magic on Lekya.

“Vyera!” Lucy ran towards her while she was laying Mildred's unconscious body on the ground, “How is he??”

“He has lost quite amount of magic power. His condition is almost critical.” Vyera said urgently.

Lucy panicked, “Then… Then what are we supposed to do??”

“Calm down, Lucy… “ She said while focusing her magic on the palm on her hands once again, “I will definitely heal him… I won’t let him die…”

Vyera put one of her hands on his forehead and the other one on his heart, transferring her own magic power onto him to replenish his power. This was one of the healing magic she managed to learn, one of the fastest and effective but dangerous to the transferor.

After she transferred quite amount of magic power to him, he slowly regained consciousness, although still quite weak.

But something did happen to Vyera's body. She couldn’t move it much after using the spell, but this was not the time to think about that. Defeating Lekya was still the top priority in this mission, “Gray! Unfreeze it!”

“Roger!!” he undo his spell, still clueless on Vyera's condition.

Lekya started to move again, slower and his body was getting smaller. Everybody looked at it nervously. Well, obviously, since this would determine the fate of the town for the rest of the time. Vyera approached it. It kept on decreasing in size. She already knew what would happen next. It finally decreased to the size of a human fist.

“What the hell is that?!” all of them said unison, gapping.

Vyera just chuckled, “It is kind of difficult to belief but this is its true form… Isn’t it cute??” she said, touching the black Lekya and it flew around her. It seemed the Lekya was also happy that it could turn back and expressing its gratitude to Vyera.

… Humans…

There was a voice speaking directly to everyone’s mind.

…You has my thanks… and I apologize to destroy your home… His power was too much for me to control… Now I shall go back to my deep sleep once again…

Everyone was filled with joy. No matter what, the danger of their town was over. All of them were jumping happily and hugging each other in happiness. However, there was a last part of this telepathy that was only for Vyera alone.

… Young girl… A cruel fate is waiting for you… You must face it… … I can only pray for your safety and once again, thanks for your help…

Upon saying that in her mind, Lekya left to the forest and disappeared. Vyera could not understand it. Was it something that was going to happen now?

“Vye! You did it!!” Gray ran towards her and immediately gave her a hug. Want it or not, Vyera felt happy but still troubled by Lekya’s words.

However, Gray noticed something was wrong with her. “Vye…? Are you okay? You looked pale…”

Didn’t want to worry Gray, she replied. “No nothing… I’m okay…” But her body wasn't within her control anymore. She could barely move her arms, let alone her fingers. Even so, she tried to keep it hidden from the others.

“Vyera!! He is awake!” She heard Lucy’s voice near the gate where Mildred was trying to get up, with much difficulty after being trapped inside Lekya for quite a long time. Gray approached Lucy and Mildred while holding Vyera's hand. Vyera had the feeling that he knew she was not okay at all.

“The town people said that they will go back first to prepare the celebration, to express their thanks to us.” Lucy said while helping Mildred to get up.

“I see… but… thank… goodness… you are okay, Mil…” Vyera said, breathing heavily with a forced smile, and also exhausted from losing a great amount of magic power.

He looked at you, “Vye-nee… You saved me, didn’t you?”

Again, she gave him a weak smile. She was sweating a lot; She could hardly move her body anymore. The pain on her whole body started to torture her, till she couldn’t hold it in anymore. Her strength left her body. She didn’t even have the strength to stand. Gray maanged to catch her before she fell onto the ground. “He-Hey, Vye!”

She could see Gray’s worried face, looking directly into her eyes. But her vision was getting blurry. “I knew it… I knew something was wrong with you since you came out from Lekya. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”

“… I’m sorry… But I don’t want to see you… worrying about me…” she touched his cheeks lightly. “…I used the forbidden spell… of space and time…”

Mildred squatted beside you, “To save me?”

She gave him another smile,” Don’t worry about me… I’ll be fine in no time…”

Though the truth was her body started to turn into stone, starting from her shoulder and slowly spreading towards her arms and neck.
“Don’t lie to me!” This time Gray’s voice was not in worry but in anger, “… Using the forbidden spell and saying that you’ll be fine… It’s not possible even if it is you, Vye!”

“H-Hey, Gray, calm down!”

“Yeah, yeah, Vye-chan would definitely be alright!”

Loke and Natsu tried to talk to him but he didn’t care. “Shut up you two!” he shouted and those two backed off, “I don’t ever want to lose someone important to me anymore…”

At that very moment of time, she didn’t care whatever happened to her anymore; she just want to say a few words to Gray and will have no regret.

“Gray… I…” but she coughed up blood. The stoning process had reached her lung and she could hardly breathe. “Looks like… my time… is up…” she said with difficulty, gasping for air.

“Vye! Don’t talk anymore!”

“Gray… -san right? Please lay her down and back off.” Mildred ordered.

