《Truth To Be Told》 The Beast Inside Eleven years old Kaelys was sitting on a cold bench, stiff. Through the locked door of the doctor¡¯s office before her, she could hear snippets of the ongoing conversation between her mother and Miss Kelly. Miss Kelly was a really nice woman in her mid-thirties, with a loving husband and two boys slightly younger than herself. For the past five years, the Doctor had been her best friend and confidant. She asked questions, Kaelys answered honestly, and the woman wrote down her notes before smiling and asking new questions. It was nice, for the young girl. No one talked to her that way, looking at her straight in the eyes and actually listening. However, in the last few sessions, Miss Kelly had seemed bothered by something Kaelys said and had asked for a few tests to be made. The black-haired girl didn¡¯t really remember everything¡ªjust that they took pictures of her brain or something of the sort, and she was growing rather worried about what exactly was going on. Miss Kelly had merely sent her a gentle smile, kind of twitching, before demanding to speak to her mother. Alone. ¡®Stop worrying so much. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing¡¯ ¡®Plus, you¡¯re giving me a headache¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m giving you a headache?¡± muttered incredulously Kaelys. The girl didn¡¯t really understand what she said wrong. If there was one thing to know about her, it was that she always told the truth, no matter the circumstances. She never truly understood the necessity of lies and secrets, so she never resorted to those means. But she wasn¡¯t too worried. After all, Miss Kelly was her best friend. She¡¯d help her with whatever she found, the child had no doubt about it. ¡®You shouldn¡¯t trust that woman so much¡¯ Before she could answer, the door finally opened. She jumped on her feet as her mother came out, but her smile instantly dropped. The beautiful blue eyes of her mother, usually sparkling with laughter, were red and puffy as if she had cried a lot. ¡°¡­ Mom?¡± ¡°Come on, Kaelys. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Frowning a little, the child glanced at Miss Kelly, who was still in her office arranging some papers, apparently determined not to look her way. ¡°Well, that¡¯s weird,¡± mumbled the little girl. ¡®I must agree¡¯ ¡®Now you¡¯re seeing it!?¡¯ ¡°Kaelys!¡± ¡°R- right!¡± The black-haired child ran to catch up with her mother, whose gaze was slightly hollow and glinting with some unshed tears. Kaelys wasn¡¯t stupid. Whatever Miss Kelly and her mother found out, it was bad. ¡°I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this,¡± she sighed quietly. ¡®Same¡¯ ¡®Ditto¡¯
The rest of the day passed like a blur. Her mother became all cheery when they reached the house. She made spaghetti for supper, along with a chocolate cake, before both of them settled on the couch and watched movies until very late in the night. Kaelys knew her mother¡¯s smile was faked but didn¡¯t call her out on it. When she woke up, though, it was only to find her mother closing the pink suitcase that the child normally used for big trips. Her mother brushed off all her questions, simply saying that they were going to see another Doctor, even though she wouldn¡¯t say why. ¡®Not suspicious at all, uh?¡¯ ¡°Mom,¡± Kaelys tried once more, her voice rather quiet as her mother drove them to God-knows-where. ¡°Am¡­ am I going to die?¡± That seemed to snap the woman out of her daze, and the blonde¡¯s tightly held lips broke in an apologizing smile. ¡°O- of course not, sweetheart,¡± she then assured. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you like that. But no, you¡¯re not going to die. It¡¯s just¡­ you¡¯re sick. Very much so. However, you¡¯re going to get better. It might take a while, but I promise you will.¡± ¡°What could I have been diagnosed with that mom is afraid of telling?¡± wondered the child, pursuing her lips. ¡®You¡¯re crazy, that¡¯s what¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t say that!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not crazy!¡± protested rather vehemently Kaelys. Her mother shot her a look at her exclamation, but said nothing more and kept on driving, eyes stubbornly locked on the road ahead.
The place they stopped at was¡­ odd, to say the least. It looked like an awful mix between a hospital and a prison. It was big, with a black fence three times her size surrounding it. As they stepped inside, the smell of antiseptics became so strong it made her dizzy. ¡°Wherever we are, I don¡¯t like it,¡± stated quietly the young girl. ¡®¡­ same¡¯ ¡®Agreed¡¯ They were escorted to an office by a woman that reminded Kaelys of a nurse, before being invited inside by a man in his twenties, with brown hair and deep blue eyes. He offered them a gentle smile. ¡°Ah, Miss Cloves,¡± he greeted, shaking her mother¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m Doctor Shawn. I¡¯ve been the one assigned to Kaelys. Oh, and you must be said Kaelys, right?¡± She simply stared back at him, rather intimidated. ¡°He¡¯s weird,¡± she muttered under her breath. ¡®Creepy, yeah¡¯ ¡®Really? He seems awfully nice, though¡­¡¯ ¡®The best smiles always hide the worst secrets¡¯ The two adults started talking, but the black-haired child wasn¡¯t paying attention anymore, her eyes wandering across the room. After a few seconds, her gaze fell upon the nameplate on the desk. Shawn Cruz Certified Doctor of theHanwell Asylum Her heart quickened its pace as the words danced before her eyes. ¡°Asylum¡­?¡± Her throat tightened. ¡°Asylum¡­!?¡± ¡®¡­ what?¡¯ ¡®Run, damn it! Get out of here!¡¯ Unable to think straight anymore, Kaelys didn¡¯t even spare a glance to her mother and ran outside, slamming the door on her way out. Cries echoed behind her but she ignored them, focused on a single thought. ¡°Gotta get out of here,¡± she gritted her teeth. ¡®Turn right!¡¯ She did as told, dashing through what seemed to be a cafeteria, which was full of people. A few nurses tried to snatch her but the girl easily avoided their clutches as she ran faster toward the door, which was leading outside. However, as she placed her hand on the handle, a security guard grabbed her from behind and lifted her from the floor, pinning her arms to her body. She started screaming and kicking as she was forcefully dragged away from her only chance of escape. Then, through her struggle, she faintly noticed pain flaring in her neck. ¡°No!¡± Her voice died down, her vision blurred, and darkness took over.
When Kaelys woke up, she found herself in an unfamiliar room. Lying on a cold bed, she could make out the shapes of two chairs and a table next to her, a closed window and a smaller room, which she soon realized was a bathroom. ¡®About damn time you woke up¡¯ ¡°What happened?¡± Her throat felt sore and her tongue was numb. ¡°Wait¡­ I¡¯m¡­ the asylum! Mom- mom left me in a- a fricking asylum!¡± ¡®Breathe. You need to stay calm. If you want to get out, you have to find out why you¡¯re here in the first place¡¯ ¡°But I¡¯m not crazy¡­¡± Her eyes watered, but she blinked the tears back. ¡°Crying won¡¯t help. I¡¯ve got to keep a clear head.¡± With that, she sat on the uncomfortable bed, her vision fully coming back in the process. Then, she slowly got back on her feet. She swayed a little, still somewhat dizzy from whatever they had injected her with. Then, she headed for the door and twisted the handle, only for it to block midway. Her eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s locked!¡± ¡®Those bastards! Their blood will spill as soon as we¡¯re out of here!¡¯ ¡®Calm down, both of you! Try the window¡¯ Obeying, she, however, had to come to an understanding: the window was too small, blocked by a thick glass, meaning she couldn¡¯t use it to get out. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll be stuck here for a while,¡± she grunted, going to siton one of the chairs.
After what seemed like hours, there was a ¡®BUZZ¡¯ and the door slid open, letting enter a familiar brown-haired man with a white coat. He closed the door before she could even think about running again, before taking the other chair with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± she mumbled, staring as he took out a few files. ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t remember¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Doctor Shawn,¡± he said while setting a glass of water before her. ¡°Are you thirsty?¡± She held the glass before her eyes for a few seconds, eying its contents in suspicion. ¡°How can I be sure he¡¯s not trying to drug me again?¡± the girl wondered, wary. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± assured the man, still smiling. ¡°It¡¯s just water.¡± The girl shot him a look but, her thirst winning over her paranoia, she downed everything in one go. Apparently satisfied, the doctor took out a notepad. ¡°So, Kaelys¡­¡± He looked over one of the papers. ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crazy,¡± she instantly replied. ¡°I¡¯m totally fine. Let me go back!¡± He shook his head at that as if talking to an insufferable child. ¡°You¡¯re not fine, Kaelys,¡± he announced, his tone even. ¡°But you will be. So, your mother left you in our care because you have been diagnosed with a certain case of schizophrenia¡ª¡°The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°The voices aren¡¯t hallucinations!¡± she vehemently protested. ¡°They¡¯re real!¡± ¡°I know they are.¡± At that, she faltered, hope blooming despite all in her heart. ¡®Don¡¯t trust him!¡¯ ¡°Y- you¡­ you know¡­?¡± ¡°I know,¡± he repeated softly. ¡°But these voices, in your head¡­ they¡¯re not good for you. So, we have to send them away.¡± Her heart missed a beat and she recoiled instantly. ¡°Send them away?¡± she repeated, almost too quietly to be heard. ¡°They can¡¯t do this, they¡¯re my friends¡­ I¡¯m not losing them! Not when they¡¯re the only ones who never abandoned me¡­ Now let me out of here!¡± ¡°I know you think they¡¯re your friends, Kaelys.¡± His voice was soothing, but the girl couldn''t be fooled anymore. ¡°But they can¡¯t stay, you understand? They make you ill, and¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯m not ill! Just because you can¡¯t hear them too doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m crazy! And just because I¡¯m eleven doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m stupid either! Drop the mask! It¡¯s just your job to treat me or whatever, so stop acting as if you actually care!¡± ¡°I do ca¡ª¡° ¡°Shut up! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!¡± Her chair fell to the floor in a metallic ¡®CLANG¡¯ as she gripped her head in her hands, gritting her teeth. She stumbled, hit the wall with her back against which she let herself slid to the floor. ¡°My father killed himself after I was born¡­ My only friend moved away five years ago¡­ All my classmates judge me ¡®cause I look different¡­ Miss Kelly is the one who sent me here¡­ My mother is the one who dumped me in this stupid place¡­ The voices are the only ones who never left me!¡± She gripped her head tighter, her knees to her chest. ¡°They¡¯re the only ones who never abandoned me¡­ I won¡¯t let you take them away¡­ I won¡¯t let you, you hear me!?¡± Doctor Shawn got up, tucking all the papers under his arms while staring at the girl, at lost at what to do. She was obviously more under the influence of her illness than they all thought, which worried him greatly. ¡°I won¡¯t let them take you away¡­¡± she kept muttering under her breath. ¡°I won¡¯t let them¡­ I won¡¯t let them¡­¡± He sighed, before opening the door. ¡°Food will be brought in soon. When you¡¯re mentally apt to get out, you¡¯ll be allowed to meet the other patients,¡± he announced. But she was barely listening, shaking violently. He would have asked for another injection, but two doses in such a short amount of time would do more bad than good, even more so on such an unstable mind like hers. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Kaelys. Try to get some rest.¡± She let out a choked sound as he left, the door locking behind him. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy¡­ I¡¯m not crazy¡­ I¡¯m not crazy¡­¡±
¡°How many voices doyou hear?¡± The child kept silent pursuing her lips. ¡®You can tell him¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t!¡¯ ¡°¡­ two,¡± she gave in. ¡°And since when can you hear them?¡± pursued Doctor Shawn. ¡®Shut it, brat! I mean it!¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t be so mean!¡¯ ¡®Just you wait, I¡¯ll¡ª¡° ¡°You¡¯ll what? Give me a damn headache like usual?¡± the girl scoffed. That caught the attention of the man, who looked up from his notes and eyed her with curiosity. ¡°Are they talking to you right now?¡± he asked gently. She eyed him for a few seconds, suspicion glinting in her eyes. ¡°They don¡¯t like him, and me neither.¡± She bit her lower lip. ¡°Should I really talk to Dr. Whatever?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Doctor Shawn.¡± He wrote something down. ¡°Are you conscious that you¡¯re saying what you think out loud?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it to him anyway¡­¡± She, however, looked away. ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s just too crowded inside. I can¡¯t hear myself thinking unless I say it. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t you want it to stop?¡± the man softly inquired. ¡°Why would I?¡± she raised an eyebrow at that. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve got anything to hide. Lies and secrets¡­ what good are they, in the end? I prefer not to bother with those things. They¡¯re annoying.¡± He simply hummed as only answer. Was it in agreement or simply to humor her, Kaelys would never really be able to say.
¡°Hey, do you wanna play with us?¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± The boy, a second sooner all happy-go-lucky, started crying as if he was told he would never be able to eat chocolate again. He ran away with his ball and the girl stare with indifference for a moment, before returning to her book. She had been allowed outside with the other patients of her age, for she hadn¡¯t tried to run since that first time, and even got back her suitcase, which contained her two favorite books. She wasn¡¯t agreeing to this life, far from it, but she couldn¡¯t do anything at the moment, being so heavily monitored and watched by all. As if on cue, the nurse who had been assigned to babysit her came closer, having heard and seen the exchange with the little boy. ¡°You don¡¯t want to play with the others, Kaelys?¡± ¡°No.¡± The black-haired girl turned a page, her voice lowering. ¡°The hell does she want with me? Can¡¯t she see I¡¯m busy?¡± ¡°You should be a little nicer, though,¡± remarked gently the nurse. With a heavy sigh, the child put down her book as if it was the most tiring experience she ever had to suffer through, before locking eyes with the nurse. ¡°Why?¡± she then asked, rather coldly. ¡°They¡¯re not friends. They¡¯re not family. I owe them nothing, and kindness is nothing but another sort of lie when you think about it. I don¡¯t lie, miss, you ought to know that by now. They could die for all I care, and so could you.¡± ¡°R- right¡­¡± Before the nurse could say anything more, though, the boy from sooner ¨Cwhom, in the meantime, had found back his smile-, fell rather harshly to the ground and hit his head on a rock. He instantly stopped moving as blood slowly started tainting the grass underneath him. There were cries and horrified exclamations as other nurses ran to him while the one assigned to Kaelys simply gasped. ¡°There.¡± Kaelys picked up her book and returned to her reading. ¡°Dead¡±
In the end, the boy lived. ¡®Thank God¡¯ ¡®A shame¡¯ ¡°Whatever.¡± A month had passed since her oh-so-dear mother had abandoned her in that asylum. The supervising had lessened somewhat, but she still couldn¡¯t find the good opportunity to flee. ¡°And said mother is coming back today, uh?¡± she recalled, lying on her bed while twirling a strand of black hair between her fingers. ¡®Break her¡¯ ¡°Oh, I will.¡±
¡°Kaelys!¡± The woman hugged her tightly, but the daughter stayed unresponsive to the embrace. Worried, the mother pulled away and locked her eyes with Kaelys¡¯. The purple orbs stared back, void of any emotion. ¡°Ka¡ª¡° ¡°I hate you.¡± The blonde took a step back, gasping for air as if she just had been punched. ¡°Wh¡ª¡° ¡°I hate you,¡± repeated the child. ¡°You abandoned me. Just like everyone else, you turned your back to me. You left me here to have my only true friends taken away, and you have the guts to show up a month later as if you care?¡± The woman placed a hand over her mouth, unable to answer the accusations, and Kaelys¡¯ lips twisted in a snarl. ¡°Get out of here.¡± With that, she turned her back to her and headed for the door, her tone low once more. ¡°I don¡¯t know who she is. She¡¯s not my mother. Mom would never have dumped me like some sort of burden like that woman did.¡± Tears rolled down the blonde¡¯s cheeks as her daughter left the room accompanied by a security guard and a nurse. Doctor Shawn entered as soon as the girl was away, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, not knowing what to do or say to the distraught woman. ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ we¡¯ll do the best we can,¡± he assured. ¡°Her case¡­ it seems worse than we thought. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll have to stay longer. But I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Just get her better,¡± the distressed mother hid her face in her hands. ¡°Please, just bring me back my baby¡­"
Another month passed without much more results. The girl grew even more isolated if that was even possible, and her thoughts became darker. She¡¯s practically apathetic about human life. Doctor Shawn shifted on his seat, gazing at the many papers lingering on his desk while feeling a headache forming. The girl wasn¡¯t heartless, even cried when a bird hit her window and died from the shock, but it would seem as if her morals had just¡­ switched. Lack of emotional responsiveness was a common occurrence for victims of schizophrenia, but he never faced such a twisted case before, which made him restless. From what he knew, the illness had been passed down for a few generations in her family by now. Her father had committed suicide after the voices became too ¡°troublesome¡± for him, so there always had been a doubt that the child would inherit this unfortunate trait. However, her case hadn¡¯t been helped for she had been revealed to suffer from Alexandria¡¯s Genesis. The purple eyes that resulted from this genetic disorder lead her classmates to shun her away and, already having difficulties to relate to other kids her age, it only worsened her social inabilities. She presented most of the symptoms of ¡°normal¡± schizophrenia: the hallucinations, or voices, were obviously the main one. She also showed a serious social withdrawal, termed passivity, emotional difficulty, paranoia, difficult long-termed memory and was also convinced that she wasn¡¯t ill. Those weren¡¯t uncommon, thirty to fifty percent of the victims of schizophrenia refused to understand that they were ill. What made her case so¡­ different, was how she hold actual conversations with the two voices in her heads. He hadn¡¯t encouraged a naming, for it would only strengthen the belief of their existence, but she didn¡¯t seem bothered by it. There was also her habit of always saying what she¡¯s thinking out loud as if no one could hear her. If she was aware that others could hear, she never showed she knew or cared about it. Her morals hadn¡¯t fully switched either, as he put it sooner. While she seemed passive about human deaths in general, she seemed rather distraught at the idea of the voices ¡°dying¡±. From what he understood, it was because she considered them close friends. He proposed to the child a scenario in which her mother died, but it only earned a cold ¡°too bad¡± for his efforts, which lead him to conclude that she would react like any other would if she ever lost someone precious to her but, seeing how her mother ¡°abandoned her¡±, she lost her value in the girl¡¯s eyes. He bit his lower lip, gathering his things for the new session, before heading for her room. She hadn¡¯t made a move to flee yet, noticing right away how heavily watched she was, but he wasn¡¯t fooled. He knew she was just waiting. That was another troubling thing. Sometimes, the girl acted like a child her age, minus the illness. Other times, she acted like a matured adult, strategizing with frightening accuracy. He played chess against her once, instantly noticing the shift in her personality as they started the game. She never spoke once, at that time, and won in four moves. While those sides of her resembled each other, they were clearly different, which forced him to add ¡°potential personality disorder¡± on her file. For one so young to be so messed up¡­ Can¡¯t she see I just want to help her? Shaking his head, Doctor Shawn finally reached her room. The door slid open and he entered, ready to deal with another hour of utter failure, and froze in place. ¡°Kaelys!¡± The eleven-years-old was sitting against the wall, one of the chairs lying on the floor with glass shards, which more than probably came from the now broken window. ¡°Security!¡± He ran to her side. ¡°Bring a medical kit, quick!¡± Her wrists were open, blood pouring from the numerous cuts. She was still hanging to consciousness, though, her gaze unusually sharp. Right now, he knew he was facing the Adult Kaelys. And that¡¯s what scared him the most. Crouching down to her level as a security guard brought the asked-for medical kit, he sent the man back after realizing her wounds weren¡¯t life-threatening. ¡°Why¡­ why did you do this?¡± it took the man a few seconds to realize he was the one who had spoken. He started cleaning the blood, before bandaging her wrists. ¡°Because it hurts,¡± she then answered, her voice but a whisper. ¡°It hurts to be alone. They¡¯re my friends, but it¡¯s not the same. So, when I hurt myself physically, my heart stops aching.¡± She had stated this fact with the tone another would use while talking about the weather, which made his blood freeze in his veins. Then, he realized she was slowly drifting away to sleep. ¡°I love and I hate so much at once¡­¡± Her eyelids dropped, her voice now a breath. ¡°How is it possible?¡± Doctor Shawn didn¡¯t have an answer.
Due to her little stunt, she was now restrained, chained down. All day and all night, she was trapped in leather bindings or a brand new straitjacket. She struggled, kicked, bit as they forced them on, in vain. She screeched and fought back, her strength slowly draining away with what was left of her sanity. She never hurt other patients or employees, only herself, so why? Why did they shackle her like some sort of animal? Why did they treat her like a beast in a cage? Her throat was sore, she screamed too much. Yet she couldn¡¯t find the will to stop.
They came in the morning when the sun was already shining high and bright. One would think the hell awaiting her would be preceded by some rain or dark clouds, but even the sky seemed to mock her misery. ¡°Where are they taking me?¡± Her voice slurred as she felt herself being tied to a chair. ¡°Let me go¡­ Why did they bring me here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kaelys. It¡¯s the only way.¡± She still didn¡¯t understand. She could do nothing as they put some weird helmet around her head, and they completely ignored her screams and her struggles. She was still cursing loudly when her voice suddenly died in her throat, unable to get out due to sheer mental exhaustion. Then, without warning, the doctors and nurses stepped aside and the machines surrounding her started wiring. ¡°W- what¡¯s that?¡± she gasped, fear gripping her guts. ¡°What¡¯s hap¡ª¡° There a flash of light, a crackle of electricity, and pain suddenly overcame every inch of her body. Her nerves were set on fire as they shocked her again, and again, and again¡­ Kaelys was screaming once more.
Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, months turned into a year and said year soon became two. Now thirteen years old, Kaelys hadn¡¯t changed that much, if not at all. While her body survived through torture and puberty ¨Cif there was a difference, she couldn¡¯t tell-, her mental state was more unstable than ever. The girl had had enough of this, though. She had bid her time, bit her tongue while waiting for the day to come, the day where she would take the freedom they had stolen from her two years ago. ¡°They think they¡¯re helping me, but they¡¯re not,¡± she clenched her fists, tied once more to her bed. ¡®It won¡¯t last any longer, though¡¯ ¡®It is time¡¯ ¡°Yes¡­¡± Her fists unclenched. ¡°It is time¡­¡± Grabbing the scalpel she had stolen sooner from an unaware nurse, she easily cut through her bindings, along with some skin. But she didn¡¯t care. Getting up, she was just in time to¡­ greet, the nurse coming inside for the usual injections. Before the woman could even process that her patient had suddenly freed herself, Kaelys moved. The body of the nurse hit the ground, blood spilling from the now slit throat as the teen started running without another glance behind.
Kaelys didn¡¯t know how many she killed, didn¡¯t care to remember either. She was solely focused on escaping the asylum. After what felt like an eternity, she reached the cafeteria and instantly made her way for the door. The scene was familiar, awfully so, as she placed her hand on the handle. ¡°Nothing will stop me now,¡± she seethed, passing through. ¡®Behind you!¡¯ Reacting to the warning in the span of a second, the black-haired girl blindly slashed the scalpel while spinning around to face the oncoming threat. There was a pained gasp as none other than Doctor Shawn fell to the floor, blood oozing from the new wound adorning his right eye. ¡°Why, Kaelys?¡± He clutched his face, red liquid slipping through his fingers. ¡°You killed so many¡­ and we only wanted to help you¡­ Have you no regrets!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault,¡± she replied in an even tone. ¡°It¡¯s yours. You¡¯re the one who made me this way. I was perfectly fine before that woman dumped me here and you decided to go berserk on me. Trying to help, you said?¡± She let out a dry laugh at that, and the man suddenly understood that the Adult Kaelys he was so scared of had taken over. ¡°You tortured me! For two long years, you hurt me, traumatized me! I know I¡¯m messed up, but I was perfectly fine until you came in the picture! I¡¯m not the one who killed all those people, you are! You¡¯re the only one at fault!¡± Her grip tightened on her scalpel, which blade was glinting under the sun with slowly coagulating blood. ¡°Congratulations, Doctor.¡± For a second, her purple orbs glinted with so much disgust and hate he felt like throwing up. ¡°You created a monster.¡± With that, without sparing another glance to his trembling form, she picked up the pace once more. ¡°Kaelys!!!¡± She kept on running. Crazier Than the Crazy Within Kaelys snapped her eyes open, instantly noticing the gigantic trees looming over her collapsed form. She could feel rocks and broken branches under her body and she marveled for a few seconds at the beauty of the sun rays through the foliage. She shook her head, sitting up and looking around. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯ ¡®Beats me¡¯ ¡°So helping,¡± she drawled, getting back to her feet. She wasn¡¯t supposed to be in a forest, of all things. There wasn¡¯t any around the asylum, she knew that. So, the question was: how the hell did she end up there, wherever ¡®there¡¯ was? ¡®You should find some new clothes first¡¯ ¡®And get rid of that blood too¡¯ Looking down at herself, she realized without much care that the blue robe she had been forced to wear while in the hellhole was ripped at some places, blood splattered all over her from head to toes. She shrugged, rubbing her wrists. ¡°Whatever.¡±
After an hour of walking, Kaelys grew awfully tired. She hadn¡¯t eaten anything in a while and certainly wasn¡¯t used to walking long-distances or exercising in general. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be surprised if my muscles have deteriorated somewhat,¡± she mused. After all, she spent her whole time sitting or lying on her back, restrained in one way or another. It¡¯s not like she had the opportunity to keep in shape. But she kept on walking. No matter where she was, it still wasn¡¯t far enough from the asylum. ¡°And I¡¯m not going back,¡± she promised herself, staring straight ahead. ¡°I¡¯d rather die.¡±
The black-haired girl¡¯s muscles were burning. Her feet bloody and sore from the road, the scars left by the electroconvulsive therapy aching¡­ Kaelys never felt happier. She could take any pain coming her way. It was a small price for the freedom she just earned with the lives of her jailers. ¡°Before being sent there, I took freedom as given,¡± she recalled, her eyes lingering on the deep-green grass expending all around her. ¡°I won¡¯t make that mistake again. Only the strong can be free in this world, so strong I will be. No matter what.¡± ¡®That¡¯s the spirit!¡¯ ¡®You still need to change, though. I can¡¯t imagine what you look like with all that blood¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not looking,¡± huffed the girl, annoyed. ¡°There just doesn¡¯t seem to be any sort of civilization anywhere! What am I supposed to wear, flower petals?¡± A snort for only answer, she resumed to her walking. However, her peace and quiet merely lasted for three more minutes. ¡®Someone¡¯s coming!¡¯ The girl tightened her grip on the bloody scalpel, which was hidden in her sleeve. She couldn¡¯t afford to leave her only weapon behind, so she had resorted to keeping it. Though, it wasn''t like the nurse who lost it would miss it anyway. Corpses can¡¯t feel many emotions, after all. Turning around, knowing to try to run would only take more energy than she could afford to lose, she stood straight, ready to face anyone who was coming. She waited barely a few seconds, as large figures walked out of the forest she had just left. They made their way towards her position, apparently plainly aware of her presence. ¡°Bet they¡¯ve been watching for a while too,¡± she grunted. ¡®They popped up an hour ago or so¡¯ ¡®And you didn¡¯t say anything!?¡¯ ¡®I forgot!¡¯ Ignoring them, she concentrated on the group coming her way. There were twenty-one of them, all heavily armed, awfully big and apparently knowing what they were doing. She stood her ground, silent, as they finally stopped at exactly four meters and a half from her. ¡°Well, well, lookie here.¡± The closest one offered a toothless smile. ¡°Lost, little girlie?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she nodded, calm. ¡°Can you tell me where I am?¡± He seemed taken aback for a second at her question, apparently not awaiting an actual answer, before shaking his head and grinning madly. ¡°You¡¯re in Bosco, little lady,¡± he informed casually. ¡°Near the border between here and the Fiore Kingdom.¡± She tilted her head to the side. ¡°Bosco?¡± she repeated, obviously confused. ¡°Fiore Kingdom? Never heard of those before. Ah well, no matter. Can you tell me in which direction is the nearest civilization? I kind of need to change my clothes.¡± For a moment, the man stilled at the sight of the blood-covered gown, not having noticed beforehand her disheveled appearance ¨Cso much blood, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be hers, what the hell!?-, before finding his calm once again. ¡°Sure thing, girl.¡± He offered yet another grin, though this one was more¡­ sinister. ¡°How about you just come with us? We were heading there anyway. And you see? We¡¯re even going to offer you some really nice bracelets to come with the five-star trip.¡± She froze as another of the man dangled some heavy chains with a cackle. As said many times before, Kaelys wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew those men meant trouble, so she tried to get as much information as possible while gaining more time to come up with a plan. However, what she hadn¡¯t thought to put in the equation was their rather unsavory occupation. ¡°Slavery, uh?¡± she wondered. Her purple eyes dimmed, her childish face turned blank. At that very moment, the man who had conversed with her felt like running away and never coming back. He didn¡¯t know why, or what exactly scared him, but he felt as if he would lose his very life if he antagonized her any further. Before he could ponder over it any longer, though, one of his men came up from behind her and knocked her out before she could react. The chief let out a shaky breath he hadn¡¯t realized he had been holding as her body slumped to the ground. Well, whatever. In two days, she won¡¯t be our problem anymore. Bet those eyes will sell pretty well too.
