Summary: Zombies and apocalypses were for the movies. Until South Korea made both a reality. And dragged everyone else into the mess. Damn Asians.
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: NaLu, HibiLu, Gruvia (so far)
(NOTE: There are no love triangles in this fic; this fic is a main course of angst and horror with a dash of fluff here and there. I hope you enjoy it!)
(Or, the train to Busan AU no one asked for so here goes)
Five hours ago, a plane en route to Hanaeda airport had crashed into Kawasaki, killing approximately 15 people and injuring a great deal more.
Three hours ago, a man from the military had reported to the government about rabid people biting and infecting any walking thing with a pulse, before doing the aforementioned to the secretary he was talking to.
An hour ago, people watching the news saw reporters describing the apocalyptic situation that had befallen all of South Korea and scoffed at the terms used to describe the erratic behavior of the victims.
“Zombies? Give me a break.” The man seated in front of her jibed as he ran his hand through his spiky blond hair. “I bet on Lector it’ll just be another gas leak or some shit like last time.”
Lucy shook her head as she continued to watch the reporter now talking from her phone screen about possibly infected areas in Japan. “You really think the Busan footage was fabricated? The plane in the crash site came from Gwangju and the attacks started from Kawasaki, remember?”
As if to support her, the cat in the man’s arms purred and rubbed against him.
“She’s right, Sting,” Their other friend Rogue, a man with black hair and a distinct facial scar sitting beside her spoke, “Yukino had called me earlier to check on us. Apparently her sister had gone missing along with the investigation team.”
“Sorano vanishing for five hours ain’t enough to call her missing...”
Lucy sighed, all the sounds turning into background noise. There weren’t any other passengers in their carriage that she could talk to. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to talk to anyone, come to think of it.
She sighed as her gaze drifted to the window. They had another three hours before they reached their destination, from where they’d have to catch a cab to get to the laboratory. Her reflection stared back at her, blonde hair now properly tamed in a ponytail, big brown eyes staring back at her a little tiredly. The ruby studded pendant of her necklace rested on the hollow of her fair throat, a gift from her fiance.
A smile formed on her petal shaped lips as she remembered the day he’d put it on her. One of his favorite parts about her body was her neck, he had confessed once when he’d gotten drunk with his friends in a bar.
(”And shoulders,” He had muttered sleepily when they’d finally gotten into bed together. Lucy giggled, and shivered when he placed a soft, lingering kiss on her shoulder. “Everything about you...god, you’re sexy.”)
He’d gotten her the necklace on the night he’d proposed, when she was working in her home study. She remembered him fidgeting, rather uncharacteristically. before breaking out into a speech, stumbling over his words and how she didn’t need to change his name and how he could change to Hibiki Heartfilia, which sounded way better not that Lucy Laytes sounds dumb it’s all up to you of course-
She had shut him up with a yes and a kiss. Not necessarily in that order. The ring resting on her finger was a silver band dotted with tiny diamonds. Pretty. He’d then slid it on her finger with an adoring look on his face that had made her blush. I miss you.
As the train drifted to a halt, so did her thoughts as she idly examined the empty platform.
And then she jumped back with a screech as someone banged their face against the glass. In the distance, someone had started to scream.
...
It was bloody chaos. Literally, bloody chaos.
“Fucking son of a bitch!” Gray snarled as he vehemently kicked the zombie clawing at him into the seats, “Juvia, run for the doors and don’t look back! Go!”
“Juvia is not leaving you here!”
“Natsu, keep her safe!”
“NO!” The blue haired woman screamed as another zombie pounced on Gray. A calloused hand grabbed her arm, and she was yanked away by the pink haired boy Gray had addressed earlier.
“GRAY-SAMA!”
“I’m sorry Juvia!” Natsu yelled over the din, pulling her as they both ran for the sliding doors. Tears threatened to spill, but he blinked them back as he shoved Juvia into the next carriage, turning to slam it shut.
“We can’t leave Gray-sama out there!” She sobbed as they helplessly watched him struggle. A horrible, horrible feeling washed over him when he saw the matted white hair of the attacking undead as she - for it was definitely a she - sank her teeth into his best friend’s neck.
An urge to hurl had him clap his hand over his mouth as he stumbled to the floor. In a few minutes, Gray Fullbuster would join his family in the ranks of the walking dead and would try to extend that courtesy to them. They couldn’t stay there. He had to protect Juvia. He had to protect her. He couldn’t fail again.
“Natsu-kun!” She screamed, and he looked up to see Gray’s ugly face smack against the glass, his eyes cloudy and the veins on his neck prominent. They had to go. As if reading his mind, Juvia extended her hand and yanked him up by the arm.
“Run...” He hoarsely whispered as they dashed to the other side. A horrible cracking noise could be heard and barely had they reached the next set of sliding doors before the sound of glass breaking reverbrated through the carriage.
“RUN!” Someone screamed and the rush of adrenaline and the furious beating of his heart propelled him on as he shoved her in front of him. People screamed and the dead roared as the air grew thicker with the smell of blood.
The compartment they stumbled into had very few people, two blondes and a scarred man the closest to him. Juvia made to slide the door shut, and then slid down to the floor and began to cry again.
“What the fuck is going on?” One of the blondes, a man with slanted eyes demanded as the other one - a girl who looked Natsu’s age - made to comfort Juvia. The scarred man gingerly approached the doors to take a look at the bloodbath behind.
“G-gray-sama...” Juvia sobbed, burying her face in her hands.
