"Anyway, Rolotia... can I ask you something?"
Lucy's voice had lost its usual playfulness. Her expression was uncharacteristically grim, her eyes searching Rolotia's face for an answer to a question she was almost afraid to voice.
Rolotia tilted her head curiously. "Yes? What is it, Lucy?"
"If—just if—I saved my friends before the tragedies happened... would that be okay?"
The Goddess blinked. "What do you mean?"
"You know... Erza, Gray..." Lucy's voice trembled as the memories of her past life surged back—the horrors of the Tower of Heaven, the frozen tragedy of Deliora. "They suffered so much. If I have this chance, can't I help them earlier this time? I don't want to watch them suffer all over again."
A tear escaped, tracking a lonely path down her cheek.
"Certainly, you can," Rolotia replied softly. Then, her tone shifted to one of cold logic. "But Lucy, you must realize... it was those bitter experiences that made them strong in the future, wasn't it?"
"I know that! But..." Lucy gripped her skirt tightly. "I can't just ignore them. Not when I know exactly what's going to happen. I know interfering will change their lives forever, but finally... finally I have the power to do something, and you're saying I should just stand by?"
Her voice rose to a desperate shout. "I REFUSE TO BE LIKE THAT!"
The silence that followed was heavy. Rolotia watched her for a long moment before a small, cryptic smile touched her lips.
"Lucy. You truly are a kind person." Rolotia stepped closer. "And I think you've misunderstood. I never said you couldn't change fate. I only said there would be consequences for stirring the pot."
"Consequences?" Lucy echoed.
"How about this?" Rolotia's eyes flashed with a sudden, mischievous glint. "I will give you a task. If you succeed, you can do whatever you want with this timeline. You can save everyone."
Lucy leaned in. "And if I fail?"
"If you fail," Rolotia's voice dropped an octave, a dark, almost predatory smirk crossing her face, "you must never reveal your true power until you turn seventeen. You will be forced to live exactly as you did in your first life. And... I will revoke your blessing."
Lucy felt a chill run down her spine. For a second, the beautiful goddess looked like a true demon.
"Of course, you can refuse," Rolotia added airily. "In which case, you keep your blessing, but you are still forbidden from using your power until you're seventeen. So? Do you dare take the gamble?"
Lucy gulped, a sweat drop rolling down her temple. "Um... is the task going to be difficult?"
"Well, what do you think? Ufufu~"
Scary!! Lucy screamed internally. That angelic face is hiding a total monster!
She took a deep breath, steeling her resolve. She thought of her guild. She thought of the mark she used to wear on her hand.
"Fine. Whatever. I'm a Fairy Tail Wizard... we don't run from challenges! I accept your task!"
Rolotia chuckled. "You aren't a Fairy Tail wizard yet in this life, Lucy."
"C'mon, don't mind the small details!"
"Very well. I like your spirit." Rolotia's expression turned serious again. "Your task is this: Change the fate of Ultear Milkovich."
Lucy stiffened. "Ultear? You mean the one from Crime Sorcière? The former Grimoire Heart member?"
"The very same."
"Why her specifically?"
"Hmm... no reason."
Lucy gave her a flat, deadpan stare. "You really think I'm going to believe that?"
"Now, now, Lucy. Even if I don't give you a reason, you were going to try and save her anyway, weren't you?"
Lucy sighed, her shoulders relaxing. "Well... I suppose so. If it's to make her life better, I'm in. But how? Where do I even start?"
"In the year X774," Rolotia began, her voice taking on a narrative weight. "Ultear's mother will take her to the Bureau of Magical Development. The girl has too much magic power stored in her body; it's causing a deadly fever. Her mother thinks she is taking her to a clinic for a cure."
Rolotia's eyes darkened. "But the Bureau won't treat her. They will abduct her for experimentation. When her mother returns, they will lie and say the child died. A mother's heart will be broken, and a daughter will be left to rot in a lab, thinking she was abandoned."
The air in the room seemed to turn cold as Lucy's magic power flared instinctively.
"What the hell...?" Lucy whispered, her face pale with rage. "How can they be so cruel? She's just a kid!"
"That is why I want you to change it, Lucy. Save her before she is broken beyond repair."
"You don't even need to make this a task," Lucy growled, her eyes burning with determination. "I would have saved her regardless. Besides, if I save her now, that's one less monster for Grimoire Heart later. It's a win-win."
"Don't forget to use your Advanced Transformation Magic," Rolotia reminded her. "A seven-year-old girl wandering the streets alone in X774 would draw too much attention."
Lucy nodded. "I know. Honestly, I'm just glad you taught me that magic. It completely nullified the Dragonization side effects. I can eat, sleep, and age like a normal person... that's more than enough for me."
"Lucy..."
Moved by the girl's selflessness, Rolotia didn't say another word. She simply stepped forward and pulled Lucy into a tight, protective hug.