Kaelys woke up with a rather nasty headache, but she couldn¡¯t care less at the moment. She was solely focused on the chains now binding her to the wooden carriage in which she had been caged. ¡°I was weak,¡± she muttered, wide-eyed. ¡°My energy was lower than I thought, I overestimated my abilities and underestimated my opponents.¡± ¡®You have to get out of here¡¯ ¡®And fast too¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back,¡± she whispered, panic bubbling in her chest. ¡°I just set myself free¡­ I don¡¯t want to be chained again¡­ I don¡¯t want to be trapped again¡­ let me go¡­ I don¡¯t want to go back¡­ let me go¡­ let me go! Let me go, let me go, let me go!¡± She started hitting the wooden bars, earning the attention of a few of the slavers, who merely mocked her attempts. ¡°Let me go!¡± She kept repeating voice turning into screeches. ¡°I¡¯m not going back! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!¡± ¡°Just shut up!¡± yelled back one of them, growing tired with her screams. ¡°Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!¡± she ignored him, hitting harder. ¡°I¡¯ll die before being caged again! I¡¯m not going back! Let me go! Let me go!¡± She hit and hit and hit, not caring about the bones that cracked or the blood that splattered on the wood. She pulled on the chains biting her sensible wrists, only damaging the skin in the process. She grew more and more restless, her screams becoming incomprehensible. One of the men approached the carriage with the intention of knocking her out once more but, as soon as he reached her level, their eyes met. Time seemed to slow down as he stared in those purple orbs, which glinted with utter savagery. Fear slithered in his veins like a snake¡¯s poison and he felt his skull being crushed from the inside. A silent scream escaped his lips as he collapsed, his head quite literally imploding. There were horrified and disgusted exclamations from those who had witnessed, but none were quick enough to react. ¡°DIE!!!¡± snarled the teen, her order lingering like a dark prophecy. So they died. She stopped screaming as they all fell to the ground without a sound, all bodies missing their heads. The girl stared through the bars at the sudden silent massacre, unfazed, merely confused. ¡°What¡­ just happened¡­?¡± she whispered, slowly coming back to her senses. ¡°I killed them, I know I did¡­ and yet how¡­¡± ¡®That was nasty¡¯ ¡®Are you kidding!? That was awesome!¡¯ Footsteps broke the heavy silence and she instantly snapped her eyes to the source. It was yet another man, but he wasn¡¯t like those slavers, the girl could easily tell by the imposing aura that followed him. He was tall, extremely so, with silver hair that reached his shoulders, black lines tattooed on his face and dark skin. He had a staff with a skull in one hand and a weird marks over his chest and face. He eyed the scene for a moment, mild surprise in his dark orbs as he took in the bloody mess and the corpses lying around the carriage. Then, he spotted her. She watched him approach, unable to decide whether to fear him or not. ¡°Will he kill me?¡± she wondered quietly. ¡°I doubt so¡­ Wonder who he is, though¡± He stopped before the wooden cage and she stared back at him, unflinching. ¡°Are you the one who did this?¡± he then asked, his voice even. ¡°Yes,¡± she admitted. ¡°But I don¡¯t know how. Who are you?¡± He eyed her for a few more seconds, before the top of the carriage and some of the bars suddenly exploded, making her jump. She gaped at him. ¡°You¡ªdid you do this?¡± she asked in awe. ¡°How¡¯d you do it?¡± ¡°The same way you killed these men,¡± he simply answered. ¡°Magic¡± She blinked. Once. Twice. Then made a face. ¡°That was a stupid question,¡± she then stated, scrunching her nose. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my other one, though.¡± ¡°My name is Brain,¡± he presented himself, imposing. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a weird name¡± she replied under her breath. ¡°His mother mustn¡¯t have much imagination¡­¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. He twitched a little at that. Does the brat think I can¡¯t hear her? ¡°Free yourself,¡± he ordered, keeping his cool. ¡°Those are metal chains,¡± she raised her arms to show him the binding. ¡°I¡¯m physically not strong enough to break them.¡± ¡°You just crushed their skulls with your mind,¡± he remarked, gesturing to the headless corpses. ¡°Surely you can crush mere metal chains. Or would you rather die here?¡± She stiffened at that, before looking down at her restraints. ¡°How do I do it?¡± she muttered, pulling again. ¡°What¡¯d I do first¡­ I just felt them crush under my will¡­ is it the same? Must be¡­¡± After a few seconds of mixed curses and remarks, the chains broke. She stared at her now freed wrists with wide eyes. ¡°I did it!¡± she practically squealed. ¡°It really is magic!¡± As she awed over her newfound abilities, Brain stared at her with unmasked interest. While the child didn¡¯t seem exactly¡­ err, stable, she had extremely strong powers. Her untamed potential could bring a lot to his future projects if guided firmly. He had to be careful, though. She was a young girl with what seemed to be an extremely volatile mind -for not saying a few screws looses- and that meant an also extremely volatile power. She could kill him in the span of a second just like she did with the slavers if he tried to use force. ¡°What is your name, child?¡± he asked imperiously. ¡°Kaelys,¡± she instantly replied, looking back at him. ¡°And what do you want exactly, Kaelys?¡± he then inquired. ¡°Freedom.¡± She didn¡¯t even hesitate. ¡°I¡¯m not being chained down again. And they won¡¯t take my friends either!¡± For a moment, he wondered about who those friends might be but decided that now wasn¡¯t the time and just brushed it off as another abnormality. ¡°Do you have any family, Kaelys?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Anyone to return to?¡± ¡°No. Why is he asking, does he wants to recruit me or something?¡± she mumbled. ¡°What would you say if I told you that there are many others like you here?¡± he ignored her comment. At that, she stiffened and instantly recoiled away. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy!¡± ¡°I¡­ never said you were.¡± ¡°You implied it!¡± she snapped. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, you know! I¡¯ve been tricked once, but it won¡¯t happen again! I¡¯m not going back! I¡¯ll be strong so that way, I¡¯ll always be free! No one will take my friends or my freedom away, no one!¡± ¡°You are still weak, even with that power of yours,¡± he remarked, hitting his staff to the ground to gain back her attention. ¡°But if you come with me, you will learn to control it. You will be strong. You will be free. All I ask in return is your utmost loyalty.¡± At that, she stopped blabbering whatever nonsense that came to her mind and straightened her spine, her purple eyes dimming slightly. At that very moment, Brain was convinced he was facing another person. ¡°I understand your reasoning and agree with this course of action,¡± she stated ceremoniously. ¡°I have nothing to go back to, no goal to strive for. All I want is my freedom, and to learn how to control these abilities of mine. If you can offer both, then I shall join you.¡± ¡°Then come,¡± he turned around, heading back in the direction he came from. ¡°We have much to do.¡± Without another word or even a glance behind, she jumped from the carriage, grabbed the scalpel that had fallen on the ground and followed him. ¡®Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t like him¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not blind.¡± She matched her pace with his. ¡°It is obvious he merely sees me as a tool. However, for a tool to work properly, you have to treat it accordingly, sharpen it and exploit it¡¯s very potential for a maximum of efficiency. As long as he needs me, he won¡¯t let me rust. And that¡¯s all I need.¡±
They traveled for three days and three nights before crossing what he mentioned to be the border that had been mentioned by the slavers sooner in the week. Brain had been gracious enough to answer all of her questions, understanding she wasn¡¯t from around here quite easily, and she did her best not to bother him too much. He had also gotten used to her quirks, like how she always slept in a sitting position, or how she always checked the water before drinking, or how she always spoke her mind. If aggravating at first, he then realized that it was quite helpful. That way, she couldn¡¯t lie to him. While he knew she had pledged her loyalty to him, one could never be too careful. And, when he asked about those habits, she simply shifted in the strange, more mature personality of hers and answered: ¡°Humans are very, very ugly. They think they¡¯re helping, but they just hurt more people in the end. That¡¯s terrifying, isn¡¯t it? Thinking you¡¯re doing something good when really, you just making things worse.¡± He didn¡¯t really get it but soon came to the conclusion that she was schizophrenic. The friends she mentioned three days prior were obviously the voices in her head, and he could sometimes hear her converse with them. Brain decided to let it be. It¡¯s not like he was much saner either.
(AN: Erza is currently 19 ¨Cphysically-. So, I give Jellal 21 ¨Cphysically, he would be 28 with the Seven Year Gap-. That would mean since the Oraci¨®n Seis members left the tower around Erza¡¯s age at that time ¨CI¡¯d say seven/eight years or so, they are more or less the same age as her. I guess nine or ten years passed between Erza¡¯s escape. However, going back to a year before the canon story, that would mean they¡¯re currently somewhere around 17-18-19 years old. The ages set in this story at this moment are these: Cobra ¨C 18 Midnight ¨C 18 Angel ¨C 17 Racer ¨C 18 Hoteye ¨C 20 Just for the sake of it: Erza ¨C 17 And to make things clear: This is ONE YEAR before canon)
A maroon-haired boy clicked his tongue in annoyance for the nth time in the past hour. Next to him, a gigantic purple snake rubbed her head against his leg in comfort, while a white-haired girl shot him an annoyed look, crossing her arms under her generous cleavage. In the corner, a very tall man was counting money while giggling to himself. Another boy with black hair was sitting on a floating carpet in one of the corners, sleeping soundly. The first boy was about to click his tongue again when a blond-haired one appeared in the middle of the room with what could be none other than speed magic. ¡°He¡¯s coming! And he¡¯s not alone!¡± That got everyone¡¯s attention, saved for the one sleeping. The maroon-haired one gently petted his snake¡¯s head, closing his eyes to concentrate better on what to hear. After a few seconds, he finally caught the oncoming steps of their leader, followed by much lighter ones. He frowned, opening his eyes. He knew that the newbie was a girl, but couldn¡¯t say much more, for he wasn¡¯t able to hear her thoughts. That didn¡¯t sit well with him. He clicked his tongue again. ¡°Annoying,¡± he muttered.
Brain opened the door of the castle-like headquarters. He had informed his newest recruit of the basics, like the group under his command known as Oraci¨®n Seis and their abilities in general. He mentioned their position in the Balam Alliance, their role as a Dark Guild and how exactly things would work out for her from now on. He hadn¡¯t told her about Nirvana yet. He still couldn¡¯t trust her with that kind of information. She seemed to know he was holding some things back but didn¡¯t really cared to call him out on him. That was a good thing. Tools never questioned their master. Everyone, he called through the telepathic link. Gather at once. We have a new member. He glanced back at the girl next to him, who was eying the room in which they had entered with childish awe and slightly troubling suspicion. And Angel, he added, recalling the kid¡¯s attire. Bring a blanket.
After a few minutes, the five members of the Dark Guild gathered in the room, one of them still sleeping. The black-haired girl was sitting on a chair, posture straight and stiff, watching with suspicion as they all came in. She also had her bloodied scalpel in hands, her grip so tight her knuckles had turned white. ¡°From now on, Kaelys will be part of the Oraci¨®n Seis¡± he then announced. ¡°She uses Caster Magic. She awakened her magic a few days ago, though, which means she can¡¯t control it yet. Seeing as it obeys her emotions, I would suggest not¡­ provoking her. The men who made that mistake aren¡¯t here to tell the tale anymore.¡± All ¨Cagain, saved for the one dozing off¡ª eyed the blood covering the child. It was as if she had just bathed in the red liquid, and she didn¡¯t even seem bothered by it. None of them managed to doubt their leader¡¯s words. The dark-skinned man pointed his staff at the boy. ¡°This is Racer.¡± ¡°Yo,¡± the blond-haired boy greeted. ¡°Hoteye.¡± ¡°Do you have money?¡± ¡°Angel.¡± The white-haired girl simply nodded. ¡°Cobra.¡± ¡°Tche.¡± ¡°And the one sleeping is Midnight. If you want to avoid any trouble, don¡¯t wake him up.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve got weird names, all of them¡­¡± mumbled the child under her breath. ¡°What the hell kind of name is Hoteye? To think I¡¯m the one who ended in the asylum¡­¡± Cobra raised an eyebrow at that, having heard everything while the others simply gazed in curiosity as the new girl muttered to herself. Then, the child¡¯s purple eyes met his. They stared at each other for barely a second, and the boy found himself unable to hear her thoughts or intentions once more. Her soul was a completely different story, though. It was¡­ broken, kind of. Like an old toy that was put back together again and again until the pieces couldn¡¯t fully fit anymore. Her soul reminded him of a sad lullaby or a puppet whose strings had been cut and partially reattached. Before he could delve any deeper, she looked away. Her mouth then parted agape, her thinned lips stretching into a childlike grin. ¡°Cute!¡± Before any of them could react, she jumped from her seat and latched her arms around the purple snake¡¯s body. After a heavy silence, the animal let out a soft hiss and placed her head onto the child¡¯s shoulder, letting Kaelys pet her head. ¡°C- Cubellios!? What the hell!?¡± exclaimed Cobra, wide eyes. His best friend simply moved closer to the girl, who laughed quietly. For a second, the boy was tempted to forcefully take her away but, as he took a step ahead, he froze, hearing something he hadn¡¯t heard before. ¡®It¡¯s disgusting¡¯ ¡®Are you kidding? That thing is awesome!¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a she,¡± scolded lightly Kaelys. ¡°And she¡¯s beautiful so shut it, you two.¡± The maroon-haired mage sent a look at Brain. The girl appears to be schizophrenic, his leader confirmed. I couldn¡¯t get much out of her, though. She also appears to have some sort of personality disorder. Cobra looked back to the girl, who was still petting Cubellios. She didn¡¯t look like much at first, her pale complexion clashing with her black hair and her purples eyes were somewhat unusual, without much¡ªhe had those too, after all. But the voices heard by schizophrenic people are merely hallucinations. He recalled one of his missions in which he faced a mage with the same illness. I wasn¡¯t able to hear them then. However, I can hear those. Does it mean it¡¯s simply a stronger case? Ugh, this¡¯ll be a drag. ¡°Angel,¡± their leader called. ¡°She¡¯ll occupy the room across from yours from now on. Help her bath, and pass her some clothes for now. You two will go to the nearest village tomorrow to get what she needs.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Having heard Brain¡¯s order, Kaelys let go of Cubellios to follow the older girl. She left, rubbing her wrists as the door closed behind her. ¡°Who exactly is she?¡± then asked Racer, voicing all¡¯s thoughts. Saved for Midnight''s, of course. He was still sleeping. ¡°I found her three days ago,¡± informed Brain, sitting behind his desk. ¡°She had been taken prisoner by the slaver group I was charged to take care of. I arrived just in time to see her magic awaken: Telekinesis.¡± ¡°Mere telekinesis can¡¯t actually kill people,¡± Cobra replied, raising an eyebrow in mild wonder. ¡°It consists of moving objects with the mind.¡± ¡°Hers can. She crushed their skulls, all at once,¡± replied Brain seriously. ¡°She possesses an extremely unstable mind, which makes her dangerous. However, if she learns well, she will be a great asset for Oraci¨®n Seis. Cobra?¡± ¡°I hear you,¡± sighed heavily the boy. ¡°But do I really have too? I¡¯d prefer to live another day.¡± But at the glare of his leader, he gave in and let out an annoyed huff. ¡°If she becomes too much of a threat, then I will take care of her myself,¡± he then assured. ¡°Until then, be aware that she could very well destroy you in the span of a second if she wanted to. That is all.¡± ¡°Right.¡±
Angel stood outside of the bathroom, waiting for the girl to come out clean. The teen didn¡¯t seem bothered by her bloody appearance at all, merely happy at the idea of soaking in some hot water for the first time in a while, and it troubled the white-haired teenager more than she liked to admit. She didn¡¯t want me inside, Angel bit her lower lip. Distrusting, very much so. I got a glance at her wrists and arms too. Those scars¡­ Could she come from the Tower too? No, Brain assured us they weren¡¯t kidnapping children anymore. The door creaked open, and the black-haired girl poked her head outside. ¡°Do you have some less revealing clothes?¡± she asked plainly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to look like a slut. Plus, it¡¯s kind of cold.¡± Angel¡¯s eye twitched at the slut remark, but she decided to let it slide and shook her head, taking out a folded piece of clothing. ¡°I can pass you my cloak until we buy what you need tomorrow,¡± she however proposed. ¡°Thanks,¡± nodded the newbie. ¡°Geez, I wouldn¡¯t be caught dead wearing her outfits. I¡¯d say she looks like a prostitute but she¡¯s beautiful enough to fit in well and back it up, so I guess I just won¡¯t comment on it.¡± ¡°You just did, brat,¡± Angel¡¯s eye twitched again, though slightly flattered. Kaelys didn¡¯t answer, simply putting on the cloak the white-haired teen had just handed to her, before coming out. Then, they made their way to what would be her room. ¡°She¡¯s acting kind of bitchy, but that¡¯s just a mask, I can tell,¡± muttered the girl. ¡°Cut it out, will you?¡± snapped Angel, not looking back. ¡°She must have been hurt a lot when she was younger too,¡± pursued Kaelys, unaware of the growing unease of the older girl. ¡°Guess the others are like that too. Do they come from the same place? I can¡¯t tell if they¡¯re friends or not¡­¡± ¡°Cut it out, I said!¡± exclaimed the white-haired mage, spinning around. ¡°You¡¯re giving me the creeps! You sound crazy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crazy!¡± instantly snapped back the girl, backing away. At the sudden venom in her voice, Angel recoiled slightly, remembering Brain¡¯s warning about not provoking her. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy!¡± insisted Kaelys, despair, and disdain in her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t say it! Don¡¯t say I¡¯m crazy! I¡¯m not, you hear me!?¡± Angel¡¯s throat constricted over itself and her eyes widened as she felt unable to breathe. Grasping her throat to get rid of the invisible hand practically strangling her. Her breath hitched as black spots danced before her eyes. ¡°Enough!¡± Air filled her lungs once more and she dropped to the floor, gasping. Kaelys stared at her, blinking in wonder as Cobra ran to them. ¡°Oops.¡± She looked down at her hands in wonder. ¡°Guess I really need to learn, uh? I should probably apologize, but apologizing when you¡¯re not sorry resumes to lying¡­ Guess I won¡¯t apologize, then.¡± ¡°Angel, you okay?¡± Cobra glanced her way. The white-haired teen simply nodded quickly, her throat still aching slightly. Cubellios approached the child, rubbing her head against the girl¡¯s hip. ¡°Just follow me,¡± then grunted the maroon-haired boy, walking ahead. ¡°Angel, get some rest.¡± ¡°R- right¡­¡± Kaelys waved, before running to catch up with the boy. As they headed for her room, he couldn¡¯t help but inquire further. Even though he had heard everything, he couldn¡¯t really understand, unable to hear her thoughts. ¡°Why did you lose control?¡± ¡°She called me crazy,¡± the girl scowled, then looked away. ¡°But I¡¯m not. They¡¯re real, you know? They¡¯re my friends. I¡¯m not crazy if they¡¯re real, right?¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± He ran his fingers through his hair, searching for the right words. ¡°But look. Here, we¡¯re not all that sane either. Being crazy isn¡¯t a bad thing, okay? Don¡¯t take it so personally.¡± ¡®He¡¯s got a point¡¯ ¡®With names like theirs, of course they¡¯d end up with a few screws looses¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t be mean,¡± chided the girl. ¡°Yeah, shut it,¡± added Cobra. The thirteen-year-old''s step faltered, and she shot him a wide-eyed look. ¡°Y- you heard them!?¡± ¡°I can hear a lot of things.¡± He was seriously starting to regret his decision of guiding her himself. ¡°That¡¯s one of my Magics.¡± ¡°So you know they¡¯re real, right?¡± she insisted, her voice growing somewhat hysterical. ¡°You hear them too, so you know I¡¯m not crazy, right!?¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± He was not going into this. He already got a headache because he would be the one in charge of her training, no need to worsen it with her questions. Plus, it¡¯s not like she¡¯ll last long anyway. Losing control on the first day like that¡­ Brain won¡¯t keep her for much longer if she keeps that pace. He glanced back at Kaelys, who was now talking quietly to Cubellios. She seemed more at ease with the snake than himself or the others, that was for sure. Guess there¡¯s more to her than a broken soul, uh? Sheesh, what a pain. A Place To Belong To ¡°I¡¯m not going to apologize for nearly killing you,¡± announced bluntly Kaelys. ¡°But I do apologize for losing control. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± As Angel and Kaelys walked down the street, the both of them hidden under heavy cloaks, the white-haired girl couldn¡¯t help but wonder once more about the scars lingering on the younger one¡¯s body, slightly annoyed at the lack of emotions from the teen. Forgetting all about the apology, she decided to dare a step forward. ¡°The scars on your arms¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t stop herself. ¡°Where do they come from?¡± The black-haired mage looked at said arms for a second. ¡°Electroconvulsive therapy,¡± she then answered. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± the older girl scrunched her nose at the nasty name. ¡°They tied me to a chair before electrocuting me,¡± described the teen, voice blank. ¡°It hurts a lot. They thought it would help me. They thought it would send my friends away. But it didn¡¯t. In the end, it was plain torture. Funny how they couldn¡¯t make the difference, blinded by their oh-so-good intentions uh?¡± No, Angel didn¡¯t find it funny at all. It was disgusting, horrifying. She, however, kept her mouth shut, her curiosity coming to a brutal halt. ¡°If you¡¯re not ready to take the answers,¡± then mused the child. ¡°Then don¡¯t ask the questions. You¡¯ll be better off.¡±
¡°We¡¯re going to train you physically first,¡± announced Cobra imperiously. ¡°A strong body will help in controlling your magic. Plus, hand-to-hand combat skills are a good asset to have. You¡¯re starting with laps.¡± ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Just run, I¡¯ll tell you when to stop.¡± She shot him a suspicious look but obeyed nowadays. She didn¡¯t care much about receiving orders, though, knowing it would only help her get stronger. So, not questioning, she started running.
Kaelys eyed the chessboard on the table with undisguised interest. Then, she grabbed it and placed it before Hoteye, who was counting his money once more. ¡°Do you know how to play?¡± she asked. ¡°Playing would mean losing my time, time I could use to make more money,¡± replied the man. Instantly, the girl placed a few jewels ¨Cshe had stolen them from Cobra¡¯s pouch with the help of Cubellios- on the table, gaining his attention. ¡°Play with me and it¡¯s yours,¡± she assured. ¡°Deal,¡± he instantly agreed. Hoteye set the game as she took place before him. She picked white, therefore starting. He moved his piece after hers since he already had a strategy in mind. She placed her second piece on the game, and he instantly replied by taking her Pawn. At that, she smirked and moved her third piece. ¡°Checkmate.¡± ¡°¡­ uh?¡± He looked back at the chessboard, wide eyes. It was as she said. ¡­ Interesting. Normally, he would have simply gone back to his money. However, his pride took a great blow during that exchange. To be so beaten in three moves by a barely-teenager girl wasn¡¯t something he took easily. ¡°Rematch!¡± ¡°Sure.¡±
¡°So¡­ I¡¯m fighting Racer?¡± ¡°Gotta catch me first!¡± The boy disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the clearing. ¡°You can¡¯t attack him directly,¡± informed Cobra. ¡°You¡¯re using telekinesis. Use your powers to move the rocks, the plants, the branches around.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Concentrating for a few seconds, she suddenly felt herself flying before hitting harshly a tree, having been kicked in the back. ¡°W- what the hell!?¡± she exclaimed, rubbing her head. ¡°Gotta be faster than that!¡± taunted Racer. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll show you faster!¡±
¡°You¡¯re always wearing long sleeves,¡± remarked Angel, eying the girl next to her. ¡°Your clothes never reveal any skin. Even your neck is covered. Is it because of the scars?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it to her anyway?¡± huffed Kaelys, looking away. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re ashamed of them, aren¡¯t you?¡± then realized the white-haired girl. At that, the younger girl clenched her fists. At that moment, Angel truly thought she was going to be killed. However, it was simply the nearest glass that exploded. Then, letting out a shaky breath, Kaelys pulled up her sleeves and rolled down her collar. All over her arms were the scars left by the electrical treatment Kaelys had mentioned before, she knew that now. However, looking closer, she could clearly see the clearer marks left by restraints all around her wrists. The same for her neck. And, she could also see some smaller scars in the inside of the wrists. She cuts herself? But why¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not ashamed of them,¡± then admitted the girl. ¡°I¡¯m scared of them. If I don¡¯t see them, then they¡¯re not real. I just want to forget about them, about what they mean.¡± ¡°¡­ what do they mean?¡± Angel was afraid to ask. ¡°That all of this was real,¡± the girl¡¯s voice was barely a whisper now. ¡°That if I don¡¯t get strong enough, if I stay as weak as I was before, then the results will be the same. I¡¯m terrified to be brought back. I don¡¯t want to go back there. Wouldn¡¯t you be scared too?¡± At that, Angel¡¯s heart clenched. Yes, I am. I am terrified to go back. But never would she have admitted this out loud.
Kaelys was moving the nearest objects she could find in a circle above their heads. They were waiting for Brain to announce a mission, which meant she was very bored by now. So, gathering glasses, utensils and even some chairs, she made them effectuate a cherry round five meters above the floor. ¡®BOO!¡¯ ¡°Shit!¡± Losing her focus as the voice started cackling, all of the objects fell back on the floor or were sent flying about. The other members of Oraci¨®n Seis easily avoided the projectiles, sending glares her way as she grinned sheepishly. Well, all saved for one. The chair hit Midnight square in the head, forcing him off his carpet and against the wall. They all stared in horror as he slowly got back to his feet like a zombie. ¡°Fuck, she woke him,¡± cringed Cobra. Instantly, they all backed farther away. The girl stayed in place, though, unperturbed by the boy¡¯s deadly aura. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± he asked, tone void of emotion. ¡°Kaelys,¡± she answered. ¡°I¡¯m the new member of Oraci¨®n Seis. I joined while you were sleeping, though, so I guess you wouldn¡¯t know.¡± The silence stretched, and stretched, and stretched¡­ until Midnight simply nodded and sat back on his floating carpet, before going to sleep again. The other members gaped as the girl started playing with her powers once more. What the hell!?
Kaelys snapped her eyes open, terrified as hands gripped her wrists. She started kicking blindly, finding herself unable to scream due to the sheer fear she felt at that moment. ¡°It¡¯s me, damn it! Snap out of it!¡± She stopped moving, the shadow above her now having a face. ¡°Cobra?¡± she recognized. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here? It¡¯s the middle of the night¡­¡± ¡°You started screaming like a banshee,¡± he grunted, annoyed. ¡°You woke me up.¡± ¡®You were having a bad dream¡¯ ¡®Ooh, PTSD. As if she wasn¡¯t crazy enough¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not crazy,¡± she gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for waking you, Cobra.¡± ¡°Tche.¡± He got up and headed for the door when he realized that Cubellios, who had followed him, wasn¡¯t coming. Turning around, he saw the purple snake snuggling to the girl, who had fallen asleep once more, now calm. He wondered for a moment about why the hell she was sleeping in a sitting position, before remembering snippets of her dream. Probably afraid to be tied up again, he understood. Geez, they really messed her up, didn¡¯t they? In the end, he left Cubellios in her room.
¡°Checkmate.¡± Brain stared at her for a moment, the familiar glint of that mature personality of hers disappearing once more. It happened each time they played a strategy game. She seemed to have two personalities, but she could remember both of them as if they were one: the childlike one, and the adult-like one. The later usually surfaced when logic was needed, making her more calm and collected. These moments were also the only ones where she wasn¡¯t saying what she thought and where Cobra could actually read her thoughts and intentions. It intrigued him. Her mind was so complexed, so volatile¡­ and so fragile too. He¡¯d have to mold his new tool carefully. If not, she might very well break between his hands.
¡°Ne, Cobra?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You said you had more than one magic,¡± recalled the girl, shifting in a more comfortable position. ¡°Is it possible to learn more than one magic?¡± ¡°Depends,¡± he shrugged, feeling gracious enough to indulge in her questions today. ¡°My real magic is Sound Magic. However, I implanted a Dragon Lacrima in my eye, which made me the Poison Dragon Slayer.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she hummed. ¡°And where can you get these Lacrimas?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± he rolled his eyes. ¡°If it was that easy to get your hand on these things, then everyone would.¡± She seemed disappointed at that. ¡°I need to be stronger, though¡­¡± she scratched the back of her head. ¡°¡­ we¡¯ve got a library here,¡± he then informed, knowing that dealing with a depressed Kaelys wasn¡¯t exactly fun. ¡°Just go check it out in your free time or something. You should be able to find another type of magic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± she beamed at him. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Whatever. Just get on with your laps.¡±
¡°What exactly happened to you, Kae?¡± At Racer¡¯s question, the girl placed down her book to look at him.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Many things happened to me. You have to be more concise.¡± ¡°To make you like¡­ this,¡± he gestured, struggling to find his words. ¡°You¡¯ve got those scars, and you keep talking about ¡®them¡¯, whoever they are, and your friends being taken away¡­¡± She rubbed her eyes, already tired. In a way, she didn¡¯t feel like answering. She had nothing to hide, though, and she knew she¡¯d have to talk one day or another. ¡°Two years ago, I was diagnosed with schizophrenia,¡± she then said. ¡°Which is stupid, since the voices are real. They thought I was ill, though, so my mother dumped me in an asylum to the ¡®good¡¯ care of a doctor. After a while, they realized that nothing changed and, instead of understanding that nothing was wrong with me, they stated that my case was ¡®worse than they thought¡¯. They restrained me day and night, putting me through electroconvulsive therapy and injecting me with so much medicine I was practically a living medical pill if you get what I mean. I¡¯ve stayed trapped there for two years without any ¡®progress¡¯ before I managed to steal a scalpel. I freed myself and killed whoever was in my way. But it wasn¡¯t my fault, you know? They¡¯re the ones who made me this way. If they hadn¡¯t treated me that way, then they would still be alive, don¡¯t you think? But it doesn¡¯t matter. I ran as far as I could, never looking back. When I woke up, it was in a forest. You know, I think I actually come from another world, ¡®cause I didn¡¯t go into any forest after killing everyone. Weird, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± ¡°Thought so too.¡± And she returned to her book. The blond boy stared at her for a few seconds, before making up his mind and running out of there. Definitely crazy. Am I glad I am not on her bad side or what?