“Those fuckers got in?” The blond swore, and then grimaced on looking at the bloodstained windows. Outside the train, they could see more zombies clawing at the glass and snarling at them.
“We need to go...” Natsu breathed heavily, stumbling into the nearest seat available, “There’s too many to fight...we have to get off this fucking train.” He ran his fingers through his hair, and caught the eye of the girl comforting Juvia.
She bit her lip in a contemplative manner. “Rule out the platforms. If we put enough distance between us we can at least hide out here. The train’s a frying pan but outside’s the fire.” She then blinked, and then extended her hand to him. “Lucy Heartfilia.”
Natsu stared for a few seconds before it processed. “Oh yeah, right, Natsu Dragneel.” His hand engulfed her delicate one as they shook. She looked classy in her cream coloured blouse and black slacks.
“This is Rogue and Sting.” She continued, motioning at the scarred man and the blond respectively.
“I’m Juvia.” Juvia said quietly, her sobs now subsiding. Sting opened his mouth, but was cut off by Rogue, whose eyes widened.
“We need to go.” He mumbled, pulling Juvia to her feet. A glimpse through the glass had Natsu jump to his feet, nausea beginning to form in his stomach. The zombie brigade had spotted them and was stumbling over towards them. At the forefront was the white haired woman who had turned Gray.
“How strong is the glass?” Lucy sounded terrified.
“Against this death wave? We gotta high tail it outta here,” Sting said shakily.
BANG! They jumped back as the undead snarled against the doors, more and more piling up by the second. He heard Lucy stumble with a faint curse. He turned and caught Rogue’s eye.
“Drop everything and run.” How could he sound calm right now? But Rogue was going good on his word, pushing Sting behind him and moving to Lucy. “Lose the heels Lucy, you can’t run in them-”
“Drop ‘em on the way,” Natsu said and started pushing the two of them towards the retreating figure of Sting, who had also taken Juvia with him. They’d barely made it halfway before Juvia’s scream stopped them.
“Motherfucker, they’re here too?!” Sting yelled as they heard snarls from the other side. The sound of cracking glass made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
“We have to get out of here!” Juvia whimpered as she frantically looked through the windows. The window to their right showed the zombie infested platform and the nauseous feeling increased.
"The emergency window.” Lucy suddenly muttered and moved for one of the windows on their left. The left platform was suspiciously empty, but a quick look at the doors told them that they had no choice. Rogue and Sting followed and began helping her.
“Natsu-kun?” Juvia whispered suddenly, her hand moving to grip his arm, “I’m scared.”
“Natsu keep her safe!”
“Don’t worry,” He whispered back, watching the window open, “I’ll protect you, okay? Let’s go.”
Lucy sometimes wondered if perhaps she was a bit too kind at times. Especially during times like these.
“Lu-chan,” whined the adult male as she struggled to get him to sit down on his temporary bed. “Why are you being so mean?”
“I’m not being mean,” Lucy said tentatively as she struggled with the laces on the guys dress shoes. “I’m just trying to help you. Men… I swear.” The last part, Lucy muttered under her breath. Though she probably could have shouted it from the rooftops and the words wouldn’t have computed with Hibiki’s drunken brain.
“Why do you always shoot down my attempts to flirt with you?” The blond was trying to pout, but couldn’t quite seem to figure out how to fold his arms across his chest. “I’m attractive, aren’t I? Well, I know I am… but why don’t I attract you, Lucy?” A pang shot through Lucy’s heart and she sighed as she successfully pulled off one of those stubborn shoes.
“It’s not as if I’m not attracted to you, Hibiki. You are very good looking,” she promised as she got to work on the second obstacle that was in her way of getting the man into his bed. “It just doesn’t seem very genuine, Hibiki. You flirt with every female that is in your immediate proximity, which is great. Don’t get me wrong. I think it is fantastic that you are attracted to women of all shapes and sizes. It’s great that you don’t discriminate,” she laughed softly and Hibiki was grinning.
“I can’t talk to you about this kind of stuff when you’re like this, how about we talk tomorrow?” Truthfully, Lucy was completely banking on the fact that Hibiki would remember absolutely nothing about the conversation that they were having. He was completely plastered, she’d never seen him drink like that before.
Granted, the few times she’d seen Hibiki beforehand he hadn’t even been drinking. He’d said that he didn’t like how it altered his thought processes. He even refused when the lovely Cana offered to treat him.
So Lucy had been completely surprised when she’d found the blond completely inebriated at the party that had been thrown in celebration of her being an official and published author. She’d spent quite a bit of time making sure that he was alright and not doing anything too stupid. Why? She wasn’t entirely sure.
Because of her subconscious hovering around Hibiki, she hadn’t done a whole lot of drinking herself. Cana had tried to wedge a bottle down her throat, but Lucy did well in fighting the drunkard’s advances off.
At first, she’d wanted to see if she could put the responsibility of Hibiki onto Ren… since that just made more sense to Lucy. But it turned out that Ren was a bit too busy with his own drunken fiancée to really be of much help, so Lucy figured she might as well take it upon herself.
Which really… she didn’t mind. She’d already absorbed quite a bit of attention from all of her friends, and her family. She had begun to feel a little bit uncomfortable with all of the attention when she first stumbled across Hibiki that night. So she supposed his intolerance to booze was her lucky break.
“Alright,” Lucy said mostly to herself, “I don’t want to go through your suitcase, so this will have to do.” Lucy carefully laid the man’s suit out on the loveseat that was in the corner of the room that Hibiki was sharing with Ren and Eve.
