Brandish engulfs me in a hug as a sense of relief washes over me. I awkwardly accept her hug, exchanging a nervous glance with Natsu. "Brandy, I've missed you so much..." I say, being happy that Lily was gone.
"We should take you to the others," Dimaria says in a serious tone. I sigh heavily as Natsu takes my hand, shooting me a reassuring smile. I nod, being led to the wizard saint building.
The others stand at the door, having bright smiles on their faces. "Lucy, you're okay!" Irene calls before engulfing me in a hug. "We were so worried about you!" I force a smile as I stare at the group.
"If it wasn't for a girl named Lily, I would still be trapped," I say with a fake smile, watching as Wendy, Carla, and Lily head in our direction. Lily glances around, narrowing her eyes at the white haired female. "Thank you, Lily," the white haired female says.
"Diamond, it's been so long!" Lily says happily, tackling the white haired female to the ground. Diamond groans, crossing her arms in annoyance. I chuckle to myself, wondering how they know each other. Everyone bursts into lighthearted laughter, seeming to forget about what just happened.
"This is serious," Acnologia says sternly, narrowing his eyes at me. "Lucy, you were gone for weeks and then suddenly pop out of nowhere." I nervously exchange a look with Lily, furrowing my eyebrows in concentration.
"I-I'm so sorry..." Lily says as tears stream down her cheeks. "I-I saw it happen and..." Her voice cracks. "I-I could've done more and h-helped sooner..." Wendy puts an arm around Lily, shooting her a reassuring smile.
"Lucy, it's great that you're back, but we must get back to business," August says sharply. I exchange a look with Lily before she leaves with Wendy and Carla. I sigh heavily as a serious expression appears on my face.
"How's the training going?" I ask, wondering about how much the mages improved. Could they possibly be stronger than Yuni, Luke, and Lily? Acnologia frowns, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration. "It's going well," Jura says with a grin.
"All of the mages have grown so much," Irene says happily, exchanging a look with Erza. I furrow my eyebrows, hoping that it would be enough against my mom and her powerful army.
"Lucy, are you alright?" Brandish asks in concern. "You look extremely worried." I heave a sigh, clenching my fists as I stare at the ground. I scrunch my brows, knowing that I had to expose my mom's plans.
"We will be facing opponents like none other," I say bitterly, feeling their curious gazes. "We will be going against gods and an intense army, so we will need to be ready." August narrows his eyes at me, having an impressed look on his face.
"I see..." August says, furrowing his eyebrows. "The mages are improving, but they have yet to unlock their full potential." I heave a sigh as a serious look appears on my face.
"It's about time we go and train them," Gildarts says with a relaxed smile. "After all, we need to prepare them for what's coming." I shoot him an appreciative nod, exchanging a long look with Acnologia. He sighs heavily, being the first to leave.
"Lucy, I'm so glad you're back," Diamond says cheerfully as her white hair almost glows as she walks. I head to the training area, feeling a sudden sense of relief form deep within me. Perhaps, it's a good thing I'm back. Now, I can think of a plan to defeat my mom.