“But you-“

“I’ll definitely save her like how she saved me, even at the cost of my life.” He said with the determination in his eyes. Gray lay her down unwillingly and let Mildred took over.

“Ο Θεός της θεραπείας, απόλλωνας, μου χορηγεί την ιερή δύναμη δικοί σας, με μαγικό μου ως κόστος του σύμφωνου... Στην ανταλλαγή, εκτός από τη σπασμένη ψυχή μπροστά από τα μάτια μου από την αναχώρηση αυτού του κόσμου... Espelancer!”

[ Translation -> The god of healing, Apollo, grant me the sacred power of yours, with my magic as the cost of the pact… In exchange, save the broken soul in front of my eyes from leaving this world… Espelancer!]

[Espelancer means ‘to lay a path of hope’. Taken from the 'Legen of Heroes' Game.]

A bright greenish blue light appeared from the palm of his hands. A magic circle similar to hers also appeared on the ground around both of them. Similar to what Vyera did, he put his hands on her forehead and heart. The stoning undid itself slowly. She could finally feel the ease of moving her body and breathing. It felt like being reborn. She tried to get up slowly and moved her body. She was totally healed.

“… Thank god, Vye-nee… It works…” Mildred said, sitting on the ground, exhausted.

“You have my thanks, Mil…” She patted him.

“Vye!” the voice she wanted to hear the most approached and hugged her in relief, “Please don’t scare me again…”

“I’m sorry, Gray…” She hugged him back, "I'm really sorry."

“Vyera!” and “Vye-chan!!” were the voices she heard next.

“Everyone!” The gang approached, and Lucy was even crying. Each one of them hugged her, with Ice hanging on her shoulder as what he usually did, full of tears as well. She tried to get up, but were still weak due to overusing her magic power. Gray just picked her up easily in bridal style and brought her back to the town.

“Come on guys.” He said to the others, who were still crying. Mildred was helped by Lucy and Natsu, since he used too much magic power too.

Everyone was resting for a bit in the inn. Everything had been settled. Gray accompanied Vyera when she was sleeping. Ice too. Loke, Natsu and Happy were helping with the preparation of the celebration, though she wonder what would happen, seeing Natsu was a troublemaker while Loke was a playboy. Happy was probably there just to find some fish to eat. Lucy? She was treating Mildred in the next room.

“Hmm?” she finally woke up, “Gray?” was the first thing that came to her mind.

“Vye! You are up… How are you feeling?” he appeared just beside her. It seemed he was there all along, accompanying her.

“Better than ever.” She could feel the strength of her body was body but she still too lazy to get down from the bed. “Sorry to make you worry.”

She noticed Ice was also there, but sleeping peacefully like how a wolf would. She pat him gently, so that he won’t wake up.

“… Vye… I’m not sure whether this is a good time but…” he blushed.

“But?”

“… What did you want to say when you were… you know…”

She just remembered. At brink of death, she tried to tell Gray her true feeling. But now, she couldn’t say a word, just blushing, “I… Actually I…”

“Vye-nee!!!” the door was barged open.

“Hey! Don’t just rush in like that! At least knock the door first!” Lucy complained behind Mildred. Even Ice woke up because of the loudness.

Both Vyera and Gray were still blushing though both of them realized they came in.

“… Do we… interrupt?” Lucy asked.

“No-no… it’s okay!” Gray answered though Vyera was still blushing madly, unable to say anything.

“A-anyway, are you okay now, Mil?” She started to break the awkwardness.

“Yep, as good as ever! How about you, nee-chan?”

“Same here.” She replied cheerfully.

“Well… luckily your magic power is stronger than anyone else… If not, you’ll turn into stone completely in no time and will never recover.” Mil explained.

“… I have been wondering since just now… Who are you?” Gray asked, “As far as I know, Vye doesn’t have a brother.”

She chuckled, “Remember when I told you I asked someone to be my Master during one of my missions??”

“The-Then he is-“ Lucy was shocked, pointing at Mil without further thinking.

“… your Master?!” Loke and Natsu appeared out of nowhere, seemed to have overheard.

Gray just looked startled, speechless. Happy and Ice did the same.

Vyera and Mil laughed, “No, no. He is another disciple of my Master… In other words, he is my junior. Imagine my Master calling me ‘nee-chan’… That would be hilarious.”

“Nice to meet you all. Let me introduce myself again. I’m Mildred Watson. You can call me Mil.” He bowed.

They just stared at him without saying anything.
To break the silence, Vyera asked Mil, “Hey how come you are in Lekya’s body huh? I bet you were doing something you shouldn’t do again right?”

“You guessed it!!” he was so energetic like how children would be, “I felt its presence so I used my magic to wake him up. He’s a bit angry and took me over.”

Vyera could only sighed, “And why did you search for me?”

“Oh about that, I have a message from Master.”

“… Message?”