¡°Ten more laps.¡± ¡°Do you know where you can shove those stupid laps? Up your a¡ª¡° ¡°Now.¡±
Kaelys was watching the spar between Cobra and Angel with narrowed eyes. Both of their Magics were strong, and the teen was extremely curious about the older girl¡¯s magic. However, how she treated those she named ¡®Spirits¡¯ didn¡¯t sit well with her. In the end, Angel lost. She was angry as she left the clearing. Frowning, Kaelys followed after her. When she got to the older girl¡¯s room, it was only to find her whipping the ram Spirit. ¡®Stop her!¡¯ ¡®Now!¡¯ They didn¡¯t have to ask. Stepping in, blood boiling, she roughly grabbed the whip and threw it aside, before shoving Angel against the wall, which cracked under the strength of the blow. Aries watched for a few seconds, eyes glinting with tears, before disappearing back into the Spirit Realm. Kaelys couldn¡¯t care less at the moment, though. She kept throwing Angel¡¯s body around like a broken doll, blood staining the walls, the floor, the furniture. After another minute, the door slammed open, letting enter the other members of Oraci¨®n Seis and a surprisingly awake Midnight. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± the Reflector mage asked coldly. The teen let go of Angel, who fell limply on the bed. The girl¡¯s purple eyes were blazing with so much disgust and hate, only their pride stopped them from taking a step back. ¡°I don¡¯t care about people dying,¡± she seethed. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the blood on my hands. However, I will not condone torture. I¡¯ll take on anyone who says otherwise.¡± ¡®But didn¡¯t you just torture Angel just now, hmmm?¡¯ Kaelys gritted her teeth, pushing through the boys to get to her own room. Once there, she closed the door and closed her eyes. ¡°It was necessary,¡± she then said, gritting her teeth. ¡°I will not be able to get by without violence, that much is certain. I am ready to torture if needed. There is no pleasure to take into it, though. Anyone saying otherwise is a monster.¡± ¡®I thought you were a monster. Didn¡¯t you say so yourself?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s enough of this!¡¯ ¡°I am a monster,¡± agreed the girl, more quietly while going to sit on her bed. ¡°But not that kind. Taking pleasure in other¡¯s pain¡­ That¡¯s a line I will never cross. I swear it.¡±
¡®Oh, that one¡¯s interesting¡¯ ¡®For once, I agree. Check it out¡¯ ¡°You know, that¡¯s not such a bad idea.¡± Kaelys marked her page. ¡°Let¡¯s go ask Brain!¡± Without losing another second, she ran out of the library to go find Brain. She nearly ran into Hoteye but merely spared him a glance, too focused on her goal. After a few minutes, she barreled in the leader¡¯s office and rammed into his desk, easily gaining his attention. ¡°What¡ª¡° ¡°Let me learn this magic!¡± He stilled for a second before glancing down at the open book presented to him. His eyes widened as he easily understood what magic she was talking about. He thought for a moment, before looking back at her. ¡°How much time would you need to achieve noticeable advancements?¡± ¡°A month, full time,¡± she answered. He pondered over it. The girl wasn¡¯t one to lie, he knew that well by now, and if she believed she could do it in a month¡­ ¡°Very well. You have exactly a month to achieve results. Your training will be put on hold for that time. If you manage, then you will be allowed to pursue. However, should you fail, you are to forget about it and focus on your main magic for now. While learning another magic can be useful, it also takes time¡ªand time isn¡¯t a luxury we can afford as of now. Have I made myself clear?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then get to it.¡±
Kaelys was working on learning her second magic when Racer, bored as hell, came to bother her. She ignored him at best as she could manage but, not giving up, the blond boy took a pencil and poked her arm with it. Bad move. Her eyes widening in fright, she snapped the book shut as her mind suddenly crushed all the bones in his arm. He let out a pained wail, letting go of the pencil, which fell to the floor with a hollow sound. A few seconds passed in heavy silence, only broken by the whimpers of Racer and the ragged breath of the obviously terrified girl. ¡®Snap out of it!¡¯ ¡®Damn it, that was just a pencil! Overreacting much!?¡¯ She gaped, turning to look at Racer, and realized just what she had done. Horrified, she instantly put the bones back together in one go. It wasn¡¯t a fun experience, she knew, but it was better than one at a time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She sunk deeper into the couch. ¡°I just reacted¡­ I thought¡ªI¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I- it¡¯s fine,¡± he gritted his teeth, moving his now repaired arm around a little. ¡°Should have known better, what with your¡­ past experiences. Guess I wasn¡¯t fast enough this time around, uh?¡± At that, she allowed a small smile to grace her lips, glad he wasn¡¯t mad at her. ¡°Guess you weren¡¯t.¡±
Cubellios resting next to her, the black-haired teen turned another page, wrote down a few notes, and passed to the next. A week had ended, and she was feeling all the hours spent on researching taking their toll on her. She was tired, but couldn¡¯t bring herself to stop. ¡°I want to learn more¡­¡± She turned yet another page. ¡°The more I know, the stronger I¡¯ll be. And I need to be much, much stronger.¡± For only answer, Cubellios hissed softly.
That night, Cubellios wasn¡¯t with her. She had left with Cobra and Midnight on a mission, which meant Kaelys was alone. However, the nightmares weren¡¯t the only things troubling her sleep. There was a storm. A really, really bad one. Normally, she enjoyed the rain. Watching it fall, feeling the drops rolling on her face¡­ She liked the rain. She even liked the thunder, strong and loud. What she didn¡¯t like was the lightning that came with it. The dark sky trembled once more and a flash of light broke through the black clouds. For barely half a second, Kaelys found herself back at the asylum, tied to the chair as they sent electrical shocks through her whole body. It was too much. Her scars aching, her heart thumping wildly, the girl ran out of her room and dashed in the one across, which was Angel¡¯s. The white-haired mage let out a terrified yelp when the younger girl suddenly jumped on her bed and was about to scold her thoroughly when she realized that the teen snuggling against her was shaking very badly. ¡°¡­ are you scared of the storm?¡± Angel couldn¡¯t keep an incredulous tone from leaking into her voice. Kaelys shook her head in a negative gesture. At that moment, lightning stroke once more and the teen let out a pitiful whimper, hiding her face in the crook of Angel¡¯s neck. The older girl¡¯s eyes widened in realization. ¡°The lightning?¡± The teen nodded weakly. At that very moment, Angel found herself back home. It was before Oraci¨®n Seis, before the Tower, when she lived happily with her family and all was right in the world. At that very moment, it wasn¡¯t Kaelys in her arms, but her little sister. At that very moment, Angel found herself unable to look away like she had done so many times before with so many people. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she whispered, closing her arms around the girl¡¯s trembling form. ¡°You can stay the night, if you want.¡± ¡°¡­ does she really means it?¡± wondered quietly the girl. Thunder echoed, soon followed by another violent flash of light, sending the teen in another frenetic haze. ¡°They¡¯re not coming back,¡± soothed Angel. ¡°And even if they do, we won¡¯t let them take you away, okay? You¡¯re with us, now. We won¡¯t let you go. I promise.¡± ¡®I like her¡¯ ¡®Guess we can agree again¡¯ ¡°¡­ Me too.¡± At that very moment, none would have been able to say if she answered to the voices, or to Angel¡¯s promise.
Kaelys was growing extremely frustrated. Only two weeks were left, and she was stuck. No matter what book she read, she just couldn¡¯t find the missing piece. That made her very angry. She knew that she still didn¡¯t have very good control over her powers so, while she wanted to just go out and change her mind, she was afraid to snap and hurt one of the others by accident. That only left one solution. Grabbing her scalpel ¨Cit never left her side since she stole it from the nurse-, she sat in a corner of her room and, without any more ceremonies, slashed through her wrists. Blood sipped through the cuts that kept appearing over her already overly scarred skin, but Kaelys didn¡¯t care about that. The physical pain took her mind away from her current troubles, and she didn¡¯t hurt others in the process. How good of an idea was that? ¡®It¡¯s NOT!¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know, she kind of has a point¡¯ For once, Kaelys didn¡¯t answer, simply staring a scarlet drop rolled from her wrist and tainted the floor, leaving a red trail in its course.
¡°You always check the water.¡± She jumped at the voice, turning around to see Midnight standing in the doorway, leaning against the wall with half-lidded eyes. ¡°Guess I do.¡± She placed down the now empty glass. ¡°They used to drug me a lot, so I can¡¯t help but check every time.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything more but slowly approached her with something akin to suspicion in his eyes. Then, before she could react, he grabbed one of her arms and rolled up the sleeves, revealing the fresh cuts. Her face turned blank as he eyed the wounds with morbid curiosity and a tad touch of wonder. ¡°Why¡­ do you do this¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you guys,¡± she shrugged. ¡°So I hurt myself. They didn¡¯t seem to think it was a good idea, though, so they used to restrain me. That¡¯s kind of stupid, right? To know that if they hadn¡¯t done that in the first place, they might still be alive¡­¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°No idea,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Nurses, doctors, guards¡­ Never cared to remember. In the end, no matter our differences, we all end up as corpses one day or another, so it doesn¡¯t really matter, does it?¡± He let go of her arm and she rolled the sleeve back down. She held his gaze, unflinching, before he offered a slight nod and walked away. ¡°You should bandage those,¡± he simply said, before disappearing in the hallway. She stared at the door by which he had left, somewhat confused. ¡°He didn¡¯t say it was bad¡­ that I should stop¡­¡± she blinked, a little stunned. ¡°That must be the first time. It¡¯s¡­ nice. To see that someone understands.¡± ¡®I¡¯m still saying it¡¯s not good for you¡¯ ¡®You just heard her, didn¡¯t you? Understanding is better to help than downright saying she shouldn¡¯t do it¡¯ ¡®Oh, I understand alright. Doesn¡¯t mean I accept it¡¯ ¡°Fair enough,¡± Kaelys couldn¡¯t help but agree.
¡°Yes! I did it!¡± cheered the girl. ¡°Ooh, gotta tell Brain! And I¡¯ve still got three days left too! Am I awesome or what?¡± ¡®Yes, you are¡¯ ¡®Just get on with it¡¯ Giggling, she quickly made her way to Brain¡¯s office to show the results her almost-month-long work.
¡°You want me to what?¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t think you¡¯re up to it?¡± challenged Cobra. ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± she waved her hand as if swatting a fly. ¡°I just never thought about it, but it¡¯s actually brilliant. Let me try.¡± She had grown much more at ease with her telekinesis. Only extremely strong emotions could now make her lose control so it didn¡¯t actually happen since Angel¡¯s incident with her Spirit. And now, to take things up a notch¡­ ¡°Holy fuck!¡± Letting out a breathless laugh, she girl watched in awe as her feet left the ground. She wasn¡¯t flying per se, but close enough. Using her telekinesis to lift herself, she was now able, technically speaking, fly. ¡°This is freaking awesome!¡± she exclaimed, spinning on herself. Down below, Cobra grinned madly, before sending Cubellios after the girl. Her eyes widened when she saw the snake sprouting wings and flying at her. She tried to run, before remembering she was currently floating midair. So, she decided to do her best Superman pose and flew faster to escape the fangs of the animal. ¡°Gah! Bad Cubellios, bad!¡± she barely avoided the snapping jaw near her leg. ¡°Get her, Cub!¡± cackled Cobra. Annoyed, still trying to escape the snake, Kaelys sent a rock flying against his head.
Nine months had passed since she joined Oraci¨®n Seis. While she was still training, she knew she could only grow stronger from now on. Her body now able to take the full training imposed by Cobra, she was growing into a skilled fighter. She was slowly learning to integrate her scalpel in her fighting style, too, and hand-to-hand combat was actually quite fun to learn. Well, minus the part where Cobra quite literally kicked her ass each and every time. Her magic was coming along quite well, for not saying both of them. The second one was still developing, but she had a good grasp over it by now. Being Holder Magic, she had to have a tool to use it, but Brain was going to teach her some Requiping Magic so that she¡¯d be able to summon her tool when she wanted to. And now? Now was the time to see if all this training and hard work truly served their purpose. Standing in Brain¡¯s office, facing the silver-haired man as the other members of the Dark Guild stood behind her ¨Cof course, Midnight was still sleeping-, she was awaiting her first mission. The first mission, and last one too if she failed. Success would mean receiving the Guild Mark and officially joining Oraci¨®n Seis. Failure meant her death, most likely by Brain¡¯s hand. She was fully aware of that, but she didn¡¯t care. If she failed, it meant she was still too weak, and she preferred dying with her loyalty to Brain intact. Kaelys was a lot of things. Honest, obviously, but loyal too. Extremely so. She pledged her loyalty to Brain. Therefore, she would do anything he asked of her until he freed her of her oath or if he or herself died. Disloyalty resumed to lying, and she wasn¡¯t one to lie. ¡°Kaelys.¡± She straightened her spine, ready. ¡°One of the subordinate Guilds is causing some trouble. They¡¯re attracting the Magic Council¡¯s attention, which we can¡¯t allow. You are to disband the Guild. If they refuse, then use force. However, keep the killing to a bare minimum. Most of them will more than probably end up joining another of our Guilds. Killing them would be a waste of manpower.¡± ¡°Understood. Time limit?¡± ¡°I give you three days. One for going, one for accomplishing the mission and one for coming back. Hoteye will follow you, but won¡¯t help in any way unless he is convinced you will fail. You leave now.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She darted out of the room.
Using her telekinesis, she lifted herself and Hoteye, before heading to the village in which Twilight Thorns was standing by. Using her powers that way, she should make it in half a day, but it would deplete her reserves considerably. She would use the other half to spy on the Guild and gather as much information as possible while her magic reserves built back itself, put a warning in the evening and, if they hadn¡¯t disbanded by morning, she would force them to. ¡°Keep killing to a bare minimum, he said,¡± she muttered, wind whipping her face. ¡°Guess it means I¡¯m allowed to kill one or two, if necessary.¡±
Kaelys and Hoteye came back two days after receiving the mission. As thought, she had to use force to disband them. Many of them were mages, but only four or five of them actually knew what they were doing, and they weren¡¯t that strong. She only had to make three of them implode before the rest gave in and disbanded in the hour, herself promising them to come back and finish them if they tried to come together again. She even proposed a bunch of Dark Guilds for them to join! She had been nice, awfully so. She hoped they knew that. Twilight Thorns successfully taken care of, she came back with a satisfied smirk, Hoteye¡¯s eyes shining as he counted his money. She wanted to thank him for accompanying her, even though it was his own mission, so she kind of stole the Guild¡¯s money. Giving him half, she then went to give the rest to Brain. When she presented it to him, though, he simply told her to keep it. She earned it with her successful mission, apparently. And now¡­ ¡°Purple, on my collarbone.¡± Angel apposed the Guild¡¯s mark in the place indicated, before pulling away. Kaelys gazed at the dark purple mark ¨Cthe same as her eyes- now resting upon her pale skin. She was officially a part of Oraci¨®n Seis, now. ¡°I finally belong somewhere¡­¡± Only Cobra¡¯s enhanced hearing allowed him to hear her barely whispered words and, unable to help himself, a smirk twisted his lips. Guess she does. The Mission of Oraciè´¸n Seis All in all, a year had passed since Kaelys escaped the asylum. She wasn¡¯t stupid, so she had soon realized she wasn¡¯t in her world anymore. However, she didn¡¯t care. It only meant it would be more difficult for them to get her back. Plus, she was strong, now. She wouldn¡¯t be trapped again. They were now all standing in Brain¡¯s office, their main mission put to a halt. ¡°Our search for Nirvana will soon be done,¡± announced the leader. ¡°But the legal Guilds are gathering to stop our advance. They are forming the Allied Forces, which will be composed of members from Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, Fairy Tail, and Cait Shelter. We already have information on all the mages who will form the team.¡± He placed down a stack of files on the desk. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be much trouble but you are to read those files and find those you would fair best against. Truth, you know what to do.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kaelys, or rather Truth, saluted him with a lopsided grin, before grabbing the first file. ¡°Now, to find some interesting magic¡­ Ooh, wonder if they¡¯re strong¡­¡±
¡°I can hear it¡­¡± Cobra stroke Cubellios¡¯ head with a mad grin. ¡°The sound of the breaking of the light!¡± ¡°He¡¯s so overdramatic,¡± Truth snorted. The boy, now man, shot her a glare at that, and Angel and herself exchanged a knowing look. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty, Cobra,¡± then said Racer. ¡°Aa?¡± ¡°Well, being hasty ain¡¯t so bad,¡± the blond took back his words. ¡°That magic we¡¯re talking about is hidden here, Racer,¡± replied Cobra. ¡°A magic that will bring about darkness and break all light, yes!¡± nodded Hoteye. ¡°Nirvana¡­¡± added Angel. There was a snore from Midnight, and Truth choked down a laugh. Brain hit the ground with his staff. ¡°The legendary magic will finally be ours,¡± he stated imperiously. ¡°Is this Nirvana magic really all it¡¯s cracked up to be?¡± wondered Racer. ¡°Behold!¡± Their leader gestured to the forest extending at their feet. ¡°The land has already begun to die, just because Nirvana is nearby.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± shrugged Truth, herself now also petting Cubellios¡¯ head. ¡°All that matters is finding Nirvana and activating it. I do wonder, though. Will it shift our allegiances too? You know, good to bad and bad to good¡­ Wait, can we really call ourselves bad? I mean, there¡¯s much more shades than black and white in the world¡­¡± Cobra swatted the back of her head, earning a hiss from the girl. ¡°Stop it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too soon for your philosophical crap,¡± he replied flatly. ¡°Ooh, you can use big words now, uh?¡± ¡°Why you¡ª¡° ¡°Enough,¡± Brain stepped in, cutting to the banter. ¡°Nirvana will soon be in our hands, and the Allied Forces will rejoice soon. Don¡¯t waste any more time.¡± ¡°Right!¡± With that, they split up to start the search.
¡°They¡¯re coming,¡± informed Cobra, listening. ¡°Truth?¡± ¡°On it.¡± She lifted her eyes to the gigantic horse-boat-thingy flying in the sky. Thanks to Angel¡¯s Spirits, they knew all of the Allied Forces¡¯ plan, so they could easily make their move now. Without wasting a second, she made Christina ¨Cthat¡¯s what the machine was called- explode. The pieces flew all around as it crashed to the ground, fire and smoke rising from the remains. Then, she went to hide in the trees as the rest of their Guild came out of the flames. ¡°Talk about dramatic,¡± she huffed a little. She wasn¡¯t allowed to come out as of now, for they had been careful as to not let her existence be revealed in the past year. Along with Midnight and Brain, who wouldn¡¯t fight unless necessary, she was their trump card. ¡°The maggots have swarmed,¡± scoffed Brain. ¡°We saw through your plans,¡± added Angel, the Gemini Spirits by her sides. ¡°We already got Jura and Ichiya! How do you like that?¡± ¡°What!?¡± a white-haired boy with a coat exclaimed. ¡°Impossible!¡± added another one in a suit. ¡°Lyon from Lamia Scale, Hibiki from Blue Pegasus,¡± recalled quietly Truth. ¡°Lyon: potential target.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trembling,¡± smirked Cobra. ¡°I can hear it.¡± ¡°We should hurry up with our work,¡± Racer pointed out. ¡°But you¡¯re getting in our way.¡± ¡°Money makes people stronger, yes!¡± added Hoteye. ¡°Let me tell you something nice. Money is everything in this world and¡ª¡° ¡°Hoteye, shut up!¡± grunted Cobra and Racer, while Truth muttered the same under her breath. Midnight only snored louder at that, and a blonde girl sweatdropped. ¡°I think one of them is asleep¡­¡± ¡°Lucy from Fairy Tail,¡± recognized Truth. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to show themselves to us,¡± remarked a redhead in an armor. ¡°Erza from Fairy Tail: target.¡± ¡°Oi,¡± grinned a pink-haired boy. ¡°Yeah,¡± grinned back a black-haired one. ¡°Natsu from Fairy Tail, Gray from Fairy Tail,¡± the telekinesis mage shifted in place. ¡°Natsu: target. Gray: potential target.¡± ¡°Eh, I can hear you,¡± Cobra¡¯s eyes took a mad glint. At that, both of the boys ran toward the whole group, ready to fight. ¡°Now we don¡¯t have to go find you!¡± they exclaimed. ¡°Do it,¡± ordered simply Brain. ¡°Okay.¡± Racer disappeared and reappeared behind them. Before they could react, he harshly kicked them around, sending them flying opposite ways. ¡°Natsu! Gray!¡± But Lucy had her own set of trouble, facing a clone of herself. ¡°Sherry!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lyon and the pink-haired girl made their way to Hoteye, but he was waiting for them. Activating his powers, the ground under their feet became mud, and they started sinking. ¡°Even without love, as long as you have money, yes!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lived with him for a year and I still don¡¯t get that,¡± Truth rubbed her temples. The Trimens tried to make their move but Racer got rid of them so easily it was kind of pitiful. At that moment, the Titania tried to intervene, Requiping in a blade armor and taking on Cobra. ¡°Ba-a-a-a-ka,¡± yawned Truth, growing tired of waiting. She could have made them explode and be done with it, but Brain was extremely intent on her gathering as much magic as possible. And, what better than to take it from the strongest mages of each Guild? ¡®Still boring¡¯ ¡®Well, I find it interesting¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not so fun because we already know who¡¯s going to win,¡± replied the black-haired girl. And win they did, awfully fast and easily at that. With a heavy sigh, she watched as the battered bodies of the legal mages now lied on the ground, vanquished. ¡°Truth,¡± then called Brain. ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± Jumping from her tree, she instantly headed for the nearest one, Requiping a book in her hands. ¡°Gray Fullbuster.¡± She crouched next to him. ¡°Ice Make Magic.¡± She placed her hand on forehead and his eyes widened before he slumped to the ground as light emanated from the book. Satisfied, she then went to the pink-haired boy. ¡°Natsu Dragneel,¡± she touched his forehead. ¡°Fire Dragon Slaying Magic.¡± ¡°Why you¡ª¡° Before he could add anything, he fell unconscious. Getting back to her feet, she then went to the redhead, who had been mortally injured by Cubellios. She glared as Truth kneeled next to her, but found herself unable to flee as the teen touched her forehead too. ¡°Erza Scarlet, Requiping Magic.¡± This one managed to stay conscious, which pleased Truth somewhat. Cobra seemed to have the time of his life earlier while battling her, and the teen couldn¡¯t help but hope she¡¯d be able to experience that kind of battle too. ¡°Wonder if I¡¯ll be able to fight her.¡± Truth tilted her head. ¡°Well, not with that injury of hers, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°W- what a- a- are you t- talk- talking ab- about?¡± Erza couldn¡¯t move, though. ¡°Truth, move faster,¡± drawled Racer. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m taking a lot at once, be patient,¡± grunted the girl, walking to her next target. ¡°Sherry Blendy, Doll Attack Magic.¡± ¡°S- Sherry!¡± Lyon exclaimed, horrified as his friend slumped to the ground.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Eve Tearm, Snow Magic. Not that strong but whatever. And Ren Akatsuki, Air Magic. Then again, not that strong but still useful,¡± she pursued, unperturbed. ¡°Well, I¡¯m done!¡± She headed back to the rest of her Guild with a small smile, sending her Book back. She would have to do a lot of training later, but she didn¡¯t mind. She was impatient to start, to be honest. ¡°W- what have you done to them!?¡± seethed Hibiki, struggling to get up. ¡°W- who are you!?¡± She turned to him, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Hibiki Lates, Archive Magic,¡± she recalled, tilting her head. ¡°You would have been a target if I didn¡¯t already possess Archive Magic. As for your question, it is of no importance. After all, why bother with answering walking corpses?¡± ¡°W- what!?¡± ¡°Trash.¡± Brain, taking his cue, raised his staff. ¡°You should all vanish from this Earth. Dark Rondo!¡± Dark Magic started gathering at the end of the staff, the air trembling and heavy. Truth watched, somewhat envious. That had been a Magic she hadn¡¯t been allowed to copy, much to her chagrin. After all, it was incredulously strong. However, before he could finish the lethal spell, his eyes widened and the magic energy dispersed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Brain?¡± inquired Racer. ¡°Why did you stop the spell?¡± added Cobra. ¡°Wendy¡­ There is no mistaking it. You are Wendy, the Maiden of the Sky!¡± Instantly, the little girl let out a whimper while hiding behind the giant rock. Truth shot a look at Brain. That Wendy hadn¡¯t been in the files, so she must have been the unknown member of Cait Shelter. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to encounter you here,¡± remarked Brain. ¡°It looks like we picked up a nice present. Come!¡± He grabbed the little girl with his magic and brought her to them. Truth watched in wonder as two cats, a white and a blue one, started running after her while screaming. ¡°Since when can cats talk?¡± she wondered quietly. ¡°W- what the hell do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± Natsu, who had woken up meantime, tried to get back to his feet. ¡°Money is the great equalizer, yes!¡± ¡°What is that even supposed to mean?¡± the girl asked Cobra as the older man used his magic to trap the legal mages. ¡°No idea.¡± ¡°WENDY!!!¡± The girl had just disappeared in Brain¡¯s portal, along with the blue cat. ¡°I have no more need for you, worms. Dark Rondo!¡± But before he could crush any of them, none other than Jura appeared out of nowhere. ¡°Rockiron Wall!¡± Using the momentum, Oraci¨®n Seis escaped in a flash.
¡°They¡¯re even more powerful than the data we collected on them suggested.¡± The wizards of the Alliance were only now all understanding how outmatched and unprepared they had been. They even lost Wendy! ¡°And Christina has been destroyed, too,¡± remarked Sherry, clicking her tongue. ¡°Yes. That woman who can peer into your heart said that they knew everything about our plans,¡± confirmed Jura. ¡°W- what about the people that were on board?¡± frowned Lucy, worried. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± assured Hibiki with a slight smile. ¡°Christina was heading to its destination by remote control,¡± explained Eve. ¡°After we found their base, we were supposed to board it, however¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad, then,¡± sighed Lucy, relieved. ¡°I am also glad you remained safe, Jura-san,¡± added Lyon. ¡°But I do worry about their new addition. Who was that girl? She wasn¡¯t in the data at all!¡± ¡°It felt weird,¡± Gray frowned, looking down at his fist. ¡°For a moment, it felt as if she was draining me from all my magic. But now, I¡¯m totally fine. Well, as fine as I can be after that beat down.¡± ¡°Same,¡± agreed Sherry, Eve and Ren. ¡°And they kidnapped Wendy and Happy too! Damn those bastards¡­¡± cursed Natsu. ¡°We¡¯ll get them! We won¡¯t lose again!¡±
¡°Ooh, I can¡¯t wait to get started!¡± grinned Truth, checking the newest pages of her Book. ¡°I¡¯ve got some really strong magic too.¡± ¡°Strong?¡± scoffed Cobra. ¡°They were awfully weak.¡± ¡°Magic¡¯s strength depends on its wielder¡¯s,¡± replied the girl. ¡°And I think we can all agree that I am far from weak.¡± ¡°Still can¡¯t beat me,¡± retorted the maroon-haired boy. ¡°Yeah? Well, Cubellios likes me better,¡± she pulled her tongue at him. He seemed outraged at that notion but, as if to prove the teen¡¯s words, the purple snake went and wrapped herself around the girl¡¯s shoulders and body, making her laugh as Cobra gaped. ¡°What the hell, Cub!?¡± ¡°Quiet,¡± ordered Brain, not even looking at them. Cobra grunted, before swatting the girl¡¯s head. She glared at him, cracking his bones in answer. He bared his teeth at her, and Racer appeared between the two of them. ¡°You¡¯ll have enough time to fight later,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back for now.¡± ¡°Tche.¡± ¡°Whatever. I prefer Angel anyway.¡± As if to prove her point, she went to stand beside the white-haired mage. ¡°There is no love, only money!¡± chided Hoteye. ¡°Shut up, Hoteye!¡± they all replied as one. Midnight kept on snoring. When they arrived at the cave that they were using for their current base of operation, Brain released Wendy and the blue cat. ¡°Don¡¯t be violent!¡± scolded the cat as the girl rubbed her sore arm. ¡°She¡¯s just a little girl!¡± ¡°Happy¡­¡± gasped the blue-haired kid. Annoyed, Brain picked the feline up by the head, before sending him crashing onto the floor. However, before he could hit it, his fall was stopped by Truth, who glared at Brain while using her telekinesis to bring the cat into her arms. ¡°He¡¯s just a cute kitty,¡± she huffed. ¡°Don¡¯t be so mean.¡± ¡°D- don¡¯t worry, Wendy! I¡¯ll get you out of here!¡± he assured, struggling weakly. ¡°W- when I get free myself, I promise!¡± Giggling, Truth petted Happy¡¯s head before gently sending him back to the girl, who hugged him tightly. ¡°Brain, who is this girl?¡± asked Racer, lying against a wall. ¡°She has something to do with Nirvana?¡± added Cobra. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it to me,¡± remarked Angel. ¡°I see! We¡¯ll sell her for money, yes?¡± proposed Hoteye. ¡°Is that all you ever think about!?¡± the maroon-haired boy sweatdropped. ¡°As long as you have money, you can even buy love,¡± retorted the tall man. ¡°I don¡¯t think it works that way,¡± Truth shook her head. ¡°She can use Sky Magic,¡± then answered Brain. ¡°In other words, Healing Magic.¡± ¡°Healing Magic?¡± ¡°A Lost Magic¡­¡± ¡°An ancient magic that was thought to be forgotten¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right. The poison. The poison for Kuzco. The poison chose especially to kill Kuzco. Kuzco''s poison,¡± mumbled Truth under her breath. Cobra shot her a very unique look, but she ignored him. ¡°Ooh, this smells like money to me!¡± giggled Hoteye. ¡°This little girl?¡± scoffed Cobra, looking at her closer. Then, his eyes widened. ¡°Impossible!¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± grinned Brain. ¡°We will resurrect him!¡± ¡°Resurrect who!?¡± replied Happy. ¡°I- I don¡¯t really know, but I¡¯m not going to help bad people!¡± assured Wendy. ¡°Oh, you will,¡± retorted Brain. ¡°You will indeed. You will resurrect him for us. Racer, bring him here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long way,¡± remarked Racer. ¡°It¡¯ll take even me an hour.¡± ¡°No matter. I would have sent Truth, but seeing how she copied so many Magics not so long ago, she¡¯ll have some trouble controlling hers for a while.¡± ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t mention it,¡± sighed Truth in annoyance. ¡°I see,¡± Cobra nodded in appreciation. ¡°If we resurrect him, Nirvana is as good as found. Is that what you¡¯re thinking, Brain?¡± ¡°Cobra, Hoteye, Angel¡­ continue to search for Nirvana.¡± ¡°But if we resurrect him, then that won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Angel pointed out. ¡°I asked you a question!¡± Happy¡¯s bravado was wavering, though. ¡°Who are you trying to revive!?¡± But they kept on ignoring him. ¡°Midnight, Truth and I will be remaining here to keep watch and to allow Truth some more time to settle her magic,¡± concluded Brain. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like Midnight¡¯s going to do anything, though,¡± pointed out Hoteye. Truth snorted at that. ¡°You want me to wake him, then?¡± At that, the man quickly shook his head in a negative gesture, making her outright laugh. ¡°You really are the only one with Brain who can wake him up without risking to get killed,¡± huffed Angel. ¡°But I guess we¡¯ll be off, then. I know, let¡¯s race! The first one to find Nirvana¡ª¡° ¡°Gets one million jewels, yes!¡± instantly jumped in Hoteye. ¡°A million? That¡¯s a lot,¡± sweatdropped the white-haired girl. ¡°W- what kind of magic is Nirvana?¡± then asked Wendy. At her question, a crazy glint shone in the leader¡¯s eyes as the members of Oraci¨®n Seis, saved for Midnight, Truth and himself, left. ¡°Magic that switches Light for Darkness¡± he finally answered. ¡°Light and Darkness?¡± repeated Wendy. ¡°I don¡¯t get it at all,¡± Happy scratched the back of his head. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand either, to be honest,¡± Truth sighed heavily, plopping down next to them without a care in the world. They recoiled at her sudden proximity, Happy bravely stepping between the two girls. She blinked, surprised. ¡°They¡¯re scared of me¡­¡± she thought out loud. ¡°Is it just because I¡¯m part of Oraci¨®n Seis? Well, guess it mustn¡¯t exactly be reassuring for them either¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s completely bonkers,¡± whimpered Happy. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy!¡± the girl¡¯s aloof attitude snapped to a tensed one. ¡°Take it back!¡± ¡°Y- you¡¯re¡¯ not crazy! Waa, I¡¯m sorry! Don¡¯t eat me!¡± wailed Happy. ¡°Eat you?¡± repeated the girl, confusion replacing the coldness. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re funny! So, your names are Wendy and Happy, right? I¡¯m Kaelys, but everyone calls me Truth, even though I don¡¯t really get why we need codenames and all¡ª¡° ¡°Don¡¯t go blabbering too much, Truth,¡± Brain warned, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Hey, I might be unable to lie, but I know how to keep my mouth shut, you know?¡± she huffed, shaking her head. ¡°So distrusting¡­ Ne, how old are you? I¡¯m fourteen!¡± ¡°T- twelve¡­¡± the girl relented. While she was scared ¨Cfor not saying terrified- of the Oraci¨®n Seis members, that girl seemed the less dangerous of the bunch. But then again, she seemed to have copied the others¡¯ Magics, though I don¡¯t really understand how¡­ ¡°W- what do you mean that you¡¯re unable to lie?¡± the little girl couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°Wendy, don¡¯t talk to her! She¡¯s Oraci¨®n Seis!¡± protested Happy. ¡°It means exactly that,¡± shrugged the purple-eyed teen. ¡°I don¡¯t lie because I don¡¯t see the point and because I physically can¡¯t do it. Weird, uh? Ne, ne, Wendy! You said you wouldn¡¯t help us because we¡¯re bad people, right? Why are you saying we¡¯re bad, though?¡± At the question, the Sky Dragon Slayer¡¯s eyes widened ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Come on, you can tell me! I won¡¯t get mad, promise!¡± assured the girl. ¡°Y- you hurt the others,¡± Wendy lowered her gaze. ¡°Y- you kidnapped me¡­ You¡¯re a Dark Guild¡­ You¡¯re searching for what seemed to be forbidden magic¡­ You killed people, didn¡¯t you? Only bad people do that!¡± ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Truth blinked. ¡°I did kill people. Loads of them, to be honest. Sometimes, I¡¯ve got so much blood on me that I can¡¯t tell the difference between it and my skin!¡± Tears welled in Wendy¡¯s eyes as she listened, horrified. ¡°The first people I killed were those who kept me in captivity.¡± pursued the black-haired girl, unbothered by the horror on the child¡¯s face. ¡°They tortured me for two years. And when I escaped, I was captured by slavers. That¡¯s when my Magic awoke, too. I made their heads go BOOM! Isn¡¯t that funny? They thought they could sell me but in the end, I killed them before they could kill me! Ironic, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s horrible,¡± whispered the blue-haired Dragon Slayer. ¡°Am I still a bad person?¡± insisted Truth, tilting her head. ¡°I killed many, many people. But in the end, it was them, or me. Can you really blame me for being so selfish? I won¡¯t deny being a monster, but does that really make me a bad person?¡± ¡°Truth, this is enough,¡± Brain intervened. ¡°While you¡¯re at it, would you be able to copy her¡¯s too?¡± ¡°Uh? I guess I could¡­ I¡¯ll have to rest even more, though.¡± ¡°Do it.¡± ¡°All right, all right¡­¡± Getting on her feet, she Requiped her Book before turning to Wendy, who was struggling to keep her tears from falling. ¡°Stay away from her!¡± Happy blocked her path. ¡°Sorry, no can do,¡± Truth smiled to him. Using her telekinesis, she levitated the cat away and crouched next to Wendy. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt, don¡¯t worry,¡± beamed the girl. Before Wendy could back away, the black-haired mage placed a finger on her forehead. Her eyes rolled in their sockets and she fell unconscious as the Book shone once more, another page adding to the girl¡¯s collection. Satisfied, she then put both the child and the cat down, Requiping her Book away. ¡°Wendy!¡± exclaimed Happy, running to the girl¡¯s limp body. ¡°What have you done to her!?¡± ¡°I copied her Magic in my Book,¡± answered Truth, sitting down again. ¡°It¡¯s Thief Magic, a Lost Magic I have learned to use many months ago. It allows me to copy the Magic of any mage I had physical contact with and use the stolen Magic afterward as my own. Each new spell used by the one I stole the Magic from will be added to my arsenal, and can¡¯t ever be erased unless I do it myself.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡° ¡°Truth, say no more,¡± ordered Brain. ¡°You never know what can happen with that kind of information. Just get some rest to allow your Ethernano to stabilize.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Without another word, she went to Midnight and, without much more ceremonies, plopped down on the carpet next to him. He didn¡¯t even stir from his slumber, too used to her invading his sleeping space by now to wake up. Then, leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes and let herself go to sleep.
There was a sudden surge of magic and, next thing Truth knew, she was awake and a newly resurrected blue-haired boy/man stood in front of Wendy and Brain. ¡°Did I miss something or what?¡± she stretched a little, feeling better. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that the guy I was sent to retrieve a few months ago?¡± ¡°J- Jellal!¡± At the voice, she turned to see Natsu standing at the entry of the cave, staring at the blue-haired mage in dumbfounded horror. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± sobbed Wendy, kneeling on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡­ so sorry¡­ this person saved my life¡­¡± ¡°Wendy! You used your Healing Magic?¡± exclaimed the white-haired cat. ¡°What were you thinking? If you use that power recklessly¡ªWendy!¡± As if on cue, the little girl slumped to the ground, exhausted. Jellal glanced at her unmoving form, face blank. ¡°Why are you here?¡± snarled Natsu, his fist flaming. ¡°Jellal!¡± Not caring about the three other members of Oraci¨®n Seis, the pink-haired boy ran to the resurrected mage, fist blazing with fire. Raising his hand, Jellal sent him away with a blast of magic as if not even trying. ¡°Natsu!¡± ¡°Tremendous magical power as always, I see,¡± remarked Brain, going to stand beside Jellal. The boy snapped his head to the leader of the Dark Guild and sent him flying away without another care in the world. Instantly, Truth jumped on her feet, her eyes losing their usual aloofness. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± she inquired quietly. He looked at her, raising his hand. Before he could summon his magic again, she grabbed his hand. ¡°Jellal Fernandes, Heavenly Body Magic.¡± He flinched from the sudden drain of power as she gasped in pain, pulling away. ¡°I copied too much¡­¡± she muttered, shaking a little. ¡°His Magic is too strong. I have to make some place!¡± Requiping her Book, she instantly got rid of Air Magic, Doll Magic and Snow Magic, their pages covering with Jellal¡¯s powers. Using her moment of inattention against her, the blue-haired man sent her crashing against the nearest wall, before heading outside without another glance behind. Truth could only watch as Natsu, Happy, the white cat known as Carla and Wendy left too. Soon after, the ground exploded, revealing Brain. ¡°That¡­ did not go as planned,¡± he sighed heavily. ¡°Well, it is my mistake for releasing him from his restraints. He¡¯s never been hostile towards me before, though. Could he have overheard the discussions about Nirvana, even as he was sleeping?¡± ¡°For all we know, he might be intending on taking Nirvana for himself,¡± replied Truth, lifting him from the hole in which he was trapped. The leader¡¯s eyes widened in understanding at her words. ¡°Damn that bastard¡­ I will not allow it! It is ours! We will not hand it to anyone! Cobra! Can you hear me!? Jellal has escaped, go after him! Nirvana should be where he is heading!¡± Knowing he heard him, Brain then turned to his youngest recruit, who sported pained frown. ¡°I copied his Magic, but it¡¯s too much at once,¡± she scrunched her nose. ¡°Fighting will be a pain.¡± ¡®That¡¯s a euphemism¡¯ ¡®Are you sure you can handle it?¡¯ ¡°Not like I have much of a choice anyway.¡± Chaos On Nirvana ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Brain!¡± The man leaned over Truth, nearly collapsing as one of the tribal lines covering his face disappeared into nothingness. ¡°Racer¡­ is gone?¡± he whispered in disbelief. ¡°What!?¡± ¡°One pillar of the Six Generals has broken¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean? What happened?¡± she pressed, growing more agitated. ¡°I underestimated our enemy!¡± He got back to his feet, turning to Midnight, who was still sleeping. ¡°I never thought we would have to wake him up¡­ Truth?¡± ¡°S- sure. Oi, Midnight! Come on, time to go kick some asses!¡± She shook the boy awake. ¡°Come on, wake up!¡± His red eyes snapped open and he slowly got to his feet. ¡°Morning sunshine!¡± she greeted as cheerfully as she could manage. He stared for a second, before letting out a sigh and placing his hand over her head. Then, pulling away, he faced Brain. ¡°Get rid of every last one of them,¡± the leader ordered. ¡°Yes, Father.¡± There was suddenly an enormous flash of light, blinding the three members of Oraci¨®n Seis for a few seconds. ¡®Could it be¡­¡¯ ¡®Of course it is, what else could it be?¡¯ ¡°Nirvana¡­¡± The name escaped her mouth as a tower of dark light and obscure magic elevated until it reached the sky. ¡°T- there is no mistaking it¡­¡± muttered Brain, sweat rolling down his forehead. ¡°Congratulations, Father.¡± Midnight¡¯s lips twisted in a small smirk. ¡°Those Guild wizards will all be wiped out¡­ before midnight.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell if this was just a way of saying or just a really bad pun,¡± mumbled Truth. If Midnight had been able of showing emotions, she was certain he would have rolled his eyes at her. Instead, he settled for poking her forehead, before turning back to Brain. ¡°Father, you head toward that light with Truth,¡± he then said. ¡°Nirvana is ours.¡± ¡°¡­ yes. Yes, it is.¡±
Brain stiffened, another tribal tattoo disappearing. They hadn¡¯t left the cave yet, waiting for the main body of Nirvana to activate but time seemed to be running out. ¡°Who was it?¡± Truth frowned. ¡°A- Angel has fallen too¡­¡± The girl stilled at that. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not right. Angel was strong, very much so. The only way for her to lose would have been that she lost her keys, or they turned against her¡­ She can¡¯t be¡­¡± Her throat tightened at that, the idea of the white-haired mage dying numbing her senses. Her Magic roared inside of her very being, shaking her core, and one of the closest rock exploded. Brain placed his hand over her head, snapping her out of her dark thoughts. ¡°These scums will pay for the lives of our comrades, but now is not the time,¡± he warned. ¡°You need to regulate your magic power as fast as possible. Now come! Nirvana is awaiting us.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± ¡®Angel¡­ Racer¡­¡¯ ¡®Make those petty mages pay¡¯ ¡°Oh, I will.¡±
Soon, the sky took a darker shade as the sun slowly set down, tainting the clouds in flames, pierced by the tower of light growing in power each passing second. Brain and Truth finally reached Nirvana, only to find Cobra and Cubellios staring at a barely conscious Jellal and a certain redhead, who had somehow been revived from the snake¡¯s poison. Brain hit the ground with his staff, drawing their attention. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± ¡°Brain,¡± Cobra spun around to face them. ¡°Truth.¡± ¡°A self-destruction magic circle,¡± recognized Truth, staring at the said circle, which was covering Nirvana. ¡°Jellal constructed it, that bastard!¡± seethed Cobra. ¡°This is bad! At this rate, we¡¯ll have finally found Nirvana only to see it destroyed!¡± But Brain didn¡¯t seem bothered by it, his lips stretching in a smirk. ¡°Fear not, Cobra. I¡¯m sure you know just why I have the codename ¡®Brain¡¯, do you not?¡± He started advancing towards the three and the light tower, Truth just behind him. ¡°I was once a member of the Ministry of Magical Development. During that time, I used my knowledge to create hundreds of new spells. One of them is the self-destruction magic circle. And¡ª¡° Brain finally reached Nirvana while Truth went to stand beside the maroon-haired Drago Slayer. ¡°¡ªI was the one who taught it to you. Or have you forgotten, Jellal?¡± ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on, but whatever,¡± mumbled Truth, plopping down with Cubellios on her knees. ¡°There¡¯s another circle on his body, though. He must be planning on taking the cancellation code to the grave or something.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know what that circle is, how do you know about the cancellation code?¡± Cobra couldn¡¯t help but ask, unable to hear her thoughts as always. ¡°Logic,¡± she shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s always a key to the lock, always a way to cancel what has been done. Well, materially speaking, at least. You can¡¯t exactly bring back the dead or something like that.¡± He hummed in understanding, before looking back to Brain. ¡°It seems his memories are screwed up thanks to the effects of Ethernano,¡± he explained. ¡°Basically speaking, he doesn¡¯t understand he¡¯s a bad guy.¡± That made Truth snort and Brain laughed. ¡°What? Hilarious!¡± Erza gritted her teeth at that, but Brain paid no mind to her and approached even more Nirvana. ¡°Even without the cancellation code, I can nullify the magic circle itself, you see.¡± He raised his hand, magic emanating around the circle, which soon started to disappear. Erza¡¯s eyes narrowed, Jellal letting out a gasp as Cobra echoed in a victorious cackle. ¡°To say he doesn¡¯t want me to copy that¡­¡± huffed Truth, crossing her arms with a pout. ¡°I¡¯d be awfully strong.¡± ¡®That¡¯s exactly why he won¡¯t let you copy him¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s too scared that you¡¯ll overpower him, how rich is that!?¡¯ ¡°How pitiful, Jellal!¡± then exclaimed the silver-haired man. ¡°Nirvana is now mine!¡± ¡°Never!¡± Erza, Requiping a sword, ran at him with all her might. ¡°Awaken, Nirvana!¡± The ground started shaking, Erza lost her balance as Jellal struggled to get back up. The rock under their feet broke, pieces elevating at different heights. Cubellios hissed softly before going back to Cobra, while Truth jumped to join Brain¡¯s side. ¡°I can hear it!¡± Cobra¡¯s voice took an insane taint. ¡°Our future! The sound of the extinction of the light!¡± ¡°Drama queen,¡± grunted Truth, deflecting a heavy rock falling upon them.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Rise, Nirvana!!!¡± shouted gleefully their leader. So Nirvana rose.
The black-haired girl gazed around in awe. They were standing on top of Nirvana, everything having stop moving barely a few seconds sooner. ¡°So this is Nirvana¡­¡± she muttered, eying the buildings all around them. From what she could see, it was a gigantic city supported by six even more gigantic pillars, or legs, or whatever people would call them. ¡°Finally! Finally, it is mine!¡± yelled a triumphal Brain, extending his arms in victory. ¡°The ultimate weapon that will destroy the light, the ultra-inversion magic, Nirvana! The greatest weapons of the official Guilds, their unity, and trust¡­ have now become powerless before me!¡± ¡°Why do all villains feel the need to monologue? It¡¯s a ridiculous habit,¡± scoffed Truth. Cobra swatted the back of her head and she sent him flying against a pillar, instantly drawing Brain¡¯s attention. ¡°Do not use even an ounce of your magic, Truth,¡± he warned, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Your mission is the most important and demanding of all, you will need all the power you can get.¡± ¡°Oops, my bad,¡± she grinned sheepishly. ¡°Still, finally! We have Nirvana¡­¡± Cobra got up, rubbing his palm against the pillar he had just hit. ¡°A relic of the ancient, uh? Cubellios, this is pretty awesome¡­ and don¡¯t deny it, Loudmouth, you¡¯re amazed too.¡± ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t deny it alright,¡± she shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s pretty neat. Too bad I can¡¯t explore¡­¡± ¡°Cobra, Truth,¡± Brain called. ¡°Look at the world spread out below me. The city of the ancients¡­ that itself is the true identity of Nirvana! While I stand here on the King¡¯s Summit, this city moves exactly as I will it!¡± ¡°Move?¡± the poison mage tilted his head. ¡°Are we making it go somewhere?¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± Truth rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re going to destroy all the light Guilds, one in particular¡­¡± ¡°Our first target?¡± grinned Cobra. ¡°First of many,¡± she grinned back. They exchanged a high-five at that and Brain activated his magic. ¡°Go forth, ancient city!¡± he ordered. ¡°Change our darkness for the light!¡± But as what seemed to be the command boards popped from the floor, there was a glint in the sky. Before any of them could react, none other than Natsu flew at them, spouting fire and deactivating Brain¡¯s spell. ¡°I¡¯ll stop you!¡± he assured, lifted by Happy. ¡°Fire Dragon¡¯s Roar!¡± The girl hid behind her leader as he activated his shield, remembering his warning about not using her magic. She narrowed her eyes at the strength of the attack. ¡°Cobra! Don¡¯t let him interfere!¡± ¡°Right! Cubellios!¡± The purple snake hit Natsu, sending him farther, but it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°You¡­ I¡¯ll burn everything!¡± But Cobra got to him before he could cast another attack, repelling the boy even farther away. Then, Cubellios sprouted her wings, her master and friend standing on her back so as to face their opponent on equal grounds. ¡®That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like snakes¡¯ ¡®Shut it, this is fricking awesome¡¯ ¡°Of course she is,¡± replied smugly Truth. ¡°You go, girl! And you too I guess, Cobra¡± ¡°Gee, thanks!¡± he called back, before going back to his beginning battle. ¡°Truth, you will have to act soon,¡± informed Brain, his eyes never leaving the two above. ¡°Start gathering your Ethernano.¡± ¡°Shoot, I wanted to watch the battle,¡± she sighed, sitting down. ¡°Well, guess it can¡¯t be helped. Cobra will win anyway, though. Well, I hope. Racer and Angel did lose their battles, and Hoteye is nowhere to be seen, but then again so is Midnight so¡ª¡° ¡°Truth.¡± ¡°Oops, on it.¡± She straightened her back, crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knees, closing her eyes in the process. Calming her breath and blocking out the sounds and interferences from around, she soon entered a trance-like state. She wasn¡¯t worried about getting hit or anything, knowing Brain would cover her. Truth wasn¡¯t a fool. She knew since day one she was just a tool and that he would only protect her because she was the key to his plan but, as said countless times before, she was okay with it. The deal offered her strength and, dare she say, friends. In exchange, she offered her utmost loyalty. It was a good bargain, so she didn¡¯t really care about the rest. With that in mind, she fully closed herself from the outside world.
Truth snapped her eyes open as some sort of roar broke her concentration. Looking around, she mildly realized it was full night by now, before running to Brain¡¯s side. His eyes were wide open, staring at the city below them as Cobra crashed to the ground, vanquished. ¡°C- Cobra!¡± Truth started shaking. ¡°Impossible¡­ Defeating Cobra with nothing but a scream?¡± gaped Brain. ¡°What in the world is that boy?¡± One of the pillars flew in pieces as Truth¡¯s fists clenched tightly. ¡°First Racer¡­ than Angel¡­ and now Cobra¡­¡± she gritted her teeth. ¡°Fairy scum, hurting my friends¡­¡± But Cobra got back to his feet as Natsu dropped next to him, now unable to move due to the poison in his veins. The Second Generation Dragon Slayer was about to strike the final blow when¡­ ¡°What¡­ the hell¡­¡± Brain, now down there, had attacked Cobra from behind, nullifying the mage¡¯s attack and sending him to his knees. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Cobra.¡± ¡°B- Brain!? What are you¡ª¡° ¡°You did well. Rest in peace,¡± grinned the silver-haired man. There was a moment of silence as Cobra suddenly stiffened. Truth, ignoring her previous orders, flew down to join them and clear things up, worried. ¡°Oops, did you hear that?¡± chuckled darkly their leader as she landed. ¡°Damn you¡­¡± At the tears in Cobra¡¯s eyes, Truth¡¯s steps faltered. ¡°He never cried before¡­ What has he heard?¡± she mumbled. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She took a step forward. And another. ¡°My prayer¡­¡± muttered Cobra, a sob in his voice. ¡°Was only to hear¡­ my first¡¯s friend¡¯s voice¡­ Cubellios¡­¡± His body hit the ground, raising some dust as the purple snake leaned closer. ¡°Cobra!¡± The black-haired girl, distraught, tried to join his side but was stopped by Brain¡¯s staff as Natsu got back up, trembling. ¡°Why?¡± he asked, eyes blazing. ¡°Weren¡¯t you¡­ his ally?¡± ¡°Ally? I can gather as many as I wish shortly,¡± retorted the leader. ¡°Using Nirvana¡¯s and Truth¡¯s powers, that is.¡± ¡°What are you doing, Brain!?¡± the girl practically screeched, her body shaking. ¡°Cobra¡ª¡° ¡°Has failed. He is of no use anymore. Do not forget your own purpose, Truth,¡± Brain shot her a dark look. ¡°If I took you in a year ago, it was merely because of the possibilities your potential offered, you know that better than anyone else. Do not forget your place, tool.¡± She tried to find an answer but found herself unable to do so. On one side, those she came to consider her friends were falling one after the other. She knew they mustn¡¯t be feeling the same way for her, but they were all she had in this new world, the ones who were there for her when she needed them the most. ¡°Am I ready to abandon them¡­ just like everyone abandoned me before?¡± she gripped her head, growing confused and angry at the same time. ¡®Kaelys¡­¡¯ ¡°My name is Truth!¡± she snapped, closing her eyes. ¡°I pledged my loyalty to Brain, to Oraci¨®n Seis! I will not turn my back to them! A tool¡­ does not betray its master¡­¡± ¡°What the hell are you blabbering about!?¡± Natsu snarled her way. ¡°A tool? Give me a break! People aren¡¯t tools!¡± ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t get testy,¡± replied the silver-haired man, obviously satisfied with the girl¡¯s answer and loyalty. ¡°I have taken an interest in your power. I suspect you know what I mean by that¡­ I will make you my first puppet slave!¡± Apparently out of strength, Natsu fell back to the ground before he could answer, drained of all energy. Brain grabbed the boy¡¯s scarf, before dragging him away, gesturing for Truth to follow. She didn¡¯t look back to Cobra and Cubellios, this time not because she didn¡¯t care, but because she found herself unable to do so. ¡°There he is!¡± ¡°Natsu!¡± As they were about to leave, three of the legal mages came from one of the streets, stopping a few meters away. ¡°Lucy Heartfilia, Celestial Magic,¡± she muttered. ¡°Gray Fullbuster, Ice Make Magic, copied. Jura Neekis, Earth Magic.¡± ¡°What happened!?¡± exclaimed the blonde girl, worry in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s ¡®cause it¡¯s transportation,¡± the pink-haired boy seemed ready to throw up. ¡°Guys¡­¡± wailed Happy, lying in between the two trios. ¡°Cat-dono, you are also unharmed?¡± inquired Jura. ¡°Cat-dono?¡± sweatdropped the other two. ¡°Save¡­ Natsu¡­¡± pleaded the Exceed. ¡°He¡¯s being taken away¡­¡± ¡°Half of the Six Generals are finished,¡± stated Brain. ¡°Their stars have fallen. Starting now, I will create a new set of Generals, including this one.¡± He nodded at Natsu, whom he was still holding to. Gray tsked. ¡°I figured this would happen eventually. Finally getting scouted by a Dark Guild, uh?¡± ¡°Natsu isn¡¯t gonna do what you say!¡± added Lucy. ¡°Nirvana will soak this boy¡¯s heart in darkness, and he will become nothing but my loyal servant, just like this one,¡± retorted Brain, gesturing to Truth. She kept a blank face. ¡°Hell no, I won¡¯t!¡± Natsu then bit Brain¡¯s arm. ¡°You still have that much strength left!?¡± the leader shoved him to the ground. This time, shaken by his motion sickness, Natsu couldn¡¯t get back up. ¡°He does not seem well,¡± remarked Jura. ¡°He gets extreme motion sickness,¡± sighed Gray. ¡°Hurry up¡­ and beat¡­ this guy¡­¡± Natsu whimpered. ¡°Stop¡­ this thing¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing it for you, but sure,¡± replied the black-haired boy. ¡°Stop?¡± repeated Brain, gathering his magic. ¡°Nirvana? Not even possible. This city will shortly reach its first destination. We will arrive¡­ at Cait Shelter¡± ¡°T- that¡¯s Wendy and Carla¡¯s Guild! But why?¡± Happy asked what everyone else was thinking at that moment. Brain¡¯s smirk merely widened, and Truth shook her head, growing annoyed. ¡°Tell us your purpose,¡± demanded Jura. ¡°Why do you aim for Wendy-dono¡¯s Guild?¡± ¡°This ultra-inversion magic can change a Guild of light into one of darkness in an instant. I can¡¯t wait. I suspect you¡¯ll see true hell!¡± retorted the white-haired man. ¡°We can¡¯t let this guy off!¡± ¡°This bastard is getting to me.¡± All stiffened as Jura¡¯s aura suddenly increased tremendously. ¡°Did you not hear me?¡± he asked, his tone promising pain. ¡°Tell us your purpose!¡± ¡°Of fucking course we¡¯ll tell him, why not? It¡¯s not like it could help them stop us or anything of the sort,¡± grunted Truth. But Brain simply laughed. ¡°I have no words for pitiful weaklings like you!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°I will become the judge ruling over light and darkness! Bow down before me!¡± He kept on laughing before raising his staff as the Wizard Saint stood strong before him. ¡°Begone, worms!¡± he yelled, sending a blast of magic. But the attack was blocked, sending the silver-haired man crashing away. Truth¡¯s purple eyes widened as she managed to deflect the blow coming for her, barely in time. ¡°I can¡¯t fight, not now,¡± she mumbled, now wary. ¡°I have to carry on my mission¡­¡± ¡°W- what is this power?¡± Brain¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat. ¡°Stand,¡± ordered the Earth Mage. ¡°I will not let you rest until you say why you are targeting Cait Shelter.¡± The leader of Oraci¨®n Seis was frozen in place and Truth ran to stand beside him, only for a rock wall to block her path. ¡°Stay put, child.¡± Jura didn¡¯t even look at her. ¡°¡­ child?¡± Her tone suddenly turned as cold as ice shards, and she Requiped her Book, turning to face him. Her eyes were now void of any emotion. ¡°I am no child,¡± she announced, snapping the Book open. ¡°I am a weapon. Ice Make: hammer!¡± Jura blocked her attack rather easily, but it was enough to draw everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°T- that was my attack!¡± exclaimed Gray, wide eyes. ¡°She copied it in her Book when she touched your forehead back then!¡± warned Happy, still lying on the ground. ¡°She can use any magic she copies!¡± ¡°Truth! Go and accomplish your mission! It is time,¡± Brain finally found back his cool, standing once more. She was about to protest, before sighing and Requiping her Book away. ¡°Understood.¡± Ignoring the gasps from the other mages, she lifted herself from the ground and flew at the King¡¯s Summit, where she the magic circle powering the Magic. Placing her hands upon it, she summoned her Book before closing her eyes. ¡®Kaelys, are you sure about this?¡¯ ¡®You know what might happen if you do this, right?¡¯ ¡°I know what might happen if I don¡¯t,¡± she scoffed. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with. Nirvana: Reversal Magic.¡± The Book started shining. Where Your Loyalty Lies Jura had fought and won. Brain now lied at his feet, defeated and completely out of it, and Wendy and Carla had joined up with them. However, Nirvana wasn¡¯t stopping, which worried them greatly. ¡°Do you think the girl from earlier is the one controlling it?¡± proposed Gray. ¡°He mentioned a mission, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°She flew at the top of this tower,¡± Lucy remarked, lifting her eyes to said top. ¡°Richard-dono mentioned her before Nirvana went into its second stage,¡± mentioned Jura, deep in thoughts. ¡°She uses the codename Truth and joined Oraci¨®n Seis a year ago. Her primary Magic is Telekinesis, yet a more advanced form. She learned Theft Magic a few months after joining. She is also said to be¡­ mentally unstable. She won¡¯t hesitate to kill us, for she is extremely loyal, no matter the circumstances. We will have to be careful while facing her.¡± ¡°Got it!¡±
When they arrived at the King¡¯s Summit, it was only to find the mysterious girl lying on her back, unconscious. She seemed to have difficulties breathing, her eyes wide and unable to focus on anything. Sweat drenched her heavy clothes, her pale complexion turning to a sickly shade. Her hands kept clenching and unclenching, blood dripping from her nose and ears, and a few tears had leaked out of her eyes. For a moment, they stood still, unsure about what to do. Then, a whimper escaped her. It snapped them out of their daze, and Wendy and Lucy ran to her. ¡°She¡¯s not physically injured,¡± announced Wendy, checking for any visible wounds. ¡°It¡¯s just her magic that¡¯s completely depleted, dangerously so.¡± ¡°But what could she have done to end up in such a state?¡± wondered Lucy, frowning. ¡°Wait¡­ she can copy Magic, remember?¡± Gray recalled his Ice-Make Hammer with a slight scowl. ¡°If it¡¯s true, then that Brain guy must have sent her to copy Nirvana.¡± ¡°C- copy Nirvana!?¡± repeated the blonde mage. ¡°But it¡¯s a giant walking city! How could she copy that!?¡± ¡°This city itself is merely a weapon, a vessel for Nirvana¡¯s Magic,¡± Jura frowned, thinking quickly. ¡°If Gray-dono is right, then she must have copied its Reversal Magic. It would make her¡ª¡° ¡°The perfect weapon,¡± realized the Celestial Mage, placing a hand over her mouth as she recalled the black-haired girl¡¯s earlier statement. Gray rubbed his temples for a second, shaking his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter right now. She¡¯s obviously not the one controlling it, and we still have to find a way to stop this piece of junk.¡± ¡°But¡­ how?¡± How, indeed. Too bad they pummeled Brain before he could answer their questions.
