Morning came to Fairy Tail with the sound of breaking furniture.
Erza woke on a narrow bed in one of the guild’s spare rooms and reached for a weapon that wasn’t there.
Her hand closed around the blanket instead.
Below her, someone shouted about cheating.
A table struck the floor.
Several people laughed.
She stared at the ceiling until she remembered where she was.
The tower was gone.
Not destroyed.
Not defeated.
It was simply far away, beyond roads and forests and miles of open water.
Jellal was still there, and so were Simon, Sho, Wally, and Millianna.
Erza sat up.
A dull ache pulsed behind the bandages covering the right side of her face.
It had followed her from the punishment chamber to the beach, from the beach to Saltwick, and from Saltwick to Magnolia.
Most of the time she could ignore it.
This morning, it felt sharper.
Someone knocked.
Erza pulled the blanket higher.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Al.”
Zestial’s voice followed from the hall.
“And me.”
A third voice chirped, “Breakfast escort.
Very prestigious assignment.”
Erza only heard a questioning meow.
“Come in.”
Alastor entered first, carrying a bowl of porridge and a piece of bread.
Zestial followed him.
Scout walked between them with a small pack strapped across his back and his guild-marked gauntlet secured over one paw.
The Palico paused inside the doorway and sniffed.
“She smells sick,” he said.
Zestial’s expression tightened.
“Scout says you don’t smell well.”
“I’m fine.”
Scout’s ears flattened.
“He says that’s a poor lie,” Alastor translated.
Erza looked at the Palico.
Scout placed his paws on his hips.
“Tell her I didn’t say poor.”
Alastor glanced down at him.
“You did.”
“I said terrible.”
“You’re not helping.”
Erza almost smiled, but the movement pulled at the injured side of her face.
Zestial noticed.
“Your eye’s worse,” he said.
“It only hurts a little.”
“You were shaking in your sleep,” Alastor said.
Her gaze shifted toward him.
“How do you know?”
“Our room’s next to yours.
You called Jellal’s name.”
Erza lowered her face.
Scout climbed onto the end of the bed.
The mattress dipped beneath his small weight.
Unlike his first appearance in the tower, there was no pale shimmer around his body and no distortion along the edges of his fur.
He looked solid now.
Alive.
He studied her bandages without touching them.
“Heat beneath the cloth,” he said.
“Swelling too.
She needs a healer.”
“She needs Porlyusica,” Makarov said from the doorway.
Everyone turned.
The guild master stood with his arms folded.
He wasn’t smiling.
“I was going to let you eat first,” he continued, “but that can wait.
We’re leaving.”
Erza straightened.
“I don’t need—”
“That wasn’t a request.”
Scout looked up at Alastor.
“Small elder.
Large authority.”
“He’s the master,” Alastor whispered.
“Same thing.”
Makarov’s eyes moved toward the Palico.
Scout’s blue-white guild mark gave off a faint pulse beneath the edge of his gauntlet.
“Is he coming?” Makarov asked.
“He wants to,” Zestial replied.
Scout nodded firmly.
“Then bring him.
Porlyusica will complain whether there are three visitors or thirty.”
“What about us?” Alastor asked.
“You’re coming too.
She’ll want to examine all three of you after what you survived.”
“I’m not sick.”
Makarov turned away.
“Tell her that.
I could use the entertainment.”
The path into the eastern forest narrowed until the trees crowded around them.
Erza walked beside Makarov.
Alastor and Zestial followed, with Scout moving quietly between them.
Whenever Erza’s balance shifted, Makarov slowed without mentioning it.
She noticed anyway.
“How far is it?” she asked.
“Not much farther.”
“You said that before.”
“You’ve only asked twice.”
“That still means one of your answers was wrong.”
Makarov glanced up at her.
“You’re already arguing like a guild wizard.
That’s encouraging.”
Behind them, Scout’s ears turned toward the trees.
“This forest is too quiet,” he said.
Zestial listened.
“I hear birds.”
“I hear birds pretending nothing’s hunting them.”
Alastor scanned the undergrowth.
“Is something hunting us?”
“Purr-haps.”
Makarov looked back at the meowing Palico.
“What did he say?”
“He thinks something may be following us,” Zestial replied.
“It’s Porlyusica’s territory.
Most creatures here know better than to approach her home.”
Scout blinked.
“The healer frightens the wildlife?”
Even without understanding, Makarov continued.
“You’ll understand soon,” Makarov said.
A wooden house appeared between the trees.
It stood beneath the broad canopy of an ancient tree, surrounded by herbs, hanging bundles of roots, and carefully marked garden beds.
Makarov climbed the steps and knocked.
The door opened almost immediately.
A woman with long pink hair stood on the other side, holding a broom like a weapon.
Her red eyes narrowed when she saw Makarov.