She’d gotten Hibiki down to his boxers, which she decided would be for the best.
“I’m going to get you a bucket and a water bottle, okay? I’ll be right back.” Lucy took the key to the room and was sure to lock the door behind her. She didn’t think he’d be able to figure it out if he decided to try and escape while she wasn’t there. It didn’t take her very long to find a suitable vomit-holder and a water bottle, but by the time she returned… Hibiki had managed to tear up the bed. There were pillows everywhere and the bedding was strewn across the floor. Hibiki was in the process of trying to cover up with the one sheet that remained on the mattress.
“It’s hot,” he slurred when he noticed her walking towards him, “There were too many blankets.” Lucy stepped over the bedding and set the bucket down next to the bed.
“This is for if you feel sick in the middle of the night,” she said as she straightened back up, “And this is for right now. You need to drink this before you go to sleep alright? You’re going to wake up with a hell of a hangover, but this might help a little bit.” Hibiki looked from the water, to Lucy’s face… and then back to the bottle. He was hesitant in actually taking it, but when he had it in his hands he eagerly twisted the cap off and began to drink.
“Hey hey, not all at once or you might wind up needing the bucket sooner than expected.” Lucy laughed softly as Hibiki heeded her warning.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” Hibiki finally asked, after wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.
“Interesting how you were asking me why I was so mean just a bit ago,” Lucy chuckled as she sat down on the bed. “I’m just doing what anybody would.” She said simply, but Hibiki quickly shook his head in disagreement.
“Nobody would do this,” he said, “I could probably guarantee that, but I don’t think my magic would be very willing to work with me right at this moment.” He ran a hand back through his bangs and sighed. “It’s part of the reason that I like you.”
Lucy blinked and squinted her eyes at the man, “This is interesting, I wonder how many moods you filter through when you’re like this.” She poked him playfully, “Really though, I’m only nice to those who are nice to me. And you are typically nicer than most people.” Of course, it was because he’d be trying to get in her pants, but Lucy decided that she’d leave that bit out for the moment.
“I’m going to regret this so much in a few hours,” Hibiki laughed quietly.
“Well, you seem like you’ll be okay.” Lucy patted the guy on the shoulder before standing up.
“Wait! Stay the night. Please.” Hibiki had tried to grab Lucy’s arm but didn’t have the necessary hand-eye coordination to do so.
“Hibiki… I don’t know, that doesn’t seem appropriate. You’re a little drunk, what would the other boys think?” She laughed a little and Hibiki only shrugged.
“I don’t care, all I know is that I don’t want to be left alone tonight.”
Lucy knew that she should say no, but at the same time… he looked so vulnerable right then. So much different than usual, she kind of felt bad for him. She knew that saying no would make him feel poorly about himself.
“Okay fine… but no touching!” Hibiki grinned as though he were a child that had just been gifted with a puppy.
They napped together, and of course… when Ren and Eve returned to the room… Lucy got hell for it. They teased both her and Hibiki, but it was all in good fun. Lucy had decided that going home would be for the best, but not before she told Hibiki that he should call her the next time he was feeling down.
Maybe she could help.
--
Thank you for asking! Not tooooo happy with how this one turned out though, I’ve seen so few Hibiki and Lucy fics! But I hope you like it anyway haha
And here is the second word of the day with the ship @raioseucliffe-cheney suggested. Tbh I never thought of HibiLu together but I am totally on board with it now that you brought it to my attention. It's such a pure ship. Anyways... onto the wotd Willowwacks \WIL-oh-waks\ - a wooded, uninhabited area. Lucy followed Hibiki through the dense trees. How the two of them got paired together for this mission, she didn’t know, but she was glad it was him and not... Ichiya. A chill ran down her spine as she recalled the night everyone turned into Ichiya. She still wasn’t sure if that night was a nightmare or reality. The two of them had been sent into the forest on the outskirts of Magnolia to find a woman’s lost trinket. The guilds around Fiore were taking missions together to strengthen the rapport after the Grand Magic Games. “Are you doing alright, Lucy?” Hibiki asked her, flashing one of his dazzling smiles. She felt her cheeks flush pink. Lucy wasn’t used to this kind of attention from guys, not after spending all of her time with Gray and Natsu. (the most unromantic guys in Fiore.) “I’m okay, thank you.” Lucy replied. If she was being honest, she really wasn’t okay. They had been searching through the willowwacks for hours now and it was taking a toll on her body. She was exhausted and they hadn’t had any luck finding this woman’s trinket. Her feet were killing her, she scolded herself for wearing her new boots before breaking them in. Lost in thought, Lucy almost ran into Hibiki as he stopped in his tracks. She peered around him to see what was going on. In front of them was the most picturesque clearing she’d ever seen.Lush green grass swayed gently in the breeze. Soft sunlight filtered in through the trees, sparkling ever so slightly. The area seemed to glow, like it was enchanted. It felt as though time stood still around them. “Why don’t we take a break?” Hibiki asked her as if he had read her mind. “Such a beautiful scenery for a beautiful girl. Why don’t we enjoy it?” He grabbed her hand and led her to the center of the clearing. He pulled out a blanket from his backpack and spread it on the grass. He laid down with his back on the blanket and waved for Lucy to join him. She laid down beside him but made sure not to get too close. She was grateful for a chance to get off of her feet but didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. The sky greeted them as they laid there. Chunks of sky were visible through the tops of the trees. They laid there together watching the cloud pass by overhead. Hibiki shifted around, moving his arm until it was centimeters apart from her own. She could feel the heat radiating from his body making her heart race. She could feel her senses heighten, overly aware of Hibiki lying beside her. His quick breathing matched her own, she figured he was just as aware of her closeness as she was of his. She couldn’t remember the last time a guy made her this nervous... She kind of liked the feeling. “Lucy...” Hibiki started, “I”ve got to get something off of my chest. I’ve had feelings for you since the first time I met you. You are a strong mage and the love you hold for your spirits is admirable. There is something special about you.” Lucy turned her head to face him but he kept his face pointing towards the sky. He interlaced his fingers with hers. “Hibiki...” She began. The long dormant butterflies began fluttering in the pit of her stomach, something she hadn’t felt in ages. “You don’t have to say anything. Let’s just enjoy this moment.” Hibiki cut her off. A smile formed on Lucy’s face and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. She wished this moment would last forever.
