The air in the refugee camp shifted from heavy tension to a strange, lingering uncertainty. Lucy looked at the young woman beside her, her gaze soft and encouraging.
"Go back with my mother...?" Ultear repeated the words as if they belonged to a dream she was afraid to wake up from.
"Yeah," Lucy replied with a small smile. "After everything we went through to clear up the lies between you two, I think you've earned the right to be happy. You should be with your family."
Ultear's brow furrowed, her eyes darting to Lucy. "Then... what about you, Master?"
"Don't worry about me," Lucy waved a hand dismissively. "I'll explain everything to my parents—that you finally reunited with your real mother. I'm sure they'll understand. They only want what's best for you, too."
Before Ultear could respond, Ur stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she looked Lucy up and down. "I know it's rude to ask after you just saved us, but... are you some kind of noble working an underage girl to the bone?"
Lucy blinked, her brain momentarily stalling. "What? No! Absolutely not! I'm not that kind of person!"
"Really?" Ur crossed her arms, looking skeptical. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like a fifteen-year-old lady is keeping a ten-year-old girl as a maid. No matter how I look at it, the optics are... suspicious."
"Uh... well... it's a long story..." Lucy stammered, rubbing the back of her head.
Ultear sighed, glancing at Lucy. "Master, I think you should just show them. My mother isn't going to let this go until she's convinced you aren't a kidnapper."
Lucy groaned softly. "What? But... fine. Just... please, all of you, keep this a secret. It would be a huge headache if word got out. Is that understood, Miss...?"
"Just Ur is fine," the woman replied, still watching Lucy intently.
"My name's Gray. Nice to meet you, I guess," Gray added, looking away with a faint blush and a huff.
So Gray really was a total tsundere from the very beginning, Lucy thought, a sweatdrop forming behind her head.
"I am Lyon Vastia," the other boy said with a polite, if slightly arrogant, bow. "You can call me Lyon."
"Right. Ur, Gray, Lyon... please don't freak out."
The Reveal
Lucy took a deep breath and released the steady flow of mana maintaining her Transformation Magic. In a shimmer of golden light, her tall, teenage figure began to shrink. Her limbs became smaller, her face rounded out with childhood innocence, and her long hair adjusted to her true proportions.
Standing there now was a seven-year-old girl with bright, sparkling eyes.
"Hello~!" Lucy chirped, giving a small wave.
Gray and Lyon stood frozen, their jaws practically hitting the dirt. The silence lasted for three full seconds before they both exploded.
"EHHHHHHHHH?! YOU'RE JUST A KID?!"
"Hey! That's rude!" Lucy snapped, crossing her small arms. "You two are kids, too!"
"What did you say!?" Gray shouted, pointing a finger at her.
Plow!
"Enough, Gray!" Ur's fist came down on his head again. "Child or not, that doesn't change the fact that she's the one who saved you from your own idiocy!"
"Ouch... okay, okay..." Gray muttered, rubbing his new bruise.
Ur let out a long, weary sigh, a look of total surrender on her face. "Well... I felt the trajectory of the magic earlier, so I knew it was a transformation, but... I never expected a seven-year-old. Ha... haha..." She shook her head. "Still, your strength is undeniable. You're incredible for your age."
"Is she... stronger than Master?" Lyon asked, his voice hushed with awe.
Ur looked at her student. "What do you think, Lyon? I've told you before, haven't I? There is a vast world out there with people far stronger than me. You're looking at one of them."
She stepped closer to the boys, her expression turning serious as she delivered a lesson. "Ice-Make is a magic of freedom. If you restrict yourself—if you think you've reached the peak or if you let your heart be caged—your magic will never grow. Look at her. To be that strong at that age, she must be truly free."
"Master..." Lyon whispered, looking at Lucy with newfound respect.
The Bond of Loyalty
"Anyway, Mom," Ultear interrupted, stepping closer to Lucy. "Master saved me from the Bureau of Magical Development seven months ago. I became her maid of my own free will. It wasn't forced."
"Ultear..." Lucy murmured.
Lucy looked at the girl she had rescued. Originally, she had suggested the "maid" role simply to avoid suspicion back at the Heartfilia mansion. She hadn't expected Ultear to take it so seriously—or to start idolizing her.
I really might have changed her character a bit too much, Lucy thought, watching Ultear's determined face. But hey, at least she didn't fall into darkness and spend her life trying to reset time. I'd call that a win.
Ur looked between them, finally letting out a soft, genuine smile. "I see. It seems I owe you more than just my life, then. I owe you for my daughter's heart." She paused, realizing something. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name again?"
"Lucy," the young girl replied with a bright, confident grin. "Just call me Lucy!"