“No.”
“Good morning, Porlyusica.”
“No.”
“You haven’t heard why we’re here.”
“You’ve brought four people to my home before midday.
Whatever the reason is, I don’t like it.”
Scout peered around Zestial’s leg.
Porlyusica’s gaze dropped to him.
“Greetings.”
She heard a short meow.
“What is that?”
Scout’s paw lowered.
“I’m a Palico,” he said.
“She asked what you are,” Alastor translated.
“I noticed.”
“He’s called Scout,” Makarov explained.
“He’s a contracted summon of the child in front of you.”
“I see.”
Scout glanced at Zestial.
“I like her.”
“No, you don’t,” Zestial said.
“You’re right.
I respect her.”
“The girl stays.
Everyone else, outside.”
Alastor frowned.
“We’re not leaving her alone.”
“You’re leaving my treatment room, or none of you are coming through that door.”
Erza touched Alastor’s sleeve.
“It’s all right.
I’ll call if I need you.”
Zestial looked at Porlyusica.
“You’ll tell her what you’re doing before you touch her?”
“I’m a healer, boy, not one of her jailers.”
Zestial held her gaze before nodding.
“Then we’ll wait outside.”
“Quietly,” Porlyusica added.
Scout gave an offended meow.
“Especially the cat.”
The inside of Porlyusica’s home smelled of herbs, alcohol, and wood smoke.
Bundles of plants hung from the rafters.
Bottles covered the shelves, each containing liquids, powders, dried leaves, or things Erza couldn’t identify.
A narrow treatment bed stood beside a table laid out with metal instruments.
Erza stopped when she saw them.
Porlyusica noticed.
“If I wanted to hurt you, you wouldn’t have made it through the door.”
“Sit down.”
Erza obeyed.
Porlyusica washed her hands, then reached for the bandages.
“I need to remove these.”
Erza caught her wrist.
The movement was instinctive.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Porlyusica didn’t pull away.
“I won’t touch you without warning.
But I can’t treat an injury I’m not allowed to see.”
Erza released her.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for defending yourself.
Just learn when you don’t need to.”
Porlyusica loosened the bandages slowly, telling Erza what she was doing before every touch.
The cloth pulled free in layers.
Porlyusica examined the damaged socket and the scars around it.
Her expression remained controlled, though anger hardened her voice.
“How long ago?”
Erza answered quietly.
“I don’t know.”
“Days?
Weeks?”
“We were underground.
We couldn’t count them.”
“What caused it?”
“A man with an iron rod.”
She took a deep look at Erza.
“The wound’s infected, but it hasn’t spread far.
You’re fortunate.”
“I don’t feel fortunate.”
“No.
I don’t imagine you do.”
Porlyusica cleaned the wound.
Even with numbing medicine, pain drove Erza’s fingers into the edge of the treatment bed.
“You can shout,” she said.
“I won’t.”
Erza’s grip tightened as Porlyusica applied another medicine.
After several minutes, Porlyusica stepped back.
“The infection can be treated.
The eye can’t.”
Erza looked toward the floor.
“I know.”
“I can make an artificial one.”
Her head rose.
“A glass eye?”
“Not glass.
It’ll be enchanted and connected to the damaged nerves.
If your body accepts it, you’ll regain sight on that side.”
“I can’t replace what was taken from you.
I can give you something that performs the same function.”
“Will it hurt?” Erza asked.
“Yes.”
Erza frowned.
“You could’ve softened that.”
“You asked for the truth.”
Erza looked toward the covered window.
“Do it.”
Porlyusica crossed her arms.
“You decided quickly.”
“If I can see from both sides, I’ll be harder to surprise.”
“That’s a reason.
It isn’t the only reason.”
“It’s enough.”
“No, it isn’t.”
Erza’s voice sharpened.
“Why does it matter?”
“Because magic responds to the mind as much as the body.
If you accept the eye as nothing but a weapon, that’s all it may ever become.
If you reject it because it isn’t the one you were born with, the enchantment could fail entirely.”
Erza touched the scarred skin beneath her brow.
“I want to see.”
“That’s better.”
“How long will it take?”
“To prepare it?
Several hours.
For your body to adapt?
I don’t know.”
“Then start.”
Scout sat beside Makarov on the porch, eating dried fish from his pack.
Scout stood after finishing his food.
Looking over the clothes the siblings were wearing was making him hesitant to speak
Scout slowly sat down again.
“Your hunters need better armor.
Also, your healers are impressive.”
Makarov looked between them.
“What did he say?”
“He’s impressed by Porlyusica,” Zestial replied.
“Don’t tell her.
She’ll throw something at him.”
Scout brought out another piece of fish.
“The old healer was examining my guild mark through the wall.”
Makarov raised an eyebrow as the Palico meowed.