After seeing that Hibiki confess, I realized that I completely forgot to ever post this here.
Warning: I wrote this before I changed the spelling of his last name. And I didn’t want to edit it this go around.
Main Pairings: Hibiki x Lucy, Loke x Aries
Side Pairings: Past mentions of Hibiki x Karen, also Gajeel x Mirajane (if you squint)
Rating: T
Words: 5,145
Summary: Hibiki had so many things he wanted to say to Lucy after she returned from Tenrou Island. Unfortunately, not all of them were pleasant. But maybe they could be healing, despite that.
Posted on FFN here.
Hundred Nights Hibiki was, for the first time in over a decade, unable to find his silver tongue in the presence of a woman. Him, the playboy-extraordinaire. Mr. Never-Seen-With-The-Same-Woman-Twice. He was without a doubt, unequivocally and inexplicably, tongue-tied. If Jason ever caught wind of such an occurrence, it would make the front page of Sorcerer Weekly.
It was really quite embarrassing.
The only solace in the situation was the fact that it was not a loss of words that plagued the Blue Pegasus Mage. Instead, his troubles stemmed from having too many things inside of him, bursting at the seams. After all, there were so many things he wanted to talk to her about. Seven years worth.
If only he could muster up the wherewithal to return her pleasant greeting of a few moments ago. He feared he looked like an idiot, standing there unable to even articulate a simple, ‘Hello.’ All that he wanted to say clamored in his head and caught in his throat, with no room for a single breath let alone a full word to squeeze past.
The young woman smiled up at her friend. Finding it very amusing to watch the suave man lose his cool.
A grin broke out across his face. The words that finally forced their way past the emotional blockage were not the ones he expected, but they’re definitely more perfect. “Welcome home, Lucy!”
The way she lit up at the phrase made the seven years he’d waited to utter it worth every agonizing second spent at Archive’s screens, hoping for a sign of life from a dead island among still waters.
Tears gathered at her eyes. “I’m back,” she whispered, a tremulous smile gracing her lips. “It’s good to be home.”
After that, the other members of Blue Pegasus that had come to visit their favorite returnees crowded in and Hibiki lost his chance once more to say everything he wanted to. But instead of feeling upset by this, he winked at the flustered and overwhelmed girl. “Next time I visit, I should come alone so I don’t have to share you. That way, we can have a more private discussion.”
She snorted at the flirting and thinly veiled innuendo. “Even after seven years, you haven’t changed, have you?” Not mentioning how relieved she was by that. If he had changed, she wouldn’t have known how to deal with her old friend and former comrade.
He just laughed at her. Of course he had changed.
It had been seven years, after all. A lot changes in seven years.
Hibiki would never let so much time pass between their meetings again.
It was over a week later when he was able to visit again. He wasn’t ecstatic over it, though. Because when he’d gone back to his guild and sorted himself and his words out, he realized that one of the things he needed to talk to her about wasn’t going to be at all pleasant. In fact, it was going to be downright painful.
Though he still plastered his trademark smile on his face that made girls swoon when he walked through the doors. “Hello, beautiful ladies of Fairy Tail,” he greeted with cheer he didn’t feel when the members looked at him curiously, ignoring the men as was his wont. “I came to visit my favorite Celestial Mage!” Abandoning all pretense towards the many other lovely motives he could claim. What he needed to speak with her about was just that important.
“Sorry, my boy.” A short man with a strange hat bounced down from the second floor to land at Hibiki’s feet. “Lucy went out on a mission with Natsu yesterday. She should be back within the next couple of days, however. You might want to check back later?”
Hibiki’s smile became genuine at seeing his Master’s close friend. “Thanks, Master Makarov. I’ll just leave a note with the ever-dazzling Mirajane.” He pretended not to notice the curious stare leveled at his back as he walked to the bar.
Taking a seat, he waited patiently for the barmaid. Once she had arrived, he grinned at her. “Mirajane, I swear you haven’t aged.”
Rather than smile indulgently at him like he expected, the model frowned at him. The two had crossed paths on a number of modeling jobs for Sorcerer Weekly seven years ago and were familiar with each other, though Hibiki wouldn’t go so far as to say they were best friends. In fact, before the collaboration to take down Oracion Seis, they were merely civil acquaintances. Mutual friendship with Lucy had been what had bridged the gap.
“Hibiki,” Mirajane said, sitting on her stool on the other side of the bar. “Is something the matter? That was a little weak, for you.”
A short, harsh laugh was his response. “You caught me, Mirajane. But, then, you’ve always had me.”
She rolled her eyes at him, which lifted his spirits a little. “In all seriousness, Hibiki. Is something going on with you? Is everything all right at home with your parents?” Mirajane was worried – the recent discovery of Jude Heartfilia’s passing had been related to her by the tearful Celestial Mage, so parents were on her brain. She knew that Hibiki’s relationship with his was strained when she had last spoken to him – over seven years ago. Had it deteriorated further in that intervening time?
The mage shrugged. “My parents are fine. On my last visit to them, they did say not to come back unless I had a wife and children for them to spoil, though. I think their last demand was for thirty grandbabies. I’m not sure if that stems from a basic lack of understanding of how human biology works, or if it’s a subtle insult towards my lifestyle and frequent appearances in scandalous gossip articles.” Normally he would have considered the request a joke, but these were his parents. They were incapable of levity, and his father had delivered the command with deadly gravity.
Mirajane giggled at him, pleased that everything seemed to be fine. “Maybe you should settle down, then. You are approaching thirty.”
He flinched. “Please don’t remind me. And I’ve got three years left until then.” Thinking for a moment, he offered, “I did my best to repair my relationship with my parents after you guys disappeared. I mean, I’ve lost friends and comrades before – that’s just the nature of our work – but losing all of you at once? It made me think that I need to make the effort to reconnect with them, even if all we do is annoy each other to no end.” Then he laughed, a more joyous sound than before. “I would be lying if I said I don’t enjoy exasperating my folks, though.”
“That’s a good policy, to treasure them while you can. You never know when they might be gone from your life,” a quiet voice said behind Hibiki, startling him into almost falling off his barstool.
“Oh, Lucy!” Mirajane chirped. “I didn’t see you there! Did you finish your mission early?”
Liar. A bedazzling one, it must be mentioned – but still a liar. From her position, she would have clearly seen the Celestial Mage’s approach long before her arrival.
Lucy sighed and sat on the stool next to Hibiki. “Not even close. Natsu set the western parlor of the client’s house on fire before we even got the opportunity to start the mission. So we were kicked out and sent home. With no reward money, obviously.”
The demon-woman shook her head at Natsu’s actions. “Really, that boy never learns. What took you so long to get back, then? Wasn’t the client’s house relatively close by?”
“Happy insisted that we stop to fish. And I agreed, since I have no reward money to spend on food.” She slumped against the bar. “I did pretty good. But I’m going to get real tired of eating fish, I think.” Then she lifted her head and faced Hibiki. “Sorry, Hibiki! I’m being rude. It’s good to see you.”
He beamed at her. “Not even half as wonderful as it is to see your brilliant face, Beautiful.”
The blonde snorted at the playboy. “I’m sure you tell all the pretty girls that.”
“I mean every compliment I give out,” Hibiki informed her, delighted to see the blush creeping across Lucy’s nose.
“I’m sure,” she mumbled. “Anyway, what brings you to Fairy Tail today?”
“You and your effervescent smile, of course.”
She grinned at him. “I know; it’s amazing. What about my scintillating personality?”
Hibiki chuckled. “Ah I was getting there. But it seems you have outpaced me. Perhaps there is something more suited we can do to put your stamina to good use?”
A laugh greeted this blatant innuendo. …Which stung Hibiki’s pride a little.
His face fell, though, as he remembered just why he sought her out. “Although, I do have something serious I wish to discuss with you.” He hesitated, and then added, “Privately, if at all possible.”
Lucy stared straight through his eyes and into his soul, before she nodded. “I think there’s a picnic bench out back.” She looked up at Mirajane. “Is anyone out there, Mira?”
The white-haired woman thought about it, a finger on her chin. “I think Gajeel is, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to convince him to leave. Just let him know his afternoon metal snack is ready and he’ll come in.”
Standing up, Lucy beckoned for Hibiki to do the same. “Let’s go, then.”
“Wait!” Mirajane pleaded, reaching under the bar. “I have something for you to take out with you, Hibiki.”
Lucy started to walk away. “I’ll meet you outside!”
As soon as the blonde was out of sight, Mirajane ceased her search and fixed Hibiki with a hard stare. “I don’t know what you want to talk to her about, but don’t hurt her, Hibiki. She just found out that she lost her father while we were all under the stasis spell.” The woman then handed over a basket Hibiki had not seen her prepare. “Here’s an early supper for you two. I put it on your tab. Settle up when you’re finished.”
The Blue Pegasus Mage smiled at the overprotective demon-woman, taking the basket. She had misunderstood his desire to speak with the blonde, but that was to be expected with his admittedly deserved reputation. “Don’t worry, Mira. I’m always gentle with the hearts of my friends.”
Lucy was waiting for him at the table in the yard behind the guild, bright afternoon sun glinting upon her hair and casting her in a golden aura. She perked up when she saw him approach with the food. “Oh, is that a picnic? I haven’t had one of those in forever!”
Before he could formulate a response, Hibiki’s view was suddenly darkened by the arrival of the Iron Dragon Slayer (plus a black Exceed) in his face. Gritting his teeth at the large man in his way, Hibiki smiled tightly at the other male. “Excuse me, but I have an appointment to keep with the lovely lady behind you. So if you would move, I would appreciate it.”
The man blinked his blood-red eyes and leaned back, glancing over his shoulder at the blonde. “Oi, Bunny-girl! Who is this fop?”
‘Bunny-girl?’ Hibiki was confused by the nickname, even more so by the fact that the endearment had originated from a man who didn’t look capable of softness in the least. Very much aware of the history between the two mages before him (because as an Archive user, he had done his research on the fly during the Oracion Seis incident – and he had no problem admitting that he’d wanted to know as much as possible about the vivacious, voluptuous blonde Celestial Mage), he wondered at the ease with which they comported themselves in each other’s presence.
