The Day She Vanished

Leaves

Dear Lulu

Just in case you were wondering, the bird that delivered this letter to you is an enchanted hologram, specified to find you so only this bird knows where you are.
Seems like you were already wrong, Wendy and Carla noticed you gone yesterday morning. Makarov told her he assigned you a special mission specialized for Celestial Wizards that may or may not take a while. I caught up to her and we made a little bit to see how long it would take for others to find that you're truly gone. She's wagering three days, I'm betting one, I know I'm going to win because I have faith in my Guildmates!
Please write back on the scrap sheet of paper I sent with the bird, I'm pretty sure I snuck in a pen somewhere in your bag... Also, I call this little bird Pin.

-Levy

I grab my bag that was underneath my hammock and rummage around for the pen she snuck in. It was a blue pencil with a pink wing on the eraser, it was a cute mechanical pencil that had an endless amount of led. I wrote her a quick reply, mostly consisting of my travels and the stream, leaving out the part where I almost died while being summoned to the Dragon realm and instead just mentioned that I found the road again and am resting in the next town over. I keep Levy's letter, tucking it into my backpack along with the pencil before giving Pin the letter to give to Levy.

I look to my other side to see Varinosa, the nature dragon I chose for my mentor. Not only did I choose her for the opportunity to learn how to control nature itself, but she's also a gentle soul who's very patient. I jump off my hammock and meet her in the center of the clearing where the tip of her vine-covered claw met my forehead.

A flower bloomed from the vine and rested on my nose as her claw pulled back "What was that? I haven't seen that magic." she laid down and flowers blossomed in a bed beneath her.

I marveled on how the plants seemed so willing to fit her every need "She's a friend from my magical Guild," I hold up my hand to show her my Guild mark "She loves reading like I do and she seems fixed on writing to me every day while I'm gone." I scratch my head unconsciously.

She let out a sound of approval "I admire humans who value unity. Now for your first day, I have a gift to help you get started with Nature magic." She opens her palm upwards and the vines around her pinky claw unwind themselves and shrink only to rewind themselves "For your wrist, they adjust to any nature magic user." She inches her claw towards me.

I gingerly pick up the vine-made wristband "but I don't know anything about nature magic yet..." As if to contradict what I just said, the vines wrapped themselves comfortably around my wrist and sprouted small leaves.

Varinosa lifted her head in satisfaction "You are no ordinary human, Lucy, because of who you really are, you have the seed of every ancient magic in your veins just waiting to blossom. Your brother Laman has mastered Water Dragon Slayer magic and is moving onto Wind. You can master as many elemental magic as you want because it is in your blood. This bracelet will help boost how fast you learn this certain branch of magic."

I shook my head as I looked up at her "Have you ever noticed how much you incorporate nature into how you speak?" I ask.

She stops and looks down at me with a twinkle in her eyes, "You have no idea how many dragons have asked that..." She pauses before changing the subject "Now, I want you to eat five of those leaves and then walk over to the cherry tree and try to blossom the buds." She gestures a claw to the brown, unblocked tree.

I pluck off five leaves and eat them, making sure to chew them in between my teeth before asking, "How am I supposed to bloom them?" After all, I know nothing of this magic.

She rested her claws on the earth and flowers blossomed beneath them "Experiment, you need to figure out your own style, if you do that, learning basic Dragon Slayer moves will come naturally. If I taught the moves first, you would have more difficulty learning how to control the nature around you."

"And these leaves, I'm assuming they infuse me with your nature magic?" I inquire.

She nods "indeed, and it will live in you forever." I look at her one last time before walking over to the cherry blossom tree and examining it.

Many buds lay waiting to bloom on each branch and it was my job to bloom them so I'm going to do it. I reach out and gingerly touch a small branch with the buds, my fingers tingling as they met the smooth wood. The vine around my wrist seemed to react to the touch, the leaves grow more aware.

I step back to think. If the leaves from the bracelet give me power, can they give their fellow plants power? I pluck off a single leaf and step back a few yards before holding the leaf to my lips and blowing it in the direction of the tree, willing it with my mind to blossom the buds on the tree.

As soon as the leaf made contact with the desired branch, the leaf dissolved and the buds on that singular branch blossomed. Something on my mind, my veins connected with the tree in that moment and I reached my hand out, gently coaxing each of the buds, one branch at a time, to blossom to their full potential. It was so beautiful, watching the tree blossom and the sound of Varinosas' gentle laugh filled the air.

She extended her wing to the tree and reversed my magic, bringing the tree back to its budding stage "Good job using those leaves, you felt that connection because you experimented. Reach for that connection again and again until you can feel it naturally." I sighed and tried again, reaching for the connection once more.