¡°Shit!¡± Truth sat up, only to come to a brutal halt as her head hit what seemed to be a rock ceiling or something. ¡°What¡­¡± ¡®No idea¡¯ ¡®Can¡¯t say either¡¯ ¡°G- guys? S- she¡¯s a- a- a- awake¡­¡± At the new, unfamiliar voice, the black-haired teen snapped her attention at a blonde girl, who cowered under her confused and wary stare. ¡°Where are we?¡± she asked, feeling a lump in her throat. ¡°What happened? I feel so weak¡­ I copied it¡­ I accomplished my mission¡­ but where¡¯s Brain? Why am I with these scums? I can¡¯t remember anything¡­¡± She looked around, aware of the wariness of the three other mages around her. She easily recognized Natsu -who seemed to be healed from his motion sickness-, Gray and Lucy. There was also Happy and Jura, who was lying next to them and was obviously injured. She shook her head, getting out from under the rock dome. Somewhat swaying on her feet, she faced them, her hands shaking. ¡°Why am I with them? Where¡¯s Brain? Where are the others? They can¡¯t have left, right? I accomplished my mission¡­ I¡¯m useful¡­ I¡¯m a useful weapon, they can¡¯t leave me behind¡­ Brain¡­ where¡¯s Brain?¡± she mumbled, a hand over her forehead. At that, though, Natsu snarled. Without any warning, he ran to her before roughly grabbing her collar and lifting her from the ground. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you!?¡± he exclaimed angrily, shaking her a little. ¡°Talking nonsense about weapons like that¡­ You¡¯re not a tool, damn it!¡± ¡°You know nothing, you scum!¡± she retorted, kicking her feet without much strength. ¡°Damn, if I still had enough magic left, I¡¯d make you implode¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who knows nothing!¡± He shook her yet again, making her head spin. ¡°We barely talked and you piss me off already! Damn it, you turned your back on your friends then asked for them not to do the same? What kind of nonsense is that!?¡± Her eyes widened at that, but her body only trembled more. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t betray my allegiances! I don¡¯t break my promises! I don¡¯t lie! I swore my loyalty to Brain and Oraci¨®n Seis and I won¡¯t go back on my word, no matter what!¡± she protested. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Cobra a part of Oraci¨®n Seis too!?¡± he snapped. She gaped at him and stopped moving altogether, as if that thought had never even crossed her mind before. ¡°He¡­ was¡­¡± She looked down, eyes wide. ¡°He was¡­ but I swore to Brain first¡­ I¡¯m a useful tool¡­ owners don¡¯t throw useful tools away¡­ and he made me stronger¡­ if I stayed weak, they would¡¯ve taken me back¡­ but Cobra¡­ and Cubellios¡­ I abandoned them, just like everyone abandoned me¡­ What have I done? My mission¡­ I copied Nirvana, I did it¡­ I kept my oath¡­ but my friends¡­¡± Natsu dropped her as she brought her knees to her chest, barely breathing as her mind sunk in a turmoil. Soon, the words leaving her mouth became gibberish¡ªshe talked too fast for any of them to understand a word. ¡°Oi, flame-brain, I think you broke her,¡± sweatdropped Gray. ¡°I¡ª¡° ¡°What a joke¡­¡± At the new voice, Truth¡¯s rambling stopped as the Fairy Tail mages looked around, searching for the source. ¡°Brain used up all the rest of his power and could only get rid of one of you¡­¡± pursued the dark voice. ¡°Who is it!?¡± ¡°Up there!¡± They turned around as a figure came out of the smoke. ¡°Pitiful¡­ he¡¯s a disgrace to the Six Generals.¡± They all tensed as the figure fully revealed itself to be¡­ the staff. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Uh?¡± blinked Lucy, startled. ¡°Well, as long as Midnight is here, we haven¡¯t been defeated. And dear, oh-so-loyal Truth, who accomplished her mission despite the odds¡­¡± the staff chuckled darkly. ¡°Well, I shall clean up the rest of you fools.¡± It flew closer to them as the teen gazed at it in confusion. ¡°I lived for one fricking year with them¡­ and never knew the staff was alive¡­?¡± she wondered quietly. ¡°That¡¯s the staff that Brain had,¡± recognized Gray. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± added Lucy, kind of freaked out. The staff laughed, and laughed, and laughed¡­ until Natsu grabbed it and started hitting the skull against the ground like a hammer. ¡°Oi, oi, oi, oi, oi, oi, oi¡ª¡° ¡°Wait, don¡¯t touch it! We don¡¯t know what it is!¡± protested Lucy. ¡°Stop this big city, you rotted stick!¡± Natsu ignored her. ¡°R- rotten stick!? How rude!¡± exclaimed the staff, bending itself so that its eyes would be to Natsu¡¯s level. ¡°Stick I¡¯ll accept, but what do you mean by rotten, uh? I am the seventh member of Oraci¨®n Seis! I have awakened from my slumber to defeat¡ª¡° ¡°I said stop this city!¡± Natsu started hitting it again. ¡°Seventh? But doesn¡¯t Oraci¨®n Seis has only six members?¡± replied Lucy, confused. ¡°Plus that one over there, then it¡¯d mean they¡¯re actually eight,¡± added Grey, gesturing to Truth, who still hadn¡¯t moved from her crouched position. The staff managed to escape Natsu¡¯s hold and flew farther away. ¡°You violent brat¡­ soon, I¡¯ll be able to see the Guild of those fools¡­ I must clean up the trash without delay.¡± ¡°You mean Cait Shelter?¡± inquired Lucy. ¡°Exactly!¡± The staff fixated its eyes upon her. ¡°We will begin our destruction by crushing them!¡± And it started laughing again.
Truth merely watched as the Fairy Tail mages got beaten around by the staff. She was unable to move on her own. She wasn¡¯t going to help them of all things, of course not, but she didn¡¯t like the damn staff, which talked as if it was superior to Brain. ¡®It¡¯s not like you got much magical power left anyway. It barely started replenishing, attacking now would probably send you into a coma or something¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t like it either, though. It¡¯s creepy¡¯ ¡°For once, we agree,¡± sighed Truth. At that moment, the staff stiffened. ¡°Incredible¡­ All six¡­ all Six Generals are wiped out!¡± It felt as if someone just punched her straight in the guts as the staff let go of the sphere in its mouth, which cracked when it hit the floor. ¡°They¡­ all fell?¡± she whispered. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ dead?¡± ¡°No, this is bad,¡± the staff wailed. ¡°Very bad! He is coming!¡± ¡°What¡¯s he saying?¡± wondered Natsu. ¡°He?¡± repeated Happy. ¡°There¡¯s someone else? Don¡¯t tell me the Ninth?¡± deadpanned Gray. But the staff wasn¡¯t answering, mumbling to itself and cowering in fear. ¡°He¡¯s not making any sense!¡± grunted the Ice-Make mage. ¡°He¡¯s juicing like crazy!¡± added the cat. ¡°Oi, who¡¯s he talking about?¡± Natsu turned to Truth. She slowly shook her head, still unable to wrap her mind around reality. Her friends were gone, Oraci¨®n Seis had been wiped out, she had lost them all and she didn¡¯t do anything and damn it was it her fault that they were gone gone gone gone¡ª ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Brain¡­¡± muttered the staff. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about him, Jura beat him,¡± announced Natsu. ¡°What?¡± Truth¡¯s fists clenched. ¡°They beat Brain? Then it means¡­ I¡¯m the last one¡­ Oraci¨®n Seis¡­ is no more?¡± ¡°No,¡± refuted the staff. ¡°Brain has another personality. There is the front face, codenamed Brain, who holds so much knowledge. Then, there is the back face, Zero, who loves nothing but destruction.¡± ¡°Loves destruction?¡± repeated Lucy. ¡°Zero?¡± ¡°Due to his overwhelming, evil, magical powers, Brain sealed that existence away himself with six keys,¡± pursued the staff. ¡°And those are¡­ Oraci¨®n Seis!¡± then understood Gray. He then glanced at Truth. ¡°But¡­ what about her?¡± ¡°Truth only arrived a year ago, when it was already sealed away. And, when the Six Generals fall, and their Body Link Magic is broken, the personality of Zero will be reborn once again¡­¡± Truth wasn¡¯t listening anymore, though, lost to her thoughts and growing despair. ¡°Brain has been beaten¡­ Racer, Angel, Cobra, Hoteye and Midnight are dead¡­ Oraci¨®n Seis is no more¡­ what can I do? What should I do? There¡¯s this Zero guy coming¡­ will he take me too? Will I be a useful weapon to him? Will I¡ª¡° The wall exploded. As the dust settled down, a familiar and yet unknown figure walked through the settling dust as the staff kneeled to the ground¡ªwell, as much as a staff could kneel. ¡°W- welcome back, Master Zero!¡± ¡°Klodoa, it seems things have gotten quite interesting.¡± It was Brain¡¯s voice, yet it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Even that Midnight was beaten?¡± ¡°I- I truly apologize!¡± ¡°Although, it sure has been a while, to have this feeling¡­ to have this body¡­ this voice¡­ this magic! It all brings me back¡­ I¡¯ll handle the rest. Stand back, Klodoa,¡± ordered the man. And that mysterious Zero fellow proceeded to beat the shit out of the light mages. As he did so, Kaelys¡¯s eyes followed the one-sided fight without really seeing it. Soon enough, though, the Dark Mage won, leaving three battered bodies and a cat on the floor¡ªunconscious. ¡°I- Impressive, Master Zero! Excellent work as always! Defeating these annoying brats like they were nothing¡­¡± praised fearfully the staff. ¡°But they still live,¡± remarked Zero with a smirk. ¡°You¡¯re still alive, aren¡¯t you? Stand up. You still have form!¡± But they never got up. With a scoff, Zero then turned his blood-shot eyes to the black-haired Thief Mage. ¡°Truth,¡± he called. She snapped her eyes to him. ¡°Come, and stand by your new Master.¡± Her blood froze. Then, slowly, she got back on her feet and made her way to him without another word. He let out a mad laugh, roughly placing his hand over her head, before ordering her to transport them at the King¡¯s Summit. So she did.
¡°I can see it! I can see it! Master Zero, I can see it!¡± exclaimed giddily Klodoa. ¡°That¡¯s the Guild of the race that has sealed Nirvana for an eternity! All we have to do is destroy them, and then Nirvana can never be sealed again!¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter if they sealed it again,¡± remarked blankly Truth. ¡°I copied its Reversal Magic. This walking city is merely a weapon, just as I.¡± ¡°Of course, of course, but¡ª¡° ¡°This is stupid.¡± At that, the staff and the girl turned to look at their Master. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You heard me, Klodoa.¡± Before the teen could fully understand what was happening, the silver-haired mage destroyed Klodoa without a second thought, cackling like crazy. ¡°This is stupid!¡± he repeated, laughing madly. ¡°Destruction! All I want is to destroy! Anything and everything! This will be my first shot. There¡¯s no reason. Until it no longer has a form left to destroy!¡± Magical energy started gathering in Nirvana¡¯s canon as the man turned to face the teen and roughly grabbed her chin so she¡¯d look at him in the eyes. ¡°As for you, Truth¡­ Oh, your power is exquisite¡­ I saw the blood you spilled¡­ All those who fell under the power of your very mind¡­¡± His eyes gleamed with fire but they were colder than ice. ¡°You shall destroy anyone who stands in my way!¡± She didn¡¯t answer as he kept on cackling.
They had left the King¡¯s Summit to go inside, reaching one of the Lacrimas powering the engine. Truth had sat the farthest away she could, eying with wariness the electricity visibly crackling around the sphere, while Zero just kept on laughing like some sort of maniac, which was honestly starting to freak her out. ¡®And to say you¡¯re the one who was called crazy¡­¡¯ ¡®This guy doesn¡¯t have a screw loose¡­ He fucking lost them all! Why are you still here!?¡¯ ¡°Waiting,¡± she answered in a low tone. ¡°I¡¯m waiting.¡± ¡®¡­ for what?¡¯ ¡°My chance.¡± Chance for what, she would never be able to answer. ¡°Everyone should just be destroyed!¡± yelled her new master. And Nirvana fired. Zero¡¯s cackles, however, died down as suddenly, the whole city shook on its legs and the magical ray blasted by the canon deflected, missing Cait Shelter. ¡°What!?¡± She stayed behind as he ran back to the King¡¯s Summit. She was tired of running up and down, and extremely wary of Zero. Plus, the explosions that seemed to come from outside didn¡¯t exactly reassure her. Then, it happened. Her chance. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± She stiffened. It was Archive Magic, without a doubt. This Hibiki fellow hadn¡¯t been careful, though. Being an Archive Magic Mage too due to her Thief Magic, she was more apt to intercept these types of conversations. After all, magical reserves had grown since the beginning of the battle between the Allied Forces and Oraci¨®n Seis. At first, she had to copy the strongest she could find, hence why she had done so when the Allied Forces were beaten the first time around. Her magic regulating meant it adapted to allow her to use the stolen Magic to its full potential. She had some trouble when copying Jellal¡¯s, since her Magic wasn¡¯t fully stable at the time, which is why she erased three of those she had stolen sooner. When her Magic finally regulated itself, she was much stronger, enough so to copy Nirvana¡¯s powers. If she hadn¡¯t gone through all these stages, Nirvana¡¯s power would have been too much for her to handle and would have killed her. However, it was a close call, and she was still extremely sensitive to the Ethernano around her, hence why she was now able to intercept Hibiki¡¯s telepathic link. She opted for listening. ¡°Everyone¡­¡± ¡°Erza Scarlet, Requiping Magic, copied,¡± recognized quietly the girl. ¡°Thank you¡­ thank you, everyone!¡± ¡°Wendy Marvell, Sky Dragon Slaying Magic, copied.¡± ¡°As you can hear, we¡¯re reaching the limit of our magical power. We can¡¯t attack from the ship any longer. I don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be able to stay in the air either. Don¡¯t worry about us, though. Just listen to this, before it¡¯s too late. It took a long time, but I finally found it inside the Archive! The way to stop Nirvana!¡± ¡°R- really?¡± ¡°Nirvana has six leg-looking things, right? They¡¯re actually more like pipes that suck up magic energy from the earth itself. The Lacrimas that regulate that absorption are located where the six legs join the main body. If you destroy those six Lacrimas in different locations at the same time, Nirvana will be completely deactivated. One at a time won¡¯t work, because the other Lacrimas will regenerate the one that was destroyed.¡± ¡°Destroy six Lacrimas in different places simultaneously? But how?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to coordinate the timing¡­ but I don¡¯t think I can keep the telepathy link for that long. I¡¯ve uploaded the timing in your mind.¡± ¡°T- twenty minutes?¡± ¡°Nirvana is almost ready to fire again¡± ¡°Six Lacrimas¡­¡± ¡°Men¡­¡± ¡°I just know you all can do it! I- I believe in you!¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Impossible.¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± Truth grabbed her head, wide-eyed, her heart thumping wildly. If she had joined in the mental conversation, then Zero would have known and destroyed her before she could even blink. She kept on listening, though. At first, she was intent on telling them how to stop Nirvana, but they seemed to already have this covered. However, they would need more than four people to do this, and even more so now that Zero got involved. Maybe she could help them out? ¡°¡­ nan.¡± Oraci¨®n Seis¡¯ mission was to awaken Nirvana. Her friends had died for the sake of accomplishing this mission, and she would be damned if she stopped it herself. However, she wouldn¡¯t stand in their way either. But would she have to? If Zero ordered her to wipe them out, then what would she do? ¡°Siding with the Allied Forces would mean treason, but siding with Zero would mean my friends never were my friends in the first place¡­¡± she murmured. ¡°Who did this? Who killed them? Was it the Allied Forces? Or was it Brain? Was it¡­ was it me?¡± She hugged her knees tighter against herself. ¡°Did I kill them too?¡± ¡°I am Zero! Zero¡­ the Master of Oraci¨®n Seis! First, let me praise you. I never thought there would be someone who could use Archive like Brain and Truth. Though, talking about her¡­ come on out, Truth!¡± She sighed, placing two fingers to her temple. ¡°I hear you.¡± There were a few gasps, but she said no more, still conflicted. ¡°Good. Listen well, wizards of the light! Starting now, I will destroy everything! As a start, I have destroyed three of your friends. A Dragon Slayer¡­ an Ice Make Wizard¡­ and a Celestial Mage! Ah, and maybe a cat too¡­¡± ¡°Natsu and the others!¡± ¡°That¡¯s got to be a lie!¡± ¡°I believe you said something about destroying the Lacrimas at the same time? Right now, Truth is waiting at one of those, and I myself am standing in front of one of those six Lacrimas.¡± He started laughing. ¡°As long as I and the girl are here, destroying all six at the same time is impossible!¡± She flinched when Zero abruptly cut off the communication, but Hibiki¡¯s own telepathic link was still set up, and she realized that it was now weaker, hence why Zero would no longer be able to intercept it. However, she was still extremely sensitive to the magical waves. She could still hear them. ¡°Zero has cut off his communication!¡± ¡°If we are going to destroy all six at the same time, then we have no choice but to split up and each head to a different place. The chances of encountering Zero and Truth are two on six. What¡¯s more, unless it¡¯s you, Erza, there¡¯s no chance of winning against him, and the girl is an unknown factor.¡± ¡°Wait a second, what are you even saying!? We don¡¯t have six people! We don¡¯t have six wizards that could destroy the Lacrimas!¡± ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t use any¡­ any magic that can destroy! I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°¡­ we have two here. Is there no one else that can move?¡± ¡°My honey¡­ am I not still here? Although, I am tied up¡­¡± ¡°Ichiya-san! That¡­ makes three¡­¡± The communication seemed to fade somewhat. ¡°Uh-oh! My magic power¡­ my telepathy is going to run out¡­¡± ¡°We need three more! Someone answer me! Is there no one else!?¡± ¡°Look! Christina is¡­ it¡¯s losing altitude!¡± ¡°Christina is crashing!¡± ¡®Kaelys¡­¡¯ ¡®What are you going to do?¡¯ She looked down. Then, slowly, she placed two fingers against her temple once more, careful as to not alert Zero. If she used too much Magic, it¡¯d get his attention for sure. ¡°Your friends are still alive,¡± she then announced. ¡°W- what?¡± ¡°Who said that!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that Truth girl!¡± ¡°I will not help you destroy the Lacrimas,¡± she pursued, unperturbed. ¡°It would be treason. However, I will not stop you. I am now going to rejoin Zero, leaving the Lacrima I am supposed to guard defenseless. If one of you shows up at Zero¡¯s Lacrima to destroy it, then I will take care of him while that person takes care of the Lacrima.¡± ¡°¡­ how can we trust that?¡± ¡°She¡¯s Oraci¨®n Seis! Of course we can¡¯t trust her!¡± ¡°B- but¡­ she can¡¯t lie. S- she told me herself, back in the cave¡­ and Brain knew that too, that¡¯s why he warned her not to say anymore¡­¡± ¡°I do not lie, Erza Scarlet,¡± the black-haired girl simply assured. ¡°I do not care if you believe me or not either. The rest is up to the rest of you.¡± Satisfied, the girl then cut the communication fully. Letting out a heavy sigh, she rubbed her temples. ¡®Going against Zero, then?¡¯ ¡°I believe I am.¡± With that, she left her Lacrima to go find Zero, ready to fight if needed. If none of the legal mages showed up, she wouldn¡¯t bother. She could very well die if she faced him, after all. However, she should be able to use the Lacrima¡¯s destruction to go for the kill. ¡°Maa, it¡¯s all ¡®what if¡¯s anyway,¡± she grunted. But¡­ what if she was right?