Lucy sighed at the obnoxious Dragon Slayer. “Where did you even come from?” The man just appeared from nowhere to pester her friend. “And Gajeel, Pantherlily, you can just ask him yourselves, he’s standing right there. Also, I only wore that suit ONE TIME. I am never getting back into that thing again.”
There was a suit? Hibiki really wanted – no, needed – to see this.
The Iron Dragon Slayer grinned at the girl, displaying all of his razor sharp teeth and let out a strange laugh. “Gihi! I was on the roof.” Sunbathing, no doubt. “And we’ll see about that suit. I’ll find a way to get you back into that thing.”
Hibiki thought he might grow to like this man.
A dark Exceed perched on the Dragon Slayer’s shoulder cleared his throat and extended a paw. “My apologies for my partner’s rudeness. I’m Pantherlily.”
Smiling, Hibiki shook the Exceed’s paw. “Hibiki Lates. I’m a mage of Blue Pegasus and a friend of Lucy’s. I’ve heard quite a bit about you from the other Exceeds over the past few years – seems you’re quite famous in their community.”
Pantherlily seemed surprised by this. “Thank you, you’re too kind. I take it the community has been well-established, then?”
“Yes; they even have their own village that does business with the local guilds. Blue Pegasus in particular has a good relationship with them.” Mostly thanks to Ichiya and Nichiya’s rather odd friendship.
The Exceed smiled at him, and then turned to his partner. “Gajeel, we need to go visit them soon.”
Gajeel grunted in affirmation, crossing his arms.
It was clear the man had no intention of introducing himself to the interloper. Or budging from that spot.
Since Hibiki generally disapproved of men in his personal space, and this wasn’t the first time he’d had to deal with a rather scary overprotective male, he did what he usually did. He introduced himself politely. Really, there was nothing else to be done in that situation. His magic was useful and versatile, but Gajeel could turn him into paste. “I’m Hibiki Lates. You must be Gajeel Redfox. I know of you by reputation, but I believe this is the first we’ve ever actually spoken.”
Interest flickered across the steely man’s gaze. He bared his teeth at the Blue Pegasus Mage in an expression that in no way resembled a smile, except perhaps superficially and when viewed at a great distance (the luxury of which was not afforded to Hibiki). “And which reputation would that be, horse-face?”
“Both,” the man admitted. “The bad and the… not as bad.”
Blood-red eyes widened marginally at the gall being displayed. Swiftly turning his head, the Dragon Slayer shouted, “This one’s okay, Bunny-girl!”
Was that – dare he think it – approval? From Black Steel Gajeel, no less?
Since wooing the girl wasn’t what he’d come for today, the revelation would have to be filed away for now. But it was nice to know. For future reference.
Lucy was just as flabbergasted by Gajeel’s odd antics as Hibiki was, judging by the way she was staring at him.
“By the way, Mirajane said your afternoon metal snack is ready inside,” Hibiki informed the Dragon Slayer. Then, under his breath so Lucy wouldn’t catch it, he said, “Also, I wholeheartedly approve of Lucy and bunny suits. Especially together. Let me know if you require assistance.”
Shaking with silent laughter, Gajeel departed. Pantherlily also restrained his snickers from his perch on Gajeel’s shoulder.
Once Gajeel was out of sight, Hibiki resumed his stroll towards his favorite Celestial Mage. She stood up at his approach.
“Let me help!” she insisted, removing a tablecloth from the basket. After a couple of minutes, she remarked, “Sorry about Gajeel. He was being a bit stranger than normal today. I thought he might try to pulverize you at first.”
It wasn’t so much the statement itself so much as the way Lucy spoke it with complete and utter cheer that had Hibiki blanching.
Unaware of her companion’s discomfort regarding the topic of being turned into itty bitty bits and pieces of Hibiki, Lucy blithely continued, “But I think you impressed him when you stood up to him.”
Hibiki blinked in surprise. “You think?”
“Yeah!” Lucy finished smoothening out the wrinkles in the cloth and looked up at him. “If you back down from something as simple as him standing too close, you’ll never earn his respect. Dragon Slayers can smell lies as well – so speaking both your mind and the truth to him earns you points.” A slow smirk spread across her face. “If you had lied he probably would have torn you apart on the spot.”
Maybe she wasn’t so unaware of his discomfort.
Best not inform her about their imminent collusion on the bunny-suit-front.
After all, that smile was a little scary.
Hibiki nervously laughed off the comment. “He must respect you quite a bit then.” He nearly kicked himself for the insensitive comment once it left his mouth. Really, as a member of the Trimens he should know better.
Her smile fell, and she looked contemplative. “I don’t know. Maybe? I’ve never asked.”
After the sandwiches and fruit Mirajane had packed into the basket were laid out before them, they sat on opposite sides of the picnic bench. Grabbing a sandwich from the rather large pile, Lucy took a bite. Once she had swallowed, she asked, “So… what did you want to talk to me about?”
Placing his hands on the table before him, Hibiki made no move towards the meal, having no appetite. “I have to confess that I came today to ask you to relay a message to your Spirits.”
Nearly choking on her food, Lucy curled her hand into a fist and pounded her collarbone until the obstruction in her esophagus slid down. “I’m sorry. You wanted to talk to my Spirits? About what?”
Unable to meet her gaze, Hibiki’s eyes focused instead on the edibles. “It’s about… Karen.”