“Scout says Porlyusica’s studying the anchor from inside,” Alastor said.
“She probably is.
She can sense enchantments from farther away than most wizards.”
Scout held up his gauntlet.
“It’s stable.
I’ve drawn enough ambient power to replace what the crossing cost.”
“Three.”
“You’re holding the fourth.”
“That makes it current, not completed.”
Makarov chuckled.
“He sounds argumentative.”
“He is,” Alastor said.
“I’m precise.”
Hours passed.
Makarov examined the boys’ remaining injuries while they waited.
He asked few questions about the tower, and neither boy volunteered more than necessary.
When the door finally opened, Porlyusica looked exhausted.
“It’s done.”
All four rose.
“Did it work?” Alastor asked.
“She hasn’t opened it yet.”
They followed Porlyusica inside.
Erza sat upright on the treatment bed.
Fresh bandages covered her right eye.
Her face was pale, but her back was straight.
Scout jumped onto a stool.
“You look terrible,” he said.
Erza heard a concerned meow.
“He says he’s glad you’re all right,” Zestial translated.
Scout turned toward him.
“That’s not what I said.”
“She doesn’t need your version.”
“My version was honest.”
Porlyusica moved in front of Erza.
“I’m going to remove the bandage.
Keep both eyes closed until I tell you otherwise.”
Erza nodded.
The bandages came away.
Beneath them rested an artificial right eye, brown like the left but slightly brighter beneath the room’s lamplight.
“You can open them,” Porlyusica said.
Erza opened her left eye first.
Then her right.
The room tilted.
She caught the edge of the bed.
“Don’t move,” Porlyusica ordered.
“Your brain’s trying to understand two images again.”
Erza blinked several times.
The blur slowly settled.
The room widened.
Details appeared on a side that had been darkness for so long that she’d stopped expecting anything to be there.
She turned toward Zestial.
“I can see you.”
He smiled.
“You could see me before.”
“Not when you stood there.”
Alastor moved to her other side and held up two fingers.
“How many?”
“Two.”
Scout raised both paws.
“And me?”
Erza heard a bright series of meows.
She looked directly at him without turning her head.
“There you are.”
Scout’s ears lifted.
Makarov smiled.
“It seems to be working.”
“Seems isn’t certainty,” Porlyusica said.
“The enchantment could still destabilize.
She needs rest, medicine, and no fighting.”
“I’m not planning to fight,” Erza said.
Porlyusica gave Makarov a flat look.
“She joined Fairy Tail yesterday,” Makarov said.
“Planning has very little to do with it.”
Porlyusica placed a small mirror in Erza’s hands.
Erza looked at her reflection.
For the first time since the tower, two eyes looked back at her.
One was hers.
The other was beautifully made, almost indistinguishable from the first.
It moved when she focused and narrowed when she looked toward the light.
Tears gathered in her left eye.
Nothing came from the right.
Erza touched her cheek as a single tear ran down it.
Porlyusica watched her reflection.
“The artificial eye may never produce tears.”
“That’s all right.”
“It might improve as the magic settles.”
“It doesn’t have to.”
Alastor sat beside her.
“Why not?”
Erza kept looking into the mirror.
“Because I’ve already cried enough.”
Zestial shook his head.
“That doesn’t mean you can’t cry again.”
“I don’t want to.”
“You didn’t want us to see you hurt either,” he said.
“You were still hurt.”
Erza lowered the mirror.
Scout spoke softly.
“Tears aren’t surrender.
Sometimes they’re how the body carries pain away.”
Erza heard only a low, gentle trill.
“What did he say?”
Zestial translated without changing the words.
Erza looked at Scout.
The Palico rested one paw against the edge of the bed.
“I only have tears from one eye now,” she said.
Alastor smiled faintly.
“Then we’ll know you mean them.”
“That’s a strange thing to say.”
“I’m trying.”
“You’re bad at it.”
“I know.”
Makarov moved closer.
“Are you ready to go home?”
Erza glanced at him.
“You mean the guild?”
“For now.”
“And after that?”
“That depends on you.”
“What if I want to bring the others back?”
“Then we’ll find a way that doesn’t get you or them killed.”
“What if there isn’t one?”
“Then we’ll make one.”
Porlyusica folded her arms.
“After she recovers.”
Makarov nodded.
“After she recovers.”
Erza looked at Alastor and Zestial.
“Will you help me?”
Alastor answered first.
“You don’t need to ask.”
Zestial nodded.
“We’re going back for them.”
Scout tapped his guild-marked gauntlet.
“Next time, we prepare properly.”
Erza heard his determined meow and looked toward Zestial.
“What did Scout say?”
Zestial smiled.
“He said next time, none of us are getting left behind.”
Erza faced them with one dry eye and one still wet.
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”