Truth was waiting in the shadows. She knew that Zero was aware of her presence, but also knew that he hadn¡¯t heard about her¡­ truce, with the Allied Forces. If he did, he would have killed her right away. Much to her surprise, she didn¡¯t have to wait for long before none other than Natsu showed up. He had some trouble walking, his breath short and ragged, but he was still standing. His jaw tightened at Zero¡¯s sight. ¡°Still alive, are we?¡± taunted the silver-haired man. ¡°What¡¯d you come here for, you little brat?¡± Natsu chuckled, rather darkly. ¡°Will it be you who breaks, or me? Let¡¯s find out!¡± he taunted. But, as he was about to attack, Truth jumped in between the two of them. ¡°Truth, I thought you would have stayed to your Lacrima,¡± remarked Zero, apparently not all that bothered by her presence. ¡°Back up for your Master, uh? Such loyalty truly is refreshing. Well, while you¡¯re at it, take care of the trash.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± She Requiped her Book, and formed a circle with her fingers around her mouth, turning to Natsu. ¡°Fire Dragon¡¯s Roar!¡± She blasted the fire attack at the boy, already knowing the effects it would have on him. And, just as thought, he wasn¡¯t fazed by the spell at all. In fact, he merely ate all the flames, his energy instantly flowing back into him. ¡°Woah, you really can copy magic uh?¡± He grinned her way. ¡°That¡¯s awesome! Thanks for the meal, by the way!¡± ¡°Truth!¡± seethed Zero, from behind. ¡°I said to eliminate the trash, not power it up!¡± ¡°My apologies.¡± She tilted her head his way. ¡°I won¡¯t miss next time.¡± With that, she shot a powerful blast of Magic, which had been stolen from Jellal earlier¡­ at him. Zero raised his shield, barely in time, but he did seem startled by this sudden turn of event. ¡°Oops, guess I did miss again,¡± she deadpanned. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± practically snarled her supposed Master. ¡°Taking care of the trash. Fire Dragon¡¯s Roar!¡± As the flames engulfed the man and his shield, Natsu hit his fist against his open palm. ¡°The others weren¡¯t sure you were going to show up, but I guess I should thank you for that, uh?¡± he remarked, grinning again. ¡°Don¡¯t mistake my intentions. I¡¯m not doing it for you, for your friends or for that Guild,¡± she warned, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. ¡°I simply don¡¯t want to destroy the whole world like Zero. And I don¡¯t want to lose my prayer either.¡± ¡°Your prayer?¡± he repeated, somewhat confused. ¡°Dark Capriccio!¡± Natsu jumped away while the girl flew higher to avoid the sudden attack from Zero. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m on the same level as Brain,¡± he warned, jaw clenched tightly and his teeth gritting loudly against each other. He then glanced to the girl. ¡°As for you¡­ I thought you never betrayed your allegiances, Truth?¡± ¡°I swore my allegiance to Brain and Oraci¨®n Seis,¡± she stated, landing back on her feet. ¡°You are neither of them. You aren¡¯t my Master, for I no longer have any. Begone.¡± She sent him crashing against a wall, making the whole room shake. She would have killed him right on the spot with her telekinesis, but the man kept his shield up, probably more than aware of her abilities. She would have to do it the old way. ¡°Then¡­ you will be destroyed, like the rest of them!¡± he snarled. ¡°Dark Capriccio!¡± The green serpent-like beam of light came at her again but, as she avoided it, it followed her. Narrowing her eyes, she kept jumping from one side to the other when another came from behind, ripping away the skin on her left side. She fell back on the floor but used Meteor to increase her speed and destroyed the beams hot on her heels. Zero was laughing again, though. ¡°Zero Slash!¡± The whip was about to hit her when it was practically annihilated by Natsu¡¯s fire, who stepped in between the two of them. ¡°What, forgetting about me already?¡± he sneered, getting in his fighting stance. Zero casted his Dark Capriccio again, but it was too late to take the Fire mage by surprise. ¡°Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!¡± Both magics encountered each other and, for a second, Truth truly thought the boy would be killed. However, somehow, the fire blast managed to stop Zero¡¯s attack. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re able to stop Piercing Magic¡­ Interesting.¡± Before Natsu could answer, though, another fire blast sent from behind sent the pink-haired mage flying away. Surprised, all heads turned to the door, only to find Jellal standing there with a smirk. ¡°Jellal!¡± gaped the pink-haired boy. ¡°Did your memories returned?¡± inquired Zero, smirking smugly, as if he had already won. ¡°Aa,¡± simply answered the blue-haired mage. ¡°You¡­ bastard! Jellal!¡± exclaimed angrily Natsu. The Dragon Slayer ran at him, intending on pummeling him to the ground, but was caught in yet another fire blast. ¡°Fire ain¡¯t gonna work on me!¡± he yelled. ¡°I know. I remember. You¡¯re Natsu¡­ our only hope.¡± As the two of them squabbled and whatnot, Truth used Wendy¡¯s healing magic to heal the wound on her side. As it fully closed, though, Zero attacked them once more, only for Jellal to take the full hit, protecting Natsu. Then, he fell to the floor. Natsu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Y- you¡­¡± ¡°I- if you want to do me in, you can do it anytime,¡± assured Jellal, gasping for air. ¡°I¡¯m already on my last legs¡­ now¡­ the power to defeat that guy¡­ ¡° In his palm then appeared Golden Flames. As some more drama occurred, which the black-haired teen didn¡¯t care to pay attention to, she got back on her feet. Natsu was then engulfed in the Golden Flames, which he ate fully, growing even stronger than with the boost Truth had given him earlier. ¡°I have your power now, Jellal,¡± he then said, clenching his fists. ¡°The Flame of Guilt, uh?¡± smirked Zero. ¡°By eating that, you take on the same sin.¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to that,¡± retorted Natsu. ¡°For a Fairy Tail wizard, the true sin is averting one¡¯s eyes and no longer being able to believe in anyone! Truth!¡± She stiffened as he called her name, and raised her eyes to his. ¡°They¡¯re alive!¡± he then assured, making her freeze. ¡°Cobra, all the others, they¡¯re still alive! But they won¡¯t be for much longer if you keep using those half-assed attacks! To save them, you have to stop Zero! Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re here? So why the hell are you so weak!?¡± ¡°Weak!? I¡¯ll show you weak, ash-for-brains!¡± she snarled back. But his grin merely widened knowingly and, as one, they launched themselves at Zero. ¡®Your power is great, but slaved by your emotions¡¯ ¡®That guy isn¡¯t half-bad. Angering you like that, he knew what he was doing¡¯ ¡°I hate you!¡± she yelled, literally kicking Zero in the face as he was occupied with blocking Natsu¡¯s punch. ¡°You¡¯re the one who took them away! You manipulated Brain, manipulated them, manipulated me! I don¡¯t care about myself, but I won¡¯t let my friends be hurt anymore! I won¡¯t let you kill them! And I won¡¯t let you kill me either¡­ I¡¯ll never be your weapon, no matter what!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the spirit!¡± cheered Natsu as they sent him crashing in the ceiling. As the man fell back on the floor, creating a hole, the Golden Flames engulfed Natsu once more as he stared down at his hands in wonder. ¡°This power¡­ It¡¯s similar to when I ate Etherion¡­ Eh, it¡¯s like my power¡¯s doubled, or even tripled¡­¡± ¡°Tche,¡± grunted Truth. ¡°No wonder Cobra lost to you. You¡¯re a fricking powerhouse.¡± ¡°Dragon Force,¡± then stated Zero, facing them again. ¡°The final form of Dragon Slaying Magic. Its magic power is said to rival that of dragon¡¯s, capable of annihilating anything¡­ annihilation¡­ Interesting!¡± That however brought a small smile to Truth¡¯s lips, who Requiped her Book. ¡°I guess I have to pull out the big guns too, uh?¡± she remarked quietly. ¡°You won¡¯t mind if I come to full power too, will you?¡± ¡°Come at me with any power, I¡¯ll defeat you without even trying!¡± simply boasted Zero. ¡°Well, Natsu Dragneel. Shall we?¡± mused the girl. ¡°Here we go!¡± ¡°Meteor!¡± she cast. At the signal, they both dashed towards the man, only to encounter his shield. However, it was no match for a Dragon Force attack and the Heavenly Magic. But, as the shield broke, the silver-haired mage slapped his palms on the floor. ¡°Dark Gravity!¡± The ground broke under their feet. Instantly, she Requiped away her Book to catch her fall and levitated Natsu too, while she was at it. Lifting the both of them out of the hole, she placed him next to Jellal before facing Zero again. ¡°It is almost time,¡± she then remarked. ¡°I will keep my word. Accomplish your mission, Dragneel. I shall accomplish mine.¡± Before any of them could react, she used her Telekinesis to push Zero in the hole, before jumping after him and closing said hole behind her with Hoteye¡¯s Earth Magic. They fell ¨Cwell, she flew- through five floors, before reaching the very last one of the main body of Nirvana. They faced each other, next to them yet another hole leading to the forest a few kilometers under their feet. A fall for him would mean instant death, he knew that much. She was at a clear advantage with her telekinesis. However, the only attacks that could work on him were direct combat, in which she was still inferior ¨Cshe had just trained for a year, after all- and her Thief Magic, but it took quite a lot of energy to cast a spell that wasn¡¯t hers, to begin with. She had to make every attack count right now, or at least until they destroyed the Lacrimas. ¡°Zero Slash!¡± She jumped from side to side, avoiding the green-dark whip coming for her and searching for an opening. ¡°Ice-Make: Wall!¡± He easily passed through, ice shards flying around, and she dodged barely in time his magic-empowered punch. ¡°This is bad,¡± she gritted her teeth. ¡°If I go on like that, I won¡¯t be able to attack¡­ What to do, what to do¡­¡± ¡°Dark Delete!¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± This time around, she was caught by three of the projectiles. Gritting her teeth, she decided to take care of her injuries later. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose more of her magic right now. After all, copying Nirvana had taken a lot out of her and was still taking its toll on h¡ª ¡°Nirvana¡­¡± Her eyes widened in realization. ¡°Come on, little pawn!¡± cackled Zero, unaware of her newly found plan. ¡°Can¡¯t you do better than that!?¡± ¡°¡­ pawn?¡± Her face suddenly turned blank, her eyes dimmed, and she straightened to face him, not saying another word. Yes, he was right. Pawn¡­ This was just another game of chess, in the end. And if there was one thing she was good at, it was chess. She knew what do do. ¡°Nirvana.¡± She summoned her Book. ¡°Reversal Magic copied not even an hour earlier. I¡¯m curious about its effects. Aren¡¯t you?¡± His red eyes widened in understanding, and he instantly attacked her with an onslaught of Dark Capriccio once more. ¡°Reverse.¡± The spells simply disappeared in nothingness. He was starting to panic, that much was certain, for he kept on throwing attack after attack, each more powerful than the last. And her? She kept Reversing them without too much effort. ¡°It is time,¡± she then announced, walking up to him without a care. ¡°The Lacrimas will be destroyed in less than a minute. What about you, Zero? What do you think will happen to you?¡± ¡°No! Trash like you can¡¯t win against me, the Master of Oraci¨®n Seis!¡± he snarled. ¡°You are the Master of nothing!¡± she spat, clenching her hands around the Book. ¡°You have no Guild, no power, no will¡­ You are nothing!¡± ¡°Genesis Zero!¡± he invocated, moving his hands in a circle. ¡°Vanish into the great nothingness! No one will remember you, no one!¡± ¡°One of us is going to die, and it isn¡¯t me!¡± she replied, propelling herself at him. ¡°I cast open the Gate of Wraithwail!¡± called the man. She kept on running at him. ¡°People of the Nil, erase this person¡¯s existence, devour his very memory and soul! Begone! Begone before the name of Zero!¡± The girl was then engulfed by the purple mass of wailing souls, hands grabbing her by all sides as if to extinguish her very being. But she wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Full Reverse: Light!¡± she yelled. Time seemed to freeze before the wraiths pulled away to turn against their original caster. ¡°W- what!? Impossible! I am Zero! I am the Master of Oraci¨®n Seis!¡± he protested, casting them away at the best of his abilities. ¡°You damn trash¡­ I¡¯ll kill you! I¡ª¡° He stopped talking, his blood-shot eyes widening in shock as blood suddenly splattered his clothes. There was a hole in his throat. Lifting her hand, Truth caught her scalpel without much care about the red liquid running down her hand. ¡°You left your back open,¡± she simply stated. ¡°Farewell, Zero.¡± Using her Telekinesis threw him out without much of a care and he fell, his mouth opened in a silent scream. The momentum and panic had lowered Zero¡¯s awareness, which had allowed her to strike the fatal blow. And now? She flew back to the Lacrima room, just in time to see Natsu strike the giant sphere down with what remained of his Dragon Force. There was a moment of silence before all Lacrimas exploded at once. ¡°Damn, that was one hard Lacrima,¡± grunted Natsu, falling back on his feet. He then took notice of her and grinned once more. ¡°Oh, Truth! You beat him?¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± she muttered under her breath. ¡°You should get out of here. It would seem your friends managed as well, and Nirvana is now going to collapse.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± As if on cue, the rest of the floor broke. She simply levitated herself as Natsu fell down once more, only for Jellal to catch him in time. ¡°Don¡¯t let go!¡± ¡°Idiot! You¡¯re also in trouble, you know!?¡± ¡°I could help them,¡± the girl mumbled. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t helping them be treason? No, Oraci¨®n Seis is no more¡­ I have no more allegiance¡­ Though, it would probably annoy Cobra, though¡­ Oh, then let¡¯s save them alright!¡± She levitated them to her level, avoiding the rocks falling around them. ¡°Eh, I can fly!¡± exclaimed Natsu, wriggling around. ¡°Stop moving!¡± snapped Truth. ¡°Keeping my Telekinesis on three people while deflecting all this damn stone isn¡¯t exactly easy and¡ª¡° ¡°Watch out!¡± warned Jellal. The piece coming was too large, though, and she visibly struggled to keep it from crushing them. ¡°Damn¡­ to think¡­ I could have saved my own skin¡­¡± she huffed, limbs shaking. ¡°I really¡­ I really¡­¡± ¡°This is love, yes! You have learned as well, Kaelys dear, yes!¡± Stunned by the sudden appearance of Hoteye, her concentration wavered and the rock fell. However, the man grabbed the three youngest wizards before disappearing under the ground while creating a protecting dome around them, thanks to his Earth Magic. She gritted her teeth, eyes closed as they made their way to God-knows-where. She was troubled. For some reason, Hoteye was spouting some nonsense about love as he used to about money, which honestly worried her. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the popped out from the ground and fresh air hit her face. Letting out a shaky breath as he placed them down, she slumped to the ground, slightly dizzy. ¡°Love will save your friends!¡± then exclaimed Hoteye. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Sheesh, making us worry like that,¡± Gray shook his head with a smile. ¡°N- Natsu-san!¡± Wendy ran to the boy, relieved tears in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s Hoteye!¡± recognized Carla. ¡°Why would a member of Oraci¨®n Seis¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± smiled Jura. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s a friend.¡± ¡°Natsu-san!¡± Wendy latched her arms around the boy¡¯s waist. ¡°You really¡­ kept your promise¡­ Thank you, for saving my Guild!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because we all had the power, right?¡± replied the pink-haired mage, turning to the rest of them. ¡°You have the power too, Wendy.¡± ¡°M- me?¡± ¡°This time, give me a happy high-five!¡± ¡°R- right!¡± So they did. At that moment, though, Truth got back to her feet and faced Hoteye. ¡°You have betrayed Oraci¨®n Seis,¡± she plainly remarked. ¡°I merely disagreed with Brain¡¯s ultimate goal, yes!¡± He shook his head. ¡°And you have helped our new friends as well!¡± ¡°I killed Zero for he would have killed me and all of you,¡± she replied, more coldly. ¡°I never betrayed my allegiance. But, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Oraci¨®n Seis is no more, Brain is dead, and our goal will never be achieved. Our ways part here, I suppose¡ª¡° ¡°Hey, Truth! Thanks a bunch for the help back there!¡± then exclaimed Natsu, placing a hand over her shoulder. ¡°I said I would take care of Zero if one of you showed up to his Lacrima. That is all there is to it,¡± she replied, shrugging him off. ¡°I¡ª¡° For a second, black spots danced before her eyes. She shook her head, feeling weak all of sudden. ¡°I used too much magic, uh?¡± She sat down, rubbing her temples. ¡°And copying Nirvana sure was awful¡­ damn, what do I do now? I still need to get stronger¡­ but the others are alive¡­ Should I go back to them? But I don¡¯t know where they are. Cobra was on Nirvana! Oh, he¡¯s safe, Cubellios must have brought him to safety¡­¡± ¡°Err¡­ why is she talking to herself?¡± Gray inched away slightly. ¡°Our dear Kaelys always says what she thinks out loud, for she is unable to think in her head due to the voices she hears, yes!¡± informed Hoteye. ¡°¡­ voices?¡± sweatdropped the Ice-Make mage. ¡°That usually means you¡¯re going crazy, you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crazy!¡± she snapped his way. ¡°They¡¯re real, and they¡¯re my friends!¡± ¡°Nevermind!¡± he raised his hands in surrender. Wendy crouched in front of her, biting her lower lip. ¡°A- ano¡­ are you injured?¡± she asked shyly. Truth blinked, mildly surprised. ¡°I¡¯ve been hit by Zero¡¯s attacks a few times. I believe my ribs are broken, and I¡¯m bleeding quite a lot,¡± she flatly answered. ¡°D- do you want me to heal them for you?¡± ¡°Wendy!¡± instantly protested Carla. ¡°She¡¯s with Oraci¨®n Seis! And you¡¯re out of magic power!¡± ¡°B- but¡­¡± ¡°Aw, you¡¯re cute!¡± suddenly grinned Truth, ruffling the girl¡¯s hair. ¡°But I can do it myself, no worries.¡± To prove her point, she summoned her Book and used Wendy¡¯s Magic to heal the few wounds she had, while those who didn¡¯t know about Jellal learned about his resurrection and loss of memories. However, the Book Requiped away by itself before she could finish, making her hiss in pain. ¡°Damn it¡­ I really can¡¯t use more, or I¡¯ll pass out¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°And I still have to go, too¡­¡± ¡°Go where?¡± asked Lucy, kneeling next to her. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know. Somewhere, I guess.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t allow that to happen.¡± At Erza¡¯s statement, all turned to the redhead, startled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The black-haired girl¡¯s voice had grown noticeably colder. ¡°You are a member of Oraci¨®n Seis, a criminal,¡± the Requip Mage answered firmly, now standing in front of her. ¡°Even though you helped us in the end, you have committed numerous crimes for which you have to answer to.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny the crimes but, if I have to repent for those, then so do Hoteye and Jellal, aren¡¯t I right?¡± replied the teen. The redhead lost some of her composure at that, apparently not having thought about it this way. ¡°I joined Oraci¨®n Seis because Brain was the one who offered to teach me to control my Magic when I awakened it a year ago,¡± announced Truth. ¡°I committed those crimes for I pledged my loyalty to them and therefore obeyed their commands. It wasn¡¯t about doing right or wrong: I was simply following orders. I won¡¯t try to excuse what I have done, for I don¡¯t regret it. It was simply the way things worked out for me. Had I been found by you, Fairy Tail, I would more than probably have followed your rules instead. But it wasn¡¯t Fairy Tail who found me, or Blue Pegasus, or Lamia Scale, or Cait Shelter: it was Brain and Oraci¨®n Seis. That¡¯s all there is to it,¡± A heavy silence followed her statement when it was broken by Ichiya¡¯s cry. ¡°W- what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°There are some markings on the ground!¡± informed Wendy. ¡°Those are¡­¡± ¡°Runes!?¡± Truth stiffened. Runes? That meant they were trapped. And if they were trapped, then the people who set these up¡­ She placed a hand over her mouth. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°When did this¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡± ¡°The same ones as Freed? It¡¯s just as¡­ No, even more powerful!¡± remarked Gray. ¡°We¡¯re trapped?¡± realized Lucy. ¡°Trapped,¡± echoed Truth, recoiling on herself. ¡°Trapped, trapped, trapped¡­¡± ¡°Show yourself!¡± yelled Natsu, pissed off. And they were suddenly surrounded by some sort of legion, all men wearing white clothes and cloaks, and armed with spears. ¡°W- who are they?¡± ¡°I wish to do you no harm,¡± informed one of them, walking closer to the Rune Barrier. ¡°All I desire is for you to stay here, without moving, for a little while.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± replied Happy. ¡°I am Captain of the Reformed Magic Council¡¯s 4th Enforcement and Detention Corps. My name is Lahar.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Reformed Magic Council?¡± ¡°They¡¯re already back into business?¡± ¡°We have been reborn to uphold the law and protect justice. We have no mercy for those that do evil acts,¡± pursued the Captain. ¡°What do you mean?¡± inquired Carla. ¡°We haven¡¯t done anything bad!¡± added Happy. ¡°I am aware,¡± assured Lahar. ¡°Our sole purpose here is to arrest Oraci¨®n Seis. Please, hand over that person codenamed Hoteye to us, along with that other person codenamed Truth.¡± A whimper escaped the girl, who placed her hands over her head, which was hidden in her knees. Wendy shot her a worried look as the rest gasped. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± protested Jura, coming to face the man. ¡°It is alright, Jura,¡± however intervened Hoteye. ¡°Richard-dono¡­¡± ¡°Even if my soul has been awakened to righteousness, that does not wipe clean my past evil ways. I wish to start over from the beginning. That way, when I finally reunite with my brother, I can look him eye to eye, yes,¡± explained the ginger man. At that, Jura allowed a small smile to grace his lips. ¡°Then, I shall search for your brother in your stead,¡± he then promised. ¡°Y- you will!?¡± ¡°Please, tell me your brother¡¯s name.¡± ¡°H- his name is Wally. Wally Buchanan.¡± ¡°W- Wally?¡± repeated Erza, obviously recognizing the name. Wendy wasn¡¯t really listening, though, bothered by Truth¡¯s state. The girl had started shaking, bands of sweat rolling down her forehead. Wendy could smell her fear from miles away. After Hoteye, or rather Richard, was done crying, he got back to his feet and faced Lahar. ¡°I am ready to follow,¡± he announced. ¡°But I ask of you¡­ one favor.¡± ¡°You are in no place to ask favors, Hoteye of Oraci¨®n Seis,¡± remarked the man, tightening his lips. ¡°Please, listen!¡± pleaded the man. ¡°Truth¡­ no, Kaelys, is just a child. She joined a year ago because she had no other choice. She¡¯s still young, she can still learn! And¡­ she can¡¯t stay restrained¡­ Her past has left some heavy psychological scars, so you won¡¯t be able to take her back. Please, allow her a second chance! That is all I¡¯m asking for, yes!¡± ¡°I am afraid it will be up to the Reformed Magic Council to decide,¡± replied blankly Lahar. Understanding he couldn¡¯t change his mind, Hoteye simply let them cuff him before going to sit in the carriage. He, however, shot a worried look at the girl, still crouched on the ground, who was eying his own restraints with blood-shot eyes. She¡¯s about to snap¡­ he realized, guts churning with worry. ¡°Our true objective isn¡¯t Oraci¨®n Seis,¡± then announced Lahar. ¡°But the one who infiltrated the Magic Council, destroyed it and fired Etherion¡­ There is a far greater evildoer among you, yes? You, Jellal. Come! And take the girl with you, while you¡¯re at it. If any of you resist, I have orders to use lethal force!¡± ¡°But that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Hold it a second!¡± protested Natsu. ¡°That man is dangerous. We cannot allow him loose in the world again. As for the girl, she killed many already. She has to repent for her crimes, both of them have to.¡± Two of the soldiers walked in and cuffed the blue-haired man, who lowered his eyes. ¡°Jellal Fernandes¡­ I hereby place you under arrest for the crime of high treason against the state,¡± announced Lahar. Two other soldiers approached Truth as Jellal was brought away. The others tried to protest, but Lahar would listen to nothing they said. So, they started fighting. In the sudden confusion, no one noticed as the two soldiers after Truth were sent crashing against the Runes. ¡°Arrest them all!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± then intervened Erza. ¡°That¡¯s far enough!¡± Everyone turned to stare at her. ¡°I apologize for the fuss we¡¯ve caused,¡± she then stated firmly. ¡°I will take full responsibility. Jellal¡­ take him.¡± ¡°Erza¡ª¡° ¡°Sit down!¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± paled Natsu, obeying instantly. Therefore ending the fight, Jellal was taken away in the carriage. Lahar, however, narrowed his eyes at the young girl whom, for some reason, had yet to move from her spot. ¡°Truth of Oraci¨®n Seis, come now,¡± he then ordered, stepping closer to her. ¡°You¡ª¡° ¡°¡­ come?¡± He stopped in his tracks as her voice echoed in the sudden silence, so void of emotions it could have been mistaken for the breeze. For a second, his heart seemed to stop as her purple eyes met his, wide and terrified. ¡°Come?¡± she repeated, her voice growing high-pitched as she got on her feet. ¡°I- I¡¯m not coming! Hell no I¡¯m not! You can¡¯t take me back there! I¡¯m not going back!¡± ¡°What¡ª¡° ¡°You can¡¯t take them away! You can¡¯t restrain me again!¡± she screeched. The wind started swirling around them, a few rocks exploded. ¡°I¡¯m not going back! They¡¯ll hurt me again! I¡¯m not an animal! I¡¯m not crazy! I¡¯m not going back, damn it! I¡¯d rather die than go back there! They won¡¯t hurt me again, I¡¯d rather- I¡¯d rather die!!!¡± With that, she took off. Breaking through the Rune barriers as if they weren¡¯t even there, she dashed through the forest, ignoring the cries behind her. She didn¡¯t have enough power left to kill them. She didn¡¯t have enough power left to flee by the air. She didn¡¯t have¡­ ¡°I¡¯m too weak¡­¡± She ran faster despite her strength dwindling a little more at each step. ¡°But¡­ no matter what¡­ I¡¯m not going back. If I am too weak to stop them¡­ then I¡¯d rather die free!¡± And then she saw it. The cliff was there, approximately twenty meters away. She ran faster, focused on a single thought. She wouldn¡¯t come out of this alive, but she couldn¡¯t flee anymore. There was nowhere left to run, and that only left her with one option. ¡°They won¡¯t hurt me again,¡± she repeated, her throat tight as the edge of the cliff grew closer and closer. ¡°Not again¡­¡± Ten meters. ¡®W- what are you doing!?¡¯ ¡®Stop it!¡¯ ¡°Not again¡­¡± Five meters. ¡®STOP IT!¡¯ ¡®KAELYS!¡¯ ¡°NOT AGAIN!!!¡± She jumped. Ill Stand By Your Side Time seemed to slow down as all mages watched the girl jump, horrified. Wendy let out a piercing scream, tears running down her face. Erza was frozen in place, much like Jura, Gray, and Natsu. Ichiya was still keeping himself from peeing his pants. Happy and Carla still couldn¡¯t use their Aera Magic. The soldiers and Lahar couldn¡¯t make a move. But Lucy didn¡¯t stop. ¡°VIRGO, PLEASE!¡± She couldn¡¯t use any magic, but if Virgo came by herself, then she might be able to save the girl. Then, answering her call, the maid appeared, using her own magic. The pink-haired Spirit didn¡¯t waste any time in asking, already knowing what to do, and sent her chains down the cliff to catch the black-haired girl. After a few seconds of tension, Truth was suddenly brought back up. She gasped as she hit the ground, shaking violently, and the maid bowed before disappearing as the blonde mage ran to the girl¡¯s sides. Kneeling next to her, she then slapped Truth. Hard. Tears ran down the teen¡¯s cheeks as she stared at the brown-eyed girl before her, confused and terrified at the same time. Then, before she could react, Lucy wrapped her arms around her and brought her in a tight embrace. ¡°Idiot!¡± she exclaimed, somewhat angry. ¡°What the hell were you doing!? You think death is the solution!? Jumping like that, what a stupid move! What were you thinking!?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t want to go back,¡± the teen gasped, desperate. ¡°Please don¡¯t take me back¡­ I¡¯d rather die¡­ than go back there¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that!¡± protested Lucy, not letting her go. ¡°Death isn¡¯t a solution! It¡¯s a one-way track, a trip from which you¡¯re not coming back! The dead can¡¯t come back, can you understand that?¡± ¡°Why would you care? Whywhywhywhywhy¡­¡± The teen cried harder, growing hysteric. The wind picked up again, the earth started shaking, and Lucy tightened her hold on her. ¡°I¡¯m no one! I¡¯m not a child, not a girl, not a person! I¡¯m a weapon, a tool! I¡¯m useless now, I¡¯m weak! No one needs me and I can¡¯t defend myself anymore! If they take me back there, they¡¯ll hurt me again and they¡¯ll take my only friends away!¡± cried the teen. ¡°You¡¯re not a weapon! You¡¯re not a tool! You helped us destroy Nirvana, you saved Natsu¡¯s life, you defeated Zero! You¡¯re not weak, but everyone has their limits!¡± retorted Lucy, desperate for her to understand. ¡°I¡¯m a monster, damn it!¡± Truth screamed in the girl¡¯s chest, choking on her sobs. ¡°I¡¯m a monster, so stop treating me as if I wasn¡¯t! I killed people, stole stuff, destroyed all sorts of things and damn it! I can¡¯t regret any of it! Because if it wasn¡¯t them, then it was me!¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make you a monster! You stopped Zero because you didn¡¯t want to destroy, right? You killed those people because they would have been the ones to kill you, right? You stole because you were ordered to, right? You¡¯re not a monster, you¡¯re loyal, and no one can blame you for it! I understand this, I really do! As a Celestial Mage, I never break my promises, never betray the trust bestowed upon me by my friends, no matter what!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not the same¡­¡± The girl¡¯s voice grew weaker. ¡°You¡¯ve got friends¡­ mine¡­ are taken away¡­ always¡­ I don¡¯t want to be abandoned again, yet I can¡¯t stop it¡­ if I¡¯m useful, then I can¡¯t be abandoned¡­ but now¡­¡± She sobbed harder, her words ineligible. And Lucy made her decision, not really thinking clearly. ¡°You¡¯re not alone. I¡¯m not letting them take you away,¡± she assured firmly. ¡°I promise.¡± The girl instantly stopped shaking, the sobs racking her body dying down. ¡°Wait, Lucy!¡± Gray tried to protest. ¡°The Magic Council¡ª¡° ¡°You are in no place to make such a promise to a criminal,¡± Lahar stepped in, gritting his teeth. ¡°Take the Oraci¨®n Seis member.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take full responsibility!¡± then yelled Lucy, keeping her embrace tight around the teen. ¡°I¡¯ll take her back to Fairy Tail, where she will fall under my jurisdiction! I am ready to take full responsibility for any crime she might commit under my guard!¡± ¡°Lucy!¡± protested Erza, going pale. ¡°If I may¡­¡± Jura¡¯s calm voice seemed to ease the tension somewhat as all eyes turned to him. ¡°Richard-dono has mention psychological scars. Worsening those, and adding barely controlled Magic to the mix, could very well result in the unintentional deaths of your men and yourself, Captain Lahar. She is dangerous, yes, but even more so when restrained.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying we should simply let her be!?¡± ¡°I-I think I understand Lucy-san¡¯s proposition¡­¡± Wendy bit her lower lip at the sudden attention she got from everyone. ¡°T-Truth-san could go live with her while waiting for her judgment. T-that way, you still know where she is and she w-won¡¯t lose control either¡­ a-and Lucy-san is ready to take w-whatever punishment if Truth-san commits any crime¡­¡± Lahar sighed heavily, pondering over it for a moment. While their job was to take back any evildoer, they had a point. The girl¡¯s magic was clearly unstable, and she might kill them all without even knowing it. Plus, her terror wasn¡¯t merely acted either. She had just tried to commit suicide, merely to avoid the restraints. For one so young to go that far¡­ She wasn¡¯t running from her sentence, but from the chains. It annoyed him greatly, but he understood it was for the best if he wished to avoid unnecessary losses. So, replacing his glasses straight on his nose, he let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Very well,¡± he gave in. ¡°Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail, you are hereby charged with Truth of Oraci¨®n Seis. Any crime committed by the criminal under your jurisdiction will be held against you. She is to never leave your side until further measures are taken by the Magic Council. Until then, you are to return to your Guild and stay there. She isn¡¯t allowed to take missions, obviously, and her charge will be taken from you if you aren¡¯t able to respect those rules. Have I made myself clear?¡± Lucy relaxed at that, relieved. ¡°Yes! Thank you very much!¡± ¡°Men, let¡¯s go.¡± Lahar simply turned away to go back to the carriage. He glanced back to the mages. ¡°As for you, Fairy Tail¡­ The Council will hear of everything. And I mean everything¡± They watched as the legion, lead by Lahar, soon left the forest. Then, all eyes fell back on the black-haired teen¡¯s form, as Lucy let go to place her hands on the girl¡¯s shoulders. Said girl had her right hand against the ground, her face half hidden behind her left one. Tears still streamed down her face, and none could tell if she had been aware of what decision had been made or if she was still panicking. A moment later, she fell limp in the blonde¡¯s arms, a soft murmur escaping her lips. ¡°My prayer¡­ was simply¡­ to be free¡­¡± Her breathing slowed down and her eyes closed, and she soon went to sleep due to sheer exhaustion. Lucy exhaled softly, gently hugged her again. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she whispered. ¡°I got you now. And I¡¯m not letting go. You¡¯ll be free. I promise.¡±
"Where did Erza go?¡± asked Happy. All too tired to move, the mages had simply settled down in place to gain back some energy. Truth was still sleeping soundly, her head on Lucy¡¯s lap. The rest of the wizards was very well awake despite being exhausted, but the redhead had disappeared to God-knows-where sooner and still hadn¡¯t come back. ¡°Let¡¯s leave her alone for a little while,¡± simply said Lucy, running gently her fingers in the black hair of the teen. ¡°Aye¡­¡± ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea, Lucy,¡± then said Gray, eying the sleeping teen with suspicion. ¡°Taking responsibility like that¡­ it was reckless. How can we trust her?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to that striper, Lucy,¡± instantly replied Natsu, grinning. ¡°Truth¡¯s a nice girl. He¡¯s just grumpy because he wasn¡¯t as awesome as me.¡± ¡°What was that, flame-asstard?¡± ¡°You heard me, ice-sucker!¡± ¡°You wanna go!¡± ¡°Bring it on!¡± For a second, they shook their fists at each other, before slumping back to the ground. ¡°Maybe later,¡± they said as one, too tired to argue anymore. Lucy let out a short laugh at that, before glancing back at Truth. ¡°She¡¯s just lost,¡± the Celestial Mage remarked softly. ¡°She¡¯s unstable¡­ searching without knowing what or why¡­ I¡¯m sure I can help her. In fact, I¡¯m sure Fairy Tail can help her. In a way, she reminded me of myself, when I was still at the mansion¡­¡± Wendy eyed her for a few seconds, some sort of understanding in her eyes. ¡°Lucy-san¡­ have you ever tried to¡­ well¡­¡± She lowered her eyes, unsure of how to say it. But Lucy understood perfectly what she was asking. ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡± ¡°EH!?¡± Gray, Natsu, and Happy snapped their heads to the cheery blonde in shock, while Jura¡¯s eyes merely widened. ¡°I-it was a long time ago!¡± she protested, instantly lowering her tone when the girl shifted on her lap. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ It became too much, you know? But when I tried, Aquarius stopped me. I think that¡¯s kind of why she doesn¡¯t like me very much, but¡­ Well, I realized it was a stupid move and never tried again. I wasn¡¯t alone at that time like I believed, I still had my friends. But her¡­ she didn¡¯t have anyone. If I hadn¡¯t stopped her with Virgo, then who would have?¡± They listened as her voice shook a little. ¡°I want to be that special someone to her¡­ to be that person who made her see the light. I want to be her friend, someone she can count on¡­ I want to save her, just like Aquarius and Cancer and Taurus and all the others saved me back then. Because¡­ because she¡¯s worth it. She just doesn¡¯t know it yet.¡± Silence followed, before Natsu¡¯s face broke in a grin. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to help, uh?¡± ¡°U-uh?¡± ¡°Well, we are Fairy Tail,¡± Gray sighed with a defeated smile. ¡°We can¡¯t just turn our back to someone who needs our help.¡± ¡°Guys¡­¡± ¡°Aye, sir! When she wakes up, I¡¯ll give her some fish!¡± exclaimed Happy. Unable to help herself, Lucy laughed a little, glad she wouldn¡¯t be alone in this. While she didn¡¯t regret her decision, she had been afraid it would drive her friends away. Well, I should have known better. After everything we¡¯ve been through together¡­ you¡¯ll see, Truth. Fairy Tail will change you just like it changed me¡­ for the best! I promise! Wendy and Carla exchanged a smile at that, before going to find Erza. Ichiya muttered something about ¡®the beauty of friendship, men!¡¯ and Jura simply nodded in approval. If any of them had been paying attention, they would have seen a single tear escape Truth¡¯s eye as a slight smile stretched her lips.