Silence ensued as Lucy literally chewed over what to say in response. Reaching down to her belt, she touched her keys. “Would you like to speak with Loke and Aries directly? Or are you more comfortable with just me?”
The man was infinitely more at ease with Lucy than he would be with just the Spirits. But then, they deserved to hear this from him, too. “Are you able to summon them both?”
“No – but I can summon Aries and ask Loke to open his own gate.” She glanced at the spread. “They can join us in finishing all this. I don’t think the two of can eat all this on our own.” At her companion’s nod, she did just that.
Loke and Aries were both delighted to be invited to join their key holder for a meal. Loke’s mood soured, however, the second he spotted Hibiki.
Before any remarks could be made, Lucy told them, “Hibiki came here today to talk to you guys about something.”
Both Spirits were shocked by this, and the pair cast apprehensive glances at the Blue Pegasus Mage.
Clearing his throat, Hibiki replied, “It’s been a long time since I last saw the two of you. I take it you’ve been well?” Neither replied – Loke out of petulance and Aries because she was unable to formulate a response before Loke took her shoulders and forced her to sit on the bench beside Lucy.
“I’m sorry!” the pink-haired Spirit squeaked.
Hibiki’s flinch at the statement was anything but subtle. He’d heard it far too often when she was Karen’s Spirit.
Sitting on Lucy’s other side, Loke noticed the reaction. “Well?” he said, his posture that of calculated boredom only a cat would be capable of exuding. “You had something you wished to say to us?”
Feeling sick to his stomach, the normally smooth man met the three oppressive stares directed towards him from the other side of the table. Suddenly, he bowed deeply, his forehead brushing against the tablecloth. “I’m so sorry!”
Startled, the three exchanged glances.
“About… what?” Loke asked, genuinely confused.
“Karen. I thought that by going to Master Bob would be helping, but I only made matters worse. And it led to her death. I’m so very sorry for that. I know that you two… cared for her, even if you didn’t like her. And I heard about your banishment from the Celestial World as well.” Never underestimate Archive’s information gathering abilities. “You shouldn’t have been punished for her death. Ultimately, it was my actions that led to her demise. There are no words with which I might express my deep regret.”
Abashed, Loke rubbed the back of his neck. “Um…” the cat muttered, unsure about this person in front of him. He remembered the Hibiki of over a decade ago – a brash youth with a soft spot for his former master. This man before him bore some of the traces of that much younger version, but it was apparent that Loke would have to set aside old prejudices here today. Sometimes he forgot how rapidly people changed, as he remained mostly incapable of doing so himself.
It was Aries who found it in herself to reply to the sincere apology. Knowing a few things about them herself. Reaching out, she hesitantly touched Hibiki’s shoulder. “It’s okay. It was coming one way or another. All you did was push the eventual confrontation forward.”
Lucy and Loke looked on proudly as the shy Spirit tried to comfort the Archive Mage. “I didn’t realize it was you that told the Master,” Loke finally added, once Hibiki has risen from his bow. “Why did you go through him and not just tell her yourself if you didn’t like the way we were being treated? You were her boyfriend at the time.”
Hibiki sighed softly. “I thought it would be worse if her boyfriend told her off compared to her Guild Master. There was no chance of her listening to me, anyway. With Master Bob, there was a possibility she would take his rebuke to heart and correct her behavior. Sadly… that turned out not to be the case.”
Again silence reigned over the table, before Hibiki broke it. “That wasn’t what I’d come here to say, though.” He paused, and then continued, “It’s still about Karen though.” His lips thinning to a grim line, he informed them solemnly, “I’m not sure how exactly to tell you this but… her grave. The one on the spire over the waterfall. …Well, it’s… gone.” Gulping, Hibiki finished, “The ledge crumbled away a bit over the last seven years, and the grave fell with it to the bottom. Again, I’m sorry you have to find out like this, but I thought you might want to know.”
To both his and Lucy’s surprise, the two Celestial Spirits smiled at the news. Loke exhaled in relief. “Is that all, then?”
Incapable of doing much more, Hibiki nodded.
“Good.” The lion’s eyes flicked back and forth between the two humans. “Do you… Lucy, is it alright if we go and visit?” he suddenly asked. “We… we never really got the chance to say a proper goodbye to Karen. Now seems as good a time as any.” Aries nodded her agreement in this idea as well.
It was Lucy’s turn to become contemplative. “A chance to say goodbye, huh? I can understand that.” Thoughts of her father swirled in her head, causing her to remark, “Are you sure it won’t be too painful, though?” When the shook their heads, she smiled tremulously, tears filling her eyes. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. After all, the only thing more painful than saying goodbye… is not being able to at all.”
All those present understood that statement far better than they would have liked to.
“Tell me what they’re saying now!” Mirajane demanded of the Iron Dragon Slayer behind the back door. The man had, in the middle of repeating Lucy’s words, stopped and gone utterly pale.
Gajeel stared at the ground, Bunny-girl’s words echoing in his head. Loneliness swept through him as, too, remembered farewells not given. “I’m done with this shit,” he announced pushing off the wall and starting to walk away from the whole thing. No amount of free food was worth this. “Bunny-girl can take care of herself.”
Mirajane stared at him in confusion. “What did she say, Gajeel?” When he froze and haltingly, with barely restrained emotion, repeated the phrase, Mirajane’s face fell as far as his. “Oh.” She hung her head, a little ashamed of eavesdropping on her friend. “You’re right – let’s leave them be.”
The walk to the waterfall was mostly uneventful – the only thing of note occurring being the setting sun. As Loke and Aries had returned to their own world for the time being to spare Lucy’s magic, it was just Hibiki and Lucy making the relatively short journey. Shadows lengthened and twisted along their path, blue creeping into the sky. The first stars and the moon appeared on the horizon, washing the traveling duo in silver light.
“Did you know,” Lucy suddenly broke the silence as they spotted the waterfall, “that this is where I made my contract with Loke?”
Hibiki smiled at her. “No, I didn’t actually. I’ll add it to Archive’s data banks.”
She flushed. “There’s no need to do that,” muttered the reddening girl. “It’s not like it’s important information.”
Chuckling at her, Hibiki said, “I think it’s important. I don’t want to forget a single thing about you.”
“Hold your flying horses, lover-boy,” Loke growled, forcing his gate open now that they were in closer proximity to their destination. “Be a little more respectful of your audience here.”
“I didn’t realize you had quite so many voyeuristic tendencies,” Hibiki quipped with a pleasant smile.
“Oh I wasn’t referring to myself,” Loke responded with an equally tranquil expression. “Karen could be quite the pervert when she felt like it.”
Lucy sweatdropped. Moving away from the politely feuding males, she summoned Aries.
“I’m sorry!” the female Spirit reflexively apologized.
Smiling kindly at her friend, Lucy gestured to the empty ledge. “We’re here.”
Hesitantly, the pinkette approached the gaping hole the water was pouring into.
Lucy remained behind with Hibiki and Loke, looking around at the scenery. Other than the missing grave, the place had remained just as she remembered it. What a day that had been. Summoning the Spirit King and all her friends, pleading for Loke’s life, and gaining a new companion on her journey. There were so many memories in this spot.
“Were you…” Loke began, eyes drifting to where Aries stood overlooking the chasm below, “Were you aware as to just why Karen’s grave was placed here, where it couldn’t last?”
“No, I regret to say that she never informed me about it,” Hibiki replied.
The lion Spirit nodded. “It was early on in her mage career, long before she met you.” He observed a moment Aries’ animated conversation with the empty space before her. “She said that because Spirits’ memories are so long, she didn’t want her fleeting existence to become a burden to us.” A short, harsh laugh accompanied the statement. “As you can imagine, this was prior to her change of opinion on us Spirits. Anyway, she wanted all traces of her existence to eventually fade so that we could be happy with new key holders. So she chose a place that would disappear and take her last mark on the world with it.”
Loke shook himself, more like a dog than a cat. “I’m going to join Aries.” He leveled a harsh look at the pair. “Don’t be getting too frisky without adult supervision.” Before Lucy could swat him for the remark, he was already out of range and trotting up to his old friend.
Lucy shook her head in exasperation, while Hibiki chuckled at the Spirit’s antics. Turning to him, Lucy asked, “Don’t you want to say goodbye, too?”
Hibiki smiled at her. “I came here earlier to give Karen my farewells.”
“I see.”
“You know, sometimes goodbyes are necessary. Without them, hellos wouldn’t be nearly as sweet.” He shot her a brilliant smile.
Reaching out with her hand, she threaded her fingers through his. “Yeah. You’re completely right.”
When Aries and Loke returned, Loke asked if he could remain for a private conversation with Karen.
Lucy readily agreed, and Hibiki suggested she accompany him for late night ice cream.
The Celestial Mage would forever hold that the irresistible call of sweets was what prompted her to accept the invitation.
Loke waited while the others departed – Lucy and Hibiki on foot talking animatedly about advanced spell schematics (only those two would find that in the least bit interesting), and Aries in a hazy glimmer of golden light and a soft, knowing smile. Returning that smile as she vanished, Loke listened as the two debating mages passed out of earshot. He suppressed a chuckle and shook his head. Really, Hibiki and Lucy were almost matched for sheer brain power. As far as men go, Hibiki wasn’t bad. Still a cub in comparison to Leo the Lion, but not everyone could be an almost immortal spirit with devastating good looks.
As much as it pained him to admit it, the two brainiacs made a handsome, well-matched pair not only in their physical appearances but also in their personalities and intelligence. Lucy would never put up with Hibiki’s bullshit and was mostly immune to the constant flirting thrown in her direction, and Hibiki could compete with her for sheer vanity so her ego would never be in danger of turning to arrogance. In Lucy, Hibiki had finally found a woman capable of challenging both his mind and his heart. In Hibiki, Lucy had finally found someone she could compete with intellectually and force her to be all that she was capable of. The age difference between the pair wasn’t too great a hurdle, and Loke knew better than anyone how little one’s years mattered besides.
Finally alone, he turned towards where Karen’s grave had once perched. Shimmering shadows danced along the cliff edge, reflections of water distorted by moonlight. Probably. Loke couldn’t help but feel like they sparkled just a little more than the waterfall spray and beams of silver could account for.
He smiled at a particularly glimmery spot. “Karen. It’s time for you to say goodbye, as well, I think. The three of us are in good hands with Lucy.” Loke contemplated the wavering light for another few seconds. “And so we’ve finally come to this. It’s high time I said it. So…” He trailed off for a moment, before raising a hand in farewell. “Goodbye, Karen.”
Then he, too, closed his gate and returned to his home. A pink-haired, shy Spirit awaiting his return.
The light wobbled upon his departure, and the lingering glow faded as well.
Nothing remained upon the steep ledge but scattered moonlight, effervescent water, and shifting shadows.