¡°So cute!¡± squealed Lucy. The following morning, all of the mages of the Allied Forces had gathered at Cait Shelter, along with a still somewhat weak Truth. They had been invited for a special dinner by Wendy¡¯s Guild. If wary at first, the other wizards however soon understood the position of the ex-member of Oraci¨®n Seis and said no more, though still somewhat keeping an eye on her from time to time. All the girls had been gathered in one of the houses, before being passed new clothes to replace those that had been torn to shreds in the previous fights. ¡°Oh?¡± Sherry raised an eyebrow. ¡°But I¡¯m far cuter!¡± Truth wasn¡¯t joining in the fun, though. Sitting in a corner, she was watching everything with wary curiosity. She too had received some clothes, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to put them on. ¡°The entire village here is part of the Guild,¡± then informed Wendy. ¡°So, clothing production if a thriving business!¡± ¡°Is it some kind of Nirvit traditional sewing?¡± inquired Lucy. ¡°Now that I think about it¡­ maybe it is?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t realize that the Guild was all descendants of the Nirvit, did you?¡± remarked Sherry, turning away from her reflection.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Well, I¡¯m the only one who joined afterward¡­¡± ¡°Erza, won¡¯t you try them on? They¡¯re really cute!¡± proposed Lucy. Truth glanced at the redhead, who was sitting opposite to her. Since yesterday, she had sported a dark expression. The girl knew that one too well, though. It must have been about that Jellal guy or something of the sort. Were they close? She hadn¡¯t asked. ¡°Sure¡­ you¡¯re right,¡± relented the Requiping Mage. Lucy deflated a little at that, before turning to Truth. ¡°Ne, Truth! Why don¡¯t you try yours? I bet you¡¯d be really cute!¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s because of the scars.¡± The black-haired girl averted her gaze. ¡°They¡¯ll show.¡± ¡°Scars?¡± repeated Wendy, tilting her head. ¡°Do you want me to take a look? I might be able to heal them¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been there for a few years, so they won¡¯t go. But thanks for the offer,¡± simply refused the teen, offering a tentative smile. The little girl beamed back while the white cat eyed Truth in suspicion. ¡°Ne, Wendy,¡± then called over Sherry. ¡°When did Cait Shelter joined the League of Guilds? I apologize for being blunt but, until this mission began, I had not even heard your Guild¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, neither have I,¡± blinked Lucy. ¡°Is that so?¡± Wendy scratched the back of her head. ¡°My Guild must really be one of the most obscure ones¡­¡± ¡°Who cares?¡± Carla stepped in. ¡°Everyone is waiting, come on.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± The girls headed for the door, but Truth stayed seated, unsure. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for me to come,¡± she then said, drawing their attention. ¡°I helped to activate Nirvana¡­ which nearly killed them¡­ and it¡¯s a ceremony to thank you¡­¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t leave Lucy¡¯s side,¡± remarked Erza, narrowing her eyes, suspicious. ¡°I- I know!¡± instantly assured Truth, waving her hands in mild panic. ¡°I just¡­¡± ¡°You can stay with me, alright?¡± proposed gently the blonde. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°This is going to get awkward real fast¡­¡± muttered the ex-member of Oraci¨®n Seis, going to stand by the Celestial mage. ¡°I don¡¯t regret it, those were my orders after all, but I¡¯m not exactly the one who activated it¡­ I helped search for it¡­ and I copied it too¡­ Damn, why do I feel ashamed? There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of. Or is there? I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Sherry shot her a look at that. Clearly bonkers, that girl. And Fairy Tail, trusting her like that¡­ But she soon pushed those thoughts away. In a way, they were much alike. She too had been a ¡®bad guy¡¯ before joining Lamia Scale and, as much as she hated to admit it, she didn¡¯t feel bad for turning those island people in monsters or whatever actually happened. It was all for Lyon-sama¡¯s love, after all. That suddenly made her review her position somewhat over Truth. In a way, what the girl had done was merely¡­ another sign of love! As hearts escaped her eyes, Truth exchanged a mildly terrified look with Lucy before the both of them slightly backed away. Then, they found the rest of the boys standing before the whole Guild, and quickly joined with them. Truth simply hid behind Lucy, grabbing the girl¡¯s hand. She never had been surrounded by that many people since she went to school, and that was three years ago, so it wasn¡¯t exactly a comfortable position for her. ¡°Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale¡­ Also, Wendy and Carla. And, not forgetting Truth.¡± She hid even more at her name, if possible. ¡°You have done well in defeating Oraci¨®n Seis and stopping Nirvana. As a representative for the local League of Guilds, I, Robaul, say job well done,¡± stated an old man, Master of Cait Shelter. He bowed. ¡°Thank you.¡± For a second, Truth hesitated, before stepping out from her hiding spot and heading for him, her pace calm and slow. She could feel everyone¡¯s suspicion and wariness rising as she approached him, and couldn¡¯t exactly blame them for it. But, when she arrived at one meter of the old man, she stopped in her tracks, and dropped to her knees, before placing her forehead against the ground. ¡°I cannot apologize for helping in the activation of Nirvana,¡± she stated firmly. ¡°Nor for helping in the almost destruction of your Guild. However, I do apologize my past Master¡¯s actions against Cait Shelter. As the last member of Oraci¨®n Seis, I will accept whatever punishment you deem necessary.¡± Robaul raised an eyebrow at that, before hitting her head harshly with his staff. All cringed as they definitely heard the skull crack slightly under the blow. ¡°Ouch! What the hell, old geezer!?¡± she exclaimed, rubbing the sore spot, stars dancing before her eyes. ¡°Where is your Guild Mark, child?¡± he inquired, unbothered by her reaction. ¡°What is it with people calling me a child?¡± she mumbled, lifting her cloak to reveal the Guild Mark on her collarbone. ¡°Here.¡± He hummed, before placing his staff upon it. There was a flash of light before the tattoo disappeared with some sparkles. She gaped for a second, unsure of what to do with this new development. ¡°Despite your previous actions, you aided in the destruction of Nirvana. You are no longer part of Oraci¨®n Seis, child. As of now, you are free from this Guild¡¯s burdens. That is your punishment,¡± he concluded. She tried to reply, but couldn¡¯t find the words to do so, and simply bowed her head deeply before going back to Lucy, who placed a hand on her shoulder with a smile. She¡¯s not fully freed from Oraci¨®n Seis¡¯ burdens, with the Magic Council still on her back. However, it only brings her one step closer. In the end, only she will be able to free herself. But¡­ I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll manage. I know she can do it, and I¡¯ll help her. We all will. Next to her, the teen looked down. ¡°Thank you.¡± Was it for Lucy, Robaul or anything else, no one would ever be able to tell. However, one thing was for sure: that was Truth¡¯s second chance, and she wouldn¡¯t waste it.
Truth wasn¡¯t really sure of what exactly happened next. Ichiya seemed to take responsibility for their victory and started a weird dance with the Trimens, making her snort. Then, Gray and Lyon stripped, startling Lucy and making the teen wonder just exactly if being weird was a must for wizards in general. After what, the situation turned even weirder as Cait Shelter¡¯s Master broke the mood to apologize for hiding their true ascendance as Nirvit and, next thing they knew, the Guild wasn¡¯t real, Robaul was some sort of spectral form and soon, the members of Wendy¡¯s Guild started disappearing. ¡°Thoughts projection,¡± recognized Truth in a low tone. ¡°What is this? Everyone!¡± panicked Carla. ¡°Magna! Pepel!¡± Wendy started shaking. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? They¡¯re all disappearing!¡± exclaimed Hibiki. ¡°No! Everyone! I don¡¯t want you to disappear!¡± tears escaped Wendy¡¯s eyes. ¡°I apologize for deceiving you,¡± Robaul sighed. ¡°But¡­ all of the members of the Guild are illusions created by me.¡± ¡°Say what!?¡± yelled Natsu. ¡°Illusions with their own personalities?¡± added Lyon, wide eyes. ¡°What incredible magic power,¡± whispered Jura. ¡°I lived alone in these ruins, protecting Nirvana. Seven years ago, a single boy came here. He asked me to take care of a little girl. I couldn¡¯t turn down the request of that boy and his fierce, honest eyes. Even though I had promised myself I would stay alone¡­ I created an illusory family.¡± ¡°That Guild was created all for Wendy?¡± Lucy placed a hand over her mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna hear that!¡± protested the little girl, hands over her ears. ¡°Bask, Naoki, don¡¯t you disappear too!¡± But the last two illusions disappeared despite her pleads. ¡°Wendy, Carla¡­ you no longer need a foster family.¡± He then pointed at those standing behind her. ¡°Don¡¯t you have real friends, now?¡± He, too, started disappearing as Wendy only cried harder. ¡°Your future¡­ has only just begun.¡± ¡°Master!¡± She ran to him, extending her hand in hopes to catch him in time. ¡°Everyone, truly¡­ thank you. I leave Wendy and Carla in your care¡­¡± He fully turned to nothingness, and the girl dropped to her knees as the Guild Mark on her right shoulder disappeared too. ¡°MASTER!!!¡± She screamed and cried as the rest could only witness her despair. But¡­ Truth was done watching and standing by. So, not caring about the rest, she made her way to Wendy and kneeled, before hugging the girl from behind. The Dragon Slayer kept on weeping, Truth never letting go. Then, Erza came over and placed a hand over Wendy¡¯s head. At that very moment, Truth understood the pain the three of them shared. The pain to be lied to, to be betrayed, to be abandoned¡­ That pain¡­ was one she wouldn¡¯t wish upon anyone. So, she didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Bury the pain of losing your loved ones¡­ into the arms of your friends,¡± then said Erza, the girl¡¯s cries dying down. ¡°Come, to Fairy Tail.¡± Without a warning, her second hand gently landed on top of Truth¡¯s head, who stiffened. ¡°The both of you.¡±
¡°Ah, swaying in the sea breeze feels so nice!¡± sighed happily Natsu. ¡°Isn¡¯t it great, Natsu?¡± concurred Happy. The pink-haired boy started running around, yelling something about the amazingness of transportation. ¡°The Troia will wear off soon, you know,¡± gently warned Wendy. As if on cue, the Dragon Slayer slumped to the deck, now sick. ¡°C- cast it again!¡± he pleaded, literally green. ¡°If you do it over and over again, it¡¯ll get less effective,¡± replied the little girl. ¡°Just leave him be,¡± grinned Gray. Lucy laughed, and Truth Requiped her Book. ¡°Eh? What are you doing?¡± blinked the blonde mage. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see if I too will be sick if I use Dragon Slaying Magic,¡± informed the girl, searching for the good page. ¡°I doubt it¡¯d work,¡± Erza shook her head. ¡°You have to cast a spell or attack to do so. You¡¯re not a Dragon Slayer.¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± She sent it back, a little disappointed. ¡°Still, I¡¯m very curious about your Magic, Truth,¡± then said the Celestial mage. ¡°It¡¯s still kind of confusing¡­¡± ¡°Well, my real Magic is Telekinesis, which allows me to move objects with my mind. I can also compress them, extend them¡­ That allowed me to crush bones or things of the sort, to make people implode and¡ª¡° ¡°The details aren¡¯t necessary,¡± sweatdropped Lucy. ¡°Sorry, sorry. Anyway, it also allows me to fly, in a way, because I lift myself. However, I also learned a Lost Magic called Thief Magic. I explained it to Happy and Wendy when they were kidnapped by Brain. In short, I can copy, or steal, the Magic of any mage I had physical contact with. After that, each spell used by the mage will write itself in my Book, which then allows me to use them as I want to. Of course, I have to respect a few rules if it is to work.¡± ¡°Rules?¡± repeated Erza, now curious too. The girl hummed. ¡°First, as said before, I need to have physical contact with the mage I copy. I also need to have my Book in hands, so as to permit the copying, and I also need to know the name of the mage and the name of the Magic I¡¯m copying,¡± listed the teen. ¡°After that, if I want to use one of the stolen Magic, I absolutely need to have my Book with me. I also can¡¯t use more than one Magic at a time, like mixing spells or something like that. I can¡¯t create my own attacks either. I also need to have the magical capacity to copy the Magic. That¡¯s why I first took yours and the others¡¯ when Oraci¨®n Seis and the Allied Forces faced each other the first time. It expanded my magical capacities. Nirvana was an enormous stretch that nearly killed me, and it¡¯ll be a while before I can do that again. However, the strength of the spells and attacks depends on my own magical abilities. If I¡¯m out of power, then I can¡¯t cast the spells.¡± ¡°And you learned to do all of that in a few months?¡± Gray raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡± ¡°I was determined,¡± she shrugged, looking away. ¡°I needed to get stronger, and fast. I still do.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Because that way, they won¡¯t be able to take me back,¡± understanding they couldn¡¯t ask more of her, they dropped the subject. The black-haired Thief mage then tilted her head to Erza. ¡°Still, Erza¡­ why did you invite me to join Fairy Tail? Wendy and Carla, I can understand, but from what I understood, I¡¯m still waiting for my judgment by the Magic Council, and I was a member of Oraci¨®n Seis. Why would you do that?¡± ¡°Everyone deserves a second chance,¡± she smiled softly. ¡°We accept everyone seeking a change of heart, Truth, and all those looking for their paths are welcomed among us. I believe you are still looking for yours?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m really searching for anything,¡± she shifted in place, slightly uncomfortable. ¡°I just¡­ want to be free. That¡¯s all. I¡¯m ready to do whatever it takes to achieve it.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s no problem at all,¡± concluded the redhead. ¡°¡­ I guess it isn¡¯t,¡± sighed the teen. But she was smiling too.
¡°And so, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve invited Wendy, Carla, and Truth to join Fairy Tail,¡± concluded the Requip mage. ¡°I- it¡¯s a pleasure!¡± Wendy bowed. ¡°I¡¯m not good with people, please don¡¯t look at me¡­¡± whispered Truth, bowing too. ¡°SO CUTE!!!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a girl Happy!¡± ¡°And that one¡¯s eyes are so pretty!¡± ¡°How old are you, misses!?¡± Truth, extremely uncomfortable by now, simply ran to hide behind Lucy, who chuckled a little at her sudden arrival as a blue-haired girl and two older boys stared with curiosity. ¡°Do you mind if I stay here?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°Oh, I must bother her¡­ Damn, but what can I do? It¡¯s not like I can leave or anything¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not bothering me!¡± assured Lucy, smiling. ¡°Oh! Truth, this is Levy, Jet, and Droy! They¡¯re the Shadow Gear team. Guys, this is Truth! She just joined with Wendy and Carla.¡± ¡°Oh, I love your eyes!¡± beamed the blue-haired girl, taking the teen¡¯s hands. ¡°Purple is such a rare color! Ne, ne, I heard about your Thief Magic! Do you mind showing me later?¡± ¡°Calm down, Levy-chan, she¡¯s not going anywhere,¡± laughed Lucy. ¡°Truth?¡± repeated the ginger, Jet. ¡°That¡¯s a weird name,¡± remarked Droy. ¡°Not as weird as your hair,¡± instantly retorted the teen. She slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. It had been a while since she had to watch what she was saying around new people, she practically lost the habit since she never really cared to mind her tongue in Oraci¨®n Seis. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to take offense, while Jet started laughing. ¡°Man, she got you on this one,¡± the ginger snickered. ¡°Well, she¡¯s going to fit in alright,¡± Droy ruffled the girl¡¯s hair. ¡°Whatever,¡± she looked away, a light blush on her cheeks. Lucy then grabbed her arm. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll present you to Mirajane. She¡¯s the barmaid, and she¡¯s very nice!¡± ¡°W- wait!¡± But she was pulled to the bar anyway and found herself sitting on one of the chairs as a white-haired woman approached. ¡°Hello there!¡± smiled Mirajane. ¡°What can I get you?¡± ¡°¡­ she¡¯s beautiful,¡± mumbled the teen, staring with awe at the woman. ¡°Aw, thank you!¡± Mirajane beamed at her. ¡°You¡¯re Truth, right? Do you want something? I¡¯ll put it on the house.¡± ¡°Err¡­ Do you have some orange juice?¡± the girl scratched the back of her head. ¡°Orange juice? Sure thing! What about you, Lucy?¡± ¡°The usual, please!¡± ¡°Coming right up, then!¡± As Mirajane prepared their orders, Truth couldn¡¯t help but listen as Natsu, not so far away, counted his fight against Cobra. ¡°And then there was this snake with wings!¡± ¡°Snakes can¡¯t fly!¡± retorted a white-haired man. ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re a man!¡± ¡°What kind of point is that?¡± wondered the teen lowly. ¡°I¡¯m the Sky Dragon Slayer!¡± At Wendy¡¯s affirmation, silence fell over the Guild. For a moment, Truth thought they didn¡¯t believe the little girl... until they all exclaimed in noisy cheers. They were so loud the entire building shook upon its foundations. ¡°Today, we¡¯re having a celebration! A party to welcome Wendy, Carla and Truth! Live it up! Live it up!¡± ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯m getting fired up!¡± And just like that, the Guild erupted in a monstrous party. The teen gazed around, worried and awed at the same time. It was such an energetic Guild¡­ There was a light tap on her shoulder, and she turned to see an old man. ¡°He¡¯s really small, uh?¡± she remarked to herself. ¡°Must be Master Makarov¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I am,¡± he confirmed, ignoring her first comment. ¡°Come with me, child. We have much to discuss.¡± ¡°¡­ right.¡± Escaping the chairs that started flying around with some alcohol bottles, they went upstairs to his office. She sat on a chair as he closed the door before himself settled on top of his desk. ¡°I have discussed your situation with the Magic Council,¡± he then announced. ¡°S- so soon?¡± Her hands clenched in sudden fear. ¡°W- what did they say!?¡± ¡°We have come to an understanding,¡± assured the Master in a soothing voice. ¡°You will join Fairy Tail and stay under Lucy¡¯s guard for a five-years-long probation. Once these five years have passed, if the Magic Council judges you have repented for your crimes, then you will be allowed to leave and do whatever you want, I guess, all in legal terms of course. Until then, any actions you take will be under Fairy Tail¡¯s banner. Also, you will always have to be accompanied by at least one Fairy Tail mage when you take a mission.¡± ¡°So¡­ I can really join? They won¡¯t- they won¡¯t take me back¡­?¡± The man nodded in confirmation, and she let out a breath she hadn¡¯t realized she was holding, before rubbing her wrists absently. ¡°However, I must admit that I am wary,¡± he then sighed. ¡°While I do not doubt your intentions, it is clear you don¡¯t always have control over your powers and, from what I have gathered from the mission report I was given earlier, you aren¡¯t exactly mentally stable¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯m not crazy!¡± she instantly exclaimed. ¡°I swear I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°Even if you were, we¡¯re all insane in this Guild anyway,¡± sweatdropped Makarov. She couldn¡¯t help but snort at that, and he indulged her with a smile. ¡°All I ask of you is to not hurt any of your guildmates,¡± he then said. ¡°Here in Fairy Tail, our bonds is what makes us stronger. One¡¯s happiness is everyone¡¯s happiness. One¡¯s tears are everyone¡¯s tears. We are nakamas. Respect these bonds, and you shall profit from them as well.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± she assured. ¡°I swear not to hurt a fellow mage from Fairy Tail, and also swear to you my full allegiance.¡± ¡°Such ceremonials,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Now go out and have some fun, would you? We¡¯re partying all night long!¡± With that, he went back to the Guildhall. She stayed in place for a few seconds. She wasn¡¯t Oraci¨®n Seis anymore. She wasn¡¯t Brain¡¯s tool anymore. She was now a proud member of Fairy Tail, and she was free.
With a smile, she gazed down at the purple mark now tattooed on the back of her right hand. ¡°Free,¡± she repeated to herself. ¡°¡­ Finally.¡± ¡®Now let¡¯s get this party started!¡¯ ¡®Be careful, they all look like perverts¡¯ ¡°Truth, coming?¡± Lucy passed her head through the door¡¯s opening, curious as to what was taking the teen so long. ¡°Yes!¡± She jumped on her feet to join the blonde mage. As they started heading back down to the main hall, the teen remembered something she had wanted to do earlier but had completely forgotten about until that moment. ¡°Ne, Lucy?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Kaelys.¡± The blonde startled a little, before smiling. "Got it." Old Habits Die Hard ¡°I¡¯m sorry for barging in like that,¡± mumbled Kaelys as they entered Lucy¡¯s apartment. ¡°No worries, Kae¡ªI can call you Kae, right? I¡¯m the one who proposed, after all,¡± smiled Lucy. ¡°I¡¯ve got some space, anyway.¡± ¡°But still¡­ I¡¯ll pay half the rent! Otherwise, I¡¯ll feel really bad¡­ and I can¡¯t cook to save my life, but I¡¯m sure¡ª¡° ¡°Kaelys,¡± gently interrupted Lucy. ¡°We¡¯ll be living together for the next five years. Don¡¯t stress over it, okay? We¡¯ll just split the tasks and that¡¯ll be it.¡± ¡°¡­ okay.¡± ¡°Good! Now, I¡¯ll ask Virgo to set up a mattress for you for tonight, and we¡¯ll find you a bed later in the week. We¡¯re also going to buy you some clothes tomorrow, and whatever else you¡¯ll need. How does that sound?¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfect, Lucy,¡± assured the teen, genuinely grateful. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem!¡±
When she woke up the next morning, Kaelys was extremely tired. She hadn¡¯t slept that much, what with her sleep being troubled by nightmares. It had been a while since it happened, seeing as she was always sleeping with Cubellios, Angel or even Midnight sometimes. However, on the mattress Lucy had set up, there was no one else but her. Of course, she didn¡¯t say anything to Lucy. Or at least, she tried not to. ¡°So, slept well?¡± ¡°No, not really,¡± Kaelys admitted, scratching the back of her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear it, but we¡¯ll get you a bed soon enough so¡ª¡° ¡°It wasn¡¯t the mattress,¡± the teen shook her head. ¡°I had nightmares.¡± ¡°Nightmares?¡± repeated the blonde, more softly. ¡°You have those often?¡± ¡°Nan. Usually, I sleep with someone else, so it keeps them away¡­ You don¡¯t have to do anything, though! It¡¯s fine, really!¡± ¡°Of course it isn¡¯t!¡± replied Lucy firmly. ¡°But I know just what to do. I¡¯ll show you tonight, though. For now, we should eat something then go for your clothes!¡± Understanding she couldn¡¯t fight against it, the black-haired girl simply gave in.
¡°It¡¯s kind of a shame that you wear such unrevealing clothes,¡± pouted Lucy. ¡°You¡¯ve got a really nice body. You should be proud of it!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want the scars to show,¡± simply said the girl. ¡°And I don¡¯t want people to question either. I couldn¡¯t care less about what they think, but answering would be a pain.¡± ¡°You could always say that you don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± proposed the blonde. ¡°Then it¡¯ll be awkward.¡± ¡°True that,¡± chuckled the Celestial mage. ¡°Ne, I was wondering something¡­ Why haven¡¯t you copied my Magic back then? Was it because you already had Angel¡¯s?¡± ¡°Copying Holder Magic Types would be useless since I would need the items required to perform it,¡± remarked the teen. ¡°Why copy Celestial Magic if I don¡¯t have any keys?¡± ¡°But you copied Erza¡¯s, though.¡± ¡°Her armors are magical armors, and it merely means I can have access to them too,¡± clarified Kaelys. ¡°But if she¡¯s wearing the one I wants, then I won¡¯t be able to take it until she Requips another one.¡± ¡°I see,¡± hummed the blonde. They kept on walking in a comfortable silence. They had bought several new outfits, all of which Kaelys swore she¡¯d pay back once she had gathered enough money. She was now wearing a skirt with shorts under it, seeing as it was much hotter in Magnolia than it had been in Nirvana¡¯s forest, a short-sleeved top that covered the lower half of her neck, and a small cloak that reached her mid-back, which was long enough to cover her body if needed. She had wrapped bandages around her forearms to hide the scars, and her new boots reached just under her knees, which meant those on her legs were hidden too. Her scalpel was still in her possession, hidden in her right boot. Lucy wasn¡¯t aware of it, and she hadn¡¯t told anyone else. It was like her secret boot and, while she felt bad for hiding it, she was afraid they¡¯d take it away. That little blade had saved her countless times and was the sole thing that allowed her to escape the asylum in the first place. She couldn¡¯t lose it, ever. ¡°Say, Kae? Where are you from?¡± suddenly asked her new Guildmate. ¡°London.¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± ¡®Kaelys, it¡¯s not the same world, remember?¡¯ ¡®They probably won¡¯t believe you, though¡¯ ¡°Right, I¡¯m in a new world¡­¡± echoed the teen. Lucy blinked. ¡°What?¡± Purple clashed with brown as both of them stopped walking. ¡°I¡¯m from another world,¡± simply stated Kaelys. ¡°I woke up in this one a year ago, after I escaped the hellhole I had been stuck in for two years. I have no idea how I got here, though, but it doesn¡¯t really matter, does it?¡± The blonde¡¯s mind was working fast, extremely so as Kaelys started walking again. Kaelys can¡¯t lie, so she really is from another world. In a way, it isn¡¯t that much surprising, what with new magic being discovered every day. However¡­ ¡°But¡­ don¡¯t you want to go back to your own world?¡± she wondered hesitantly. The black-haired girl stilled, her step faltering as her eyes widened in genuine surprise. ¡°¡­ she believes me¡­?¡± ¡®That girl is bonkers too, then. Guess the geezer was right about them all being insane. Guess what, you¡¯ll fit right in!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not crazy!¡± snapped Kaelys, before reporting her attention on Lucy. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go back. My ancient world is rotten, dangerous, and I have no one to go back too. There¡¯s also the risk that they¡¯d find me again if I ever did got back. This world is my own, now. Plus, I swore my allegiance to Fairy Tail. I promised I wouldn¡¯t harm any of my guildmates. If I was to leave, then the Magic Council would be on your back, and it would then harm everyone.¡± A strange seriousness then entered the girl¡¯s gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t break my promises, Lucy. You know what that is.¡± Yes, yes she did. And that¡¯s why a smile stretched her lips, even brighter than before. ¡°Of course.¡± The older mage then locked her arm with the girl¡¯s, beaming. ¡°You know, though¡­ One day, I hope you¡¯ll be able to consider us as your family rather than allies. You¡¯re a part of Fairy Tail, now, and our bonds are stronger than any allegiance you can make, alright?¡± ¡®This¡­ actually feels nice, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®I like the blonde, but I still feel it¡¯s kind of suspicious. I mean, you were trying to kill each other not three days ago!¡¯ ¡°Alright.¡± And while doubts still lingered in her mind, Kaelys couldn¡¯t help but let some hope blossom in the bottom of her heart. Who knew? Maybe she finally found where she belonged.
As soon as they arrived in the Guild, Natsu appeared out of nowhere, practically shoving a paper in Lucy¡¯s face. ¡°Luce, Luce, let¡¯s go on a job!¡± he cheered. But the blonde frowned slightly as she grabbed the paper, glancing at Kaelys. ¡°Natsu, Kaelys just arrived. I¡¯ll take a job with her in a few days, once she¡¯s settled in, and¡ª¡° ¡°Who¡¯s Kaelys?¡± he replied, confused, before noticing the black-haired girl. He waved cheerfully. ¡°Hey, Truth!¡± Both girls sweatdropped a little. ¡°My real name is Kaelys,¡± she simply clarified. ¡°Ooh~!¡± ¡°Anyhow, we¡¯ll just wait a little longer before taking a job.¡± Lucy gave him back the request. ¡°Kae still doesn¡¯t know how to deal with everything, and¡ª¡° The younger mage simply grabbed the paper and checked over it: a group of bandits was causing some trouble in a forest near Spring Village, and the reward seemed well worth the effort. There even was a Celestial Key to go with it! ¡°We should do it,¡± she shrugged, and Natsu whooped in the background. ¡°I will have to take jobs, after all. Plus, I need to get used to working with new people. While in Oraci¨®n Seis, everyone¡¯s abilities were different. I did work with Aries, Gemini, and Scorpio a few times over but, other than that¡­¡± ¡°I guess you do have a point,¡± relented the blond, still hesitant. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll try it. We¡¯ll need money for the food anyway.¡± ¡°Yatta! Let¡¯s get this approved by Mira and get going!¡± exclaimed Natsu. ¡°Aye, sir!¡± Happy flew after him. As soon as they left to get the approval of the white-haired woman, Lucy turned to Kaelys, her beautiful face marred by a slight frown. ¡°Kae¡­ Are you sure about this? Getting accommodated to us first might be a better idea¡­¡± The girl narrowed her eyes. ¡°Lucy, what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Fairy Tail isn¡¯t like Oraci¨®n Seis,¡± answered the blonde mage, rubbing the back of her head. ¡°While I¡¯ve never seen your ancient Guild working before, I¡¯m pretty sure it''s not the same kind of pace. The kind of missions is different, to begin with. The people working with you, their powers, the dynamics¡­¡± ¡°You worry too much. Let¡¯s just try this one and see how it works out, alright?¡± proposed the teen, before looking away. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why she doesn¡¯t want to work with me. Is she afraid I¡¯ll lose control? Or that we fail the mission because of me? I¡¯ve done harder missions before, I¡ª¡° ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that!¡± panicked the Celestial maiden. ¡°I trust you, Kae, I promise! I¡¯m just worried it might turn out in a bad way if we rush things, it¡¯s all! I don¡¯t¡ª¡° ¡°WE GOT IT!¡± The purple-eyed teen flinched at the boisterous voice of the Dragon Slayer. For two years, her own screams had been the loudest sound she heard, and the year after was pretty silent, what with being with Oraci¨®n Seis. Seeing the slight reaction, Lucy¡¯s frown only deepened. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± the teen silently cursed herself, remarking it too. But Natsu and Happy were already back with them, so the blonde mage didn¡¯t say anything more, knowing she couldn¡¯t change Kaelys¡¯s mind. ¡°We gotta bring the rest of Team Natsu, though,¡± added the pink-haired boy when he finally reached them, scrunching his nose. ¡°Though I don¡¯t see why we gotta bring the Ice-Princess with us¡ª¡° ¡°What¡¯d you call me, Flame-Brain!?¡± ¡°An Ice-Princess, Snow-Dick!¡± For only answer, an ice attack was shot his way as Gray came out of nowhere, apparently eager to fight. Natsu got hit right in the face and instantly shot back a fireball. This sent the two of them in a fight, curses, and insults flowing around. ¡°That¡¯s manly!!!¡± Elfman jumped into the fray, soon followed by Gajeel ¨Cwho had gotten hit in the meantime-, Cana ¨Cher alcohol had been spilled- and, before anyone could really register what was going on, the whole Guild fell in an all-out brawl. The doors slammed open not a minute later. ¡°What is going on, here?¡± Erza¡¯s booming voice stopped all movements. Yes, everything stopped¡­ saved for that one table that knocked her into the wall. Angry, she didn¡¯t waste any more time in joining the fight, which restarted even more violently. Kaelys could only stare, unable to fully understand what exactly was going on. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± ¡®My thoughts exactly¡¯ ¡®This Guild is insane! I love those guys¡¯ ¡°That¡¯d be a first,¡± muttered the black-haired girl. ¡°You get used to it,¡± sweatdropped Lucy, guiding her outside. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re going to pack our things for the mission. Natsu, Gray, Erza! Let¡¯s meet up at the train station in an hour!¡± ¡°OKAY!¡± they answered, before falling back into the fight. The two girls then left, heading back to the apartment. On their way there, Kaelys stifled a yawn, before looking at Lucy. ¡°Maybe I should meet her Spirits before we leave,¡± she said, thoughtful. ¡°Or at least Aries, Gemini, and Scorpio. They might not want to work with me, what with my background¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡± beamed the blonde. The teen recoiled slightly. She wasn¡¯t used to people answering. Normally, Oraci¨®n Seis would simply ignore her. Cobra would answer sometimes, but only because he could hear the voices, too. If Lucy noticed her discomfort, though, she said nothing about it, simply pulling out one of the many silver keys hanging to her waist. ¡°I¡¯ll summon those three once we¡¯re back at the apartment,¡± she said. ¡°Meanwhile, I want to present you someone. Open, Gate of the Canis Minor! Nikora!¡± There was a flash of light as the gate opened, letting appear what seemed like a little snowman, no taller than her knees. His limbs were shaking as little, and he waved at her as she crouched to get to his eye-level. ¡°Plue, Plue~?¡± ¡°He¡¯s so cute¡­¡± the Thief Mage gaped. ¡®Hug it¡¯ So she did. As she squeezed and squealed, the Spirit simply hugged back, apparently enjoying the sudden affection. Lucy stared for a few seconds, surprised by her reaction. It was so¡­ human. Childlike. In a way, the blonde herself had forgotten that the girl currently having a breakdown due to the cuteness of the dog Spirit was actually human, and very much young. No matter the few screws looses, the maturity beyond her years, the broken soul, the deeds done by her hand¡­ Kaelys was still a kid. The Celestial maiden clenched her fist slightly. She didn¡¯t know much about the young girl. Hell, she knew practically nothing. She had acted on a whim, only thinking about saving the girl¡¯s life at the moment. However, just like Team Natsu, just like her Spirits, Kaelys was now her friend, a part of the family. It¡¯d take time to accommodate. It¡¯d take time to learn. It¡¯d take time to get to know each other, to understand what they¡¯re both saying and thinking. It¡¯d take time, but time they had. Lucy held no illusions, she knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy. Both of them were going to make mistakes, but the blonde was no longer blind to the reality of the situation. Because of Kaelys¡¯s past ¨Cat least, what she knew of it-, she had drawn her conclusions and judgment too quickly: a fucked-up kid picked up by a fucked-up Dark Guild. There was so much more, though. Kaelys was a girl with many issues, an unstable mind, and dangerous powers. But¡­ she was also a young girl who was ripped away from her childhood, lost on a path she knew nothing of, and following her own, twisted sense of morals because no one ever cared to set them right. Lucy could easily relate to loneliness. She could easily relate, yet she doubted she¡¯d ever fully understand what her new charge had gone through. However, she was also ready to learn, to adapt. The younger mage needed someone to guide her step, and Lucy needed¡ªno, wanted to be that someone. ¡°Lucy, are you alright?¡± She blinked, returning to reality and noticing Kaelys now staring at her, Plue still in her arms. ¡°Just deep in thoughts,¡± the blonde waved it off with a smile. ¡°Anyway, this is Plue. As of now, he¡¯ll be your roommate. That is, if both of you are okay with it.¡± The black-haired girl still, looking down at the Spirit in wonder. ¡°She¡¯d let him sleep with me?¡± whispered the teen. ¡°Even though it might drain her of her magic, even if I could very well hurt him while she¡¯s not looking¡­¡± At that, the blonde placed her hand on top of Kaelys¡¯s head, her smile widening. ¡°I told you before, right?¡± she mused. ¡°I trust you.¡± The mentally ill teen felt her heart miss a beat. She knew what Lucy had said earlier, already hanging to that promise, but to hear it again, so genuinely¡­ ¡®That¡¯s it, we¡¯re keeping her¡¯ ¡®You sure about that? It¡¯s easy to break promises, you know that¡¯ For once, Kaelys didn¡¯t bother answering. And, as they headed back to Lucy¡¯s apartment with Plue, the blonde couldn¡¯t help but notice the light flickering in her charge¡¯s eyes, the purple orbs now glinting with a softer edge.
An hour later, they arrived at the train station. They were the first to have arrived, apparently, and Kaelys was growing a little bored. Not wanting to exhaust Lucy before the mission even started, she let her send Plue back to the Spirit world, and the blonde was reading thoroughly the information they had on the mission. The teen settled on waiting. It wasn¡¯t like she could anything else. If she decided to roam around alone, then it¡¯d be considered as an attempt at fleeing and she¡¯d have to leave Fairy Tail and truly go on the run. She sat down against a wall. ¡°If Midnight was here, then I could sleep with him¡­¡± she mumbled, before stiffening. ¡°Midnight¡­¡± She hadn¡¯t asked about his condition, or anyone else¡¯s. Thanks to Natsu, she knew her ex-Guildmates were still alive, but for the marks on Brain¡¯s face to actually disappear, they must have been truly injured. ¡°I wonder if they¡¯re okay¡­ I know Hoteye was alright, and they were all brought back the Magic Council, but¡ª¡° ¡®I¡¯m sure they¡¯re fine. You know them, they¡¯re strong¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d worry about yourself first. You still don¡¯t know if you can trust them¡¯ ¡°I can trust them,¡± protested quietly the teen. ¡®You sure? You never had to worry about that before, what with knowing your place in Oraci¨®n Seis. You were a weapon, and a weapon¡¯s purpose is its master¡¯s. Now, though, you¡¯re a person. Your purpose and theirs are bound to differ, and when you decide yourself on what that purpose is, they¡¯ll only stand in your way¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t need a purpose,¡± Kaelys gritted her teeth, bringing her knees to her chest. ¡°All I ever wanted was to be free, and I am now.¡± ¡®But you¡¯re not free. Your cage may be a little bigger now, but it''s still a cage. In the end, you¡¯re not allowed to leave¡¯ Kaelys tensed, her throat constricting. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ no, it''s different¡ª¡° ¡®They cut off your wings before you could even realize you had them. How pathetic is that?¡¯ ¡®Enough of this! She troubled enough as it is, there¡¯s no need to worsen the burden¡¯ ¡®Tche¡¯ ¡°I can trust them,¡± insisted weakly the girl. ¡°I want to trust them¡­¡± ¡®Do what you want. Don¡¯t come crying when they turn their back on you, though¡¯ ¡°That won¡¯t happen!¡± ¡°Kaelys, are you alright?¡± The purple-eyed teen jumped slightly, reporting her attention on Lucy, who was eyeing her carefully. Warily. ¡®See? Already started¡¯ ¡°One of the voices is annoying me, it¡¯s all,¡± simply shrugged the girl, getting back on her feet. ¡°Are the others here yet?¡± Lucy made a face at the mention of the voices, still unsure of what to make of her charge¡¯s hallucinations. Was it a sickness? Was it magic? Could she truly hear people? For all they knew, maybe she was a telepath. Maybe she could read minds like that Cobra guy did? After all, she could copy Magics. But then again, she would need to use her Book, which she obviously didn¡¯t have in her hands in that very moment. ¡°They should arrive soon enough,¡± finally answered the blonde, before hearing familiar voices coming from farther away. ¡°See? They¡¯re here!¡± At that, Kaelys turned around, only to find Erza approaching while carrying way too much luggage, with Natsu and Gray fighting in the background. ¡°I feel like this isn¡¯t going to be an easy trip,¡± sweatdropped the younger girl. ¡°Hello, Lucy, Kaelys,¡± greeted the red-haired woman with a smile. Said smile instantly turned in a dark air as she spun around and knocked out cold the two boys. ¡°Stop fighting!¡± They instantly collapsed to the floor. ¡°Hey, Erza,¡± greeted back Lucy, apparently used to this. ¡°Gray, Natsu! Get up, we have a mission to accomplish.¡± Massaging their sore, bruising faces, they slowly rose back to their feet. The pink-haired boy huffed, somewhat indignantly. ¡°Must be the first time she¡¯s excited to go on a mission with bandits,¡± he muttered. ¡°Well, it is Kaelys¡¯s first mission with Team Natsu,¡± pointed out Erza, before smiling warmly at the teen once again. ¡°How do you feel about it?¡± ¡°Conflicted,¡± admitted bluntly the girl. ¡°I don¡¯t see how the five of you manage to form a balanced team. Erza is insanely strong and loses her temper easily; Gray and Natsu are powerhouses that¡¯d rather fight each other than enemies; Lucy isn¡¯t as strong as the rest of you, but her mind makes up for it, though it seems obvious you aren¡¯t using her intelligence to its full potential; finally, Happy only seems to be acting as the mascot of the group. In overall, you''re all extreme opposites and the only reason I can see behind the formation of your team is that you once needed a very strong team for a particular mission, and it ended up being the five of you, who stuck together ever since under the name of Team Natsu. Have I gotten everything right?¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. There was a moment of heavy silence as they all stared at the girl. She simply blinked, not sure of what else to say, and mindlessly rubbed her wrists. ¡°That was an extremely adequate deduction,¡± finally remarked Erza, more surprised than upset by the teen¡¯s observations. ¡°You would be right about the reason behind Team Natsu¡¯s formation. We are a heavy hitter team. However, while there may not be much balance, I believe we are very much like Oraci¨®n Seis on this point. After all, was not the whole Guild constituted of extremely powerful members?¡± ¡°That would be where you¡¯re wrong,¡± the teen shook her head in a negative motion, not missing a beat. ¡°We were seven members, myself included. Though there was that staff and Zero too, now that I think about it¡­ Anyway, each member was a heavy hitter, yes, but also had a very specific role in the Guild. Angel was the infiltrator and information gatherer, what with her abilities with Gemini; Cobra was the spy, able to hear everything; Hoteye was our Bounty Hunter, he¡¯s the one who was collecting most of the funds of the Guild; Racer was the messenger and the link between all the Guilds under our control thanks to the Balam Alliance; Brain was obviously the Guild Master and the one behind all of our strategies; Midnight and myself were the trump cards of the group¡ªMidnight because no one knew of his powers saved for us, and myself because no one knew of my very existence before we met at Nirvana. I was also the one taking most of the ¡®official¡¯ missions, seeing as my face wasn¡¯t known as a criminal¡¯s back then.¡± Kaelys was on a roll. Her eyes had dimmed, and the five wizards could easily see that it was no longer the child they were facing. ¡°Team Natsu is different because you all fail to tap into your individual potentials. You all aim as heavy hitters and forget about the rest, hence why I believe your team is off-balance,¡± she concluded. ¡°What would you suggest, then?¡± inquired Erza, interested. ¡°Lucy would be the strategist,¡± the blonde started spluttering at that, shaking her head wildly. ¡°She possesses a tactical mind that isn¡¯t unlike Brain¡¯s and is able to see a situation under many different angles. She can plan many steps ahead of the enemy, something not many are able to do. The only reason why you never noticed is that you apparently never bothered with a strategy in the first place. Would I be right in assuming you¡¯re using the ¡®barge in, beat up everyone and destroy everything¡¯ tactic?¡± ¡°This is insane, she has us spot on,¡± Gray sweatdropped. ¡°Erza would be the infiltrator. Thanks to her different armors and her Requip Magic, she would be able to get into enemy territory without much of a hassle, and would also be able to get out as easily, seeing as she can summon her weapons out of nowhere. Happy could be the spy, and also the ¡®emergency exit¡¯ if we want to put it that way. Since he possesses flying magic, he could be used as a last resort for fleeing a battle if things go bad. He could also be the messenger,¡± pursued Kaelys, unperturbed. ¡°Finally, Gray and Natsu would be the main heavy hitters. Seeing as I sincerely doubt any of you would be able to achieve any other role, it¡¯d balance the rest of the team, though your teamwork needs some serious work.¡± ¡°Ah! As if I¡¯d work with that pervert!¡± huffed Natsu. ¡°What was that, salmon-head!?¡± ¡°Gray, your clothes!¡± screeched Lucy. ¡°What! When did that happen!?¡± As the three of them started bickering, completely forgetting about Kaelys¡¯s analysis for the moment, Erza approached the young girl. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, where do you fit in this?¡± she wondered. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You are a part of Team Natsu now,¡± remarked the red-haired mage. ¡°Therefore, you must bring something to this team too, right?¡± At that, the girl actually smirked. ¡°Once again, I¡¯m the trump card. No one actually knows how many Magics I have copied, or what they are. Hell, rare are those who even know about my Thief Magic in the first place. Also, my Telekinesis isn¡¯t common either. I¡¯m an effective fighter, and I know hand-to-hand combat. I¡¯ve got the element of surprise on my side. I mean, who¡¯d expect a fourteen years old girl like me to be a killer?¡± Erza flinched slightly at the last sentence. She knew that the girl had killed many, everyone knew that. But, as said before, Kaelys merely acted on orders. It¡¯s not like she enjoyed it or anything. And, while the black-haired girl seemed to believe herself to be a monster, Erza couldn¡¯t bring herself to believe the same. ¡°Guys, the train¡¯s here! Let¡¯s go!¡± suddenly exclaimed Lucy. Startled out of her thoughts, the Requip Mage then glanced to the black-haired girl. Her purple eyes were once again normal, as if an entirely different person had been the one speaking before. ¡°Kaelys?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°¡­ it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go¡± ¡°Okay.¡±
¡°This is awesome!¡± gaped Kaelys, bouncing around the cabin they were now settled in. ¡°S- stop¡­ r- r- r- run-blurgh- running¡­ around¡­¡± The girl instantly stopped moving, glancing at the Dragon Slayer now lying on the floor. ¡°Do you have motion sickness?¡± she snorted, before blinking. ¡°Wait, he does. It was the same thing, back on Nirvana, and on the ship too¡­¡± ¡°That idiot¡¯s just weak, it¡¯s all,¡± taunted Gray. Instantly, the pink-haired boy glared his way, only to free his breakfast. They all made disgusted noises, and Erza finally knocked him out. Kaelys pinched her nose to keep the terrible scent away. ¡°I suggest we change cabins.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± nodded the rest in one voice.
They were now in Spring Village. After having hauled Natsu off the engine, the boy had regained his energy and was goofing around with Happy. Kaelys was no better, though. She was extremely tempted to ditch them and take a look around. After all, she didn¡¯t have much of a chance to explore the world she had ended up in when she joined Oraci¨®n Seis. They suddenly walked into the market street. It was extremely busy, vibrant with life, sounds, and noises¡­ and Kaelys wasn¡¯t so keen on exploring anymore. Grabbing Lucy¡¯s hand, she glued herself to the blonde¡¯s side, eyeing warily all those passing by them. ¡°You okay?¡± murmured the older girl. ¡°I don¡¯t like crowds that much,¡± simply answered the teen, hiding away even more. She¡¯s tensed. She¡¯s not scared, more like¡­ suspicious? ¡°Hey, we¡¯ll soon be at our inn,¡± assured Lucy with a reassuring smile. ¡°We¡¯ll pass an hour there, and go search for the bandits afterward. They¡¯re said to attack at dawn, what with the late travelers.¡± ¡®There are too many people. Who knows which ones are out for your head?¡¯ ¡®Watch out for the guy at the stale. Oh, the woman there is looking at you weird, too. And those guys at the bar, they¡¯re strange ¡°Stop putting ideas in my head,¡± growled lowly the girl. ¡®Well, someone has to¡¯ ¡®Ouch¡¯ ¡°Jerk.¡± ¡°Why are you talking to yourself?¡± snickered Happy, suddenly next to her. ¡°You¡¯re crazy~!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crazy!¡± she snapped, baring her teeth at him. He instantly backed away, wailing to Natsu about a ¡®mean girl¡¯. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± Lucy chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°He¡¯s sweet, but he can make some thoughtless comments when he wants to. Don¡¯t pay him any heed.¡± Unable to refrain it, warmth settled in her chest at Lucy¡¯s reassurance. Somehow, it felt like the blonde mage was more important than the stupid cat¡¯s words. So, forgetting about the incident, she returned to eyeing the crowd with suspicion.
Lucy, Erza and Kaelys settled in one room while Gray, Natsu, and Happy took the one in front of them. While the redhead went to meet the mayor, the boys went downstairs to eat, and the blonde mage decided to use this opportunity to inform her Spirits about their new comrade. ¡°Open, Gate of the Ram! Aries!¡± ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± the ram appeared. Instantly, she noticed Kaelys and froze. Lucy was about to reassure her, when the Spirit relaxed ever so slightly, apparently understanding what was going on. ¡°I- I see¡­¡± ¡°Kaelys is no longer a part of Oraci¨®n Seis,¡± informed gently the celestial maiden. ¡°She¡¯s a part of Fairy Tail, now. Do you think you¡¯ll be alright if you are to work with her?¡± ¡°I- I- I doubt there¡¯ll b- be any problem,¡± the pink-haired Spirit looked away. ¡°T- Truth¡­ no, Kaelys-san has been t- the one stopping A- Angel f-from torturing us¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± blinked the blonde, unaware of that bit of information. ¡°I can¡¯t stand torture,¡± the teen admitted, twisting her hands with her eyes downcast. ¡°I had resolved myself to doing the necessary, but I failed in this resolve.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing,¡± instantly assured Lucy with a smile. ¡°Aries, I¡¯m sending you back. Would you mind informing Gemini and Scorpio? I¡¯ll call upon Loke to have their answers, I don¡¯t want to deplete my Magic right away, seeing as we¡¯re on a mission.¡± ¡°Y- yes, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± With that, the ram disappeared. Lucy smiled warmly at the teen, before brandishing a new key. ¡°Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!¡± There was another flash of light, revealing a ginger boy in a suit. ¡°Hello, my Princess~!¡± greeted the Spirit with a flirty smirk. ¡°Oh, how I have missed you!¡± ¡°Sorry, no time for that today, Loke,¡± chuckled slightly the brown-eyed girl, gesturing to the other occupant in the room. ¡°Loke, this is Kaelys. Kaelys, this is Loke. He likes to pop up at random, so don¡¯t be surprised if he does so.¡± There was a moment of silence as the two of them stared, faces blank. Then, Loke¡¯s unemotional mask fell, and he was suddenly crouching before her. Startled, Kaelys leaned away, only for him to leaned closer. He was looking at her weirdly¡ªwait, no, he was hugging her, now. ¡°W- what do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± she protested, stiff. ¡°Thank you, for protecting them,¡± he simply replied. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Aries, Gemini, and Scorpio. Had you not been there, Angel would have kept on torturing them, and knowing they were somewhat safe thanks to you is a relief,¡± he answered softly. ¡°So thank you.¡± ¡®He¡¯s waaay too close¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s annoying¡¯ Kaelys simply pulled away. ¡°It¡¯s- it¡¯s no big deal.¡± Accepting her answer, the lion let her go and faced Lucy once more with a more genuine smile. ¡°Scorpio and Gemini are aware too and don¡¯t mind working with her. I¡¯ll take my leave, now. Do not hesitate to calm me, Princess~!¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± Lucy rolled her eyes as the flirty boy disappeared. Once he was gone, she turned to Kaelys. ¡°You mustn¡¯t be used to being thanked of the sort,¡± mused the blonde. ¡°I¡¯m more used to people begging for their lives,¡± admitted Kaelys. There was a moment of silence. ¡°¡­ that was a joke.¡± She lowered her eyes, muttering under her breath. ¡°They never had the chance to beg anyway¡­¡± The Celestial Mage laughed awkwardly and decided to simply let it go. Over time, she was convinced she¡¯d learn to appreciate the girl¡¯s particular humor. But¡­ maybe not today.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s go kick some bandits¡¯ asses!¡± exclaimed Natsu. ¡°Aye, sir!¡± cheered Happy. ¡°Stop being so damn loud, ash-for-brains! They¡¯ll hear you coming miles away!¡± retorted Gray, annoyed. ¡°What was that, popsicle-dick!?¡± ¡°Natsu, language!¡± protested Lucy, covering Kaelys¡¯s ears. But the girl wasn¡¯t paying them any attention, examining their surroundings with precaution. They were now in enemy territory, after all. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how they¡¯ve survived this long while acting so recklessly¡­¡± mumbled the teen. ¡°Yeah, me neither,¡± sweatdropped the blonde. They walked some more until a cry from Happy stopped them. They all stopped, looking around, but the cat wasn¡¯t anywhere to be found. ¡°Happy? Happy!¡± called the Fire mage, worried. ¡°I- I¡¯m up here, Natsu. Waa, get me down!¡± They all raised their eyes, only to find the blue cat trapped in a net, high above their heads. ¡°Hang in there buddy, I¡¯m coming!¡± Kaelys¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s a¡ª¡° An explosion echoed before she could finish her sentence. A smoke blinded them, she could faintly hear the voices of the bandits now surrounding them. ¡°Trap. Just great,¡± she cursed. Flying above everyone, it¡¯s only once up there that she managed to get a good view on the improvised battlefield. Happy was still trapped, Natsu was charging at a group while Gray froze everyone in the opposite way. Erza was cutting down everyone ¨Cthough there were no fatally injured- and Lucy was whipping the floor with the rest along with the Bull Spirit. Or so they thought. Narrowing her eyes, Kaelys easily noticed the magic field raised above all of her friends. The bandits they were after had mages after all, and they had apparently used the smoke screen to hide the creation of the magic field. They could easily get out, but they were trapped in an illusion and thus wouldn¡¯t see the danger until it was too late. ¡°I need to find the one who raised the barrier¡­¡± Searching for a few seconds, she then found him. He was the only one not participating in the ¡°battle¡±, hidden in the trees. He was probably waiting for them to be exhausted before striking the final blow. ¡°The rest of the real group must be hidden under another illusion,¡± she understood. ¡°They¡¯re waiting for everyone to be exhausted before fighting for real. How cowardly.¡± Annoyed, Kaelys didn¡¯t waste a second and used her Telekinesis to send the Illusionary Mage crashing against one of the trees. Instantly knocked out, he had no time to warn the rest of the bandits. Flying down, the teen didn¡¯t even bother taking out her Book. Using her mind to move the scalpel, she started flying through the enemy ranks, cutting them down without a second thought. Their cries and the sound of blood splattering the ground echoed all around her, but she couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°They were about to kill them¡­¡± Anger was swirling in her purple orbs. ¡°Not on my watch!¡± ¡®Behind you!¡¯ The air was knocked out of her as she was kicked quite literally to the ground. Gasping, she tried to get back on her feet, only for another hit to the head to send her back down. ¡®Get your head into it, damn it!¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re quite the annoyance, girl,¡± snapped the man, approaching. She raised her gaze, catching his ruby-red eyes. ¡°Killing my men like that¡­¡± he tsked. ¡°What a mess. Guess I¡¯ll have to find new puppets. Starting with you, that is.¡± ¡°Puppets¡­?¡± ¡®Don¡¯t look him in the eyes!¡¯ She instantly looked away, and the man let out a sharp laugh. ¡°Well, we got a little genius on our hands,¡± he laughed, lifting her from the ground by her hair. ¡°Guess you¡¯ll be more useful than I thought.¡± With that, he threw her against another tree. Her arm cracked under the strength of the blow, and she bit back a strangled scream of pain. ¡®What the hell are you doing!? You¡¯re so weak!¡¯ ¡®Shut up! The blow to the head shocked her!¡¯ ¡®So what!?¡¯ ¡°And who knows? Those friends of yours weren¡¯t half-bad either,¡± added the smirking mage. At that, Kaelys stiffened. Then, slowly, she rose back to her feet. Cradling her injured arm against her chest, she called upon her Book, though discreetly, and looked him directly in the eyes. ¡°Oh, giving in?¡± he taunted. ¡°Well, if you ask so nicely¡­ Control!¡± His red eyes flashed, and she reacted instantly. ¡°Reverse!¡± He gasped and suddenly stopped moving. He now held a blank face, his eyes dimming down a shade or two. ¡°A puppet, uh?¡± Her lips twisted into a cruel smirk. ¡°Then I must be the puppeteer. Jump!¡± So he jumped. ¡°Move to the right!¡± So he moved. ¡°¡­ Die.¡± So he died. As soon as his body hit the bloody grass, the teen sent back her Book and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. She hadn¡¯t been seriously injured in a long, long time, and a broken arm was not fun. ¡°I¡¯ve been careless¡­¡± she swallowed harshly. ¡°I¡ª¡° ¡°What the hell.¡± Forgetting for a moment about her injury, she turned to see the rest of the team approach, and let out a relieved sigh. ¡°Thank God they¡¯re okay¡ª¡° ¡°D- did you just kill them!?¡± Said relief instantly vanished at Gray¡¯s tone. Taking a step back, the girl cradled her arm even more, suddenly very aware that she had made a mistake. Which one she couldn¡¯t tell, but it was bad, really bad. ¡°You killed them all!? Without even- even hesitating!?¡± he repeated, trembling a little. Lucy was pale, extremely so. Happy was hiding in eyes in Natsu¡¯s shoulder while the pink-haired boy stared at the corpses with wide eyes. He seemed to be struggling between wonder and horror. As for Erza, she simply had a resigned expression her face. Gray, though¡­ Gray was furious. ¡°Gray, wait¡ª¡° Lucy tried to intervene, but he stopped her. ¡°No, I won''t! I won¡¯t wait!¡± He turned to Kaelys. ¡°What the actual hell!? You can¡¯t just go around killing people like that!¡± he yelled her way. ¡°They were going to kill you,¡± weakly protested the younger girl. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we could have handled them without cutting their goddamn throats!¡± snarled back the older mage. ¡°You see the guy to whom you just ordered to die? He was the one controlling them. Mind control, damn it! They were just puppets, maybe even innocent people, and you just decided to kill them all!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡ª¡° ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! Knowing or not, you can¡¯t just kill people!¡± he clenched his fists. ¡°I¡ª¡° ¡°And using Nirvana, of all things! This is Dark Magic, yet you just used it as if it was nothing, as if there wasn¡¯t a price for it!¡± ¡°Gray, calm down,¡± Erza ordered, placing a hand on his shoulder. But he shrugged her off, truly angry and not really thinking straight. ¡°No, I won¡¯t calm down! We let her join Fairy Tail because we give second chances, but Fairy Tail does not kill people, it does not use Dark Magic! She just went on a fricking killing spree, and there¡¯s no going back.¡± ¡°I- it was said¡­ dead or alive, right?¡± then replied hesitantly the teen. ¡°Catch the bandits, dead or alive¡ª¡° ¡°Fairy Tail doesn¡¯t kill!!!¡± Her purple eyes widened and she took a step back, somewhat fearful. ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t know¡ª¡° ¡°How could you not know!? What kind of insane person doesn¡¯t know not to kill people!?¡± The girl had been frozen since the beginning of the older mage¡¯s rant because of how unexpected it was. She had never been so thoroughly scolded in the past three years, if not more, and even less by a scary boy she knew practically nothing of too. What¡¯s more, she didn¡¯t even understand what she did wrong! She had saved their lives, and he was angry? The world wasn¡¯t turning right anymore! ¡°I¡¯m not crazy!¡± she snapped back. She was angry too, now. And when she was angry, disaster always ensued. Whatever happened next, it wouldn¡¯t be pretty. ¡°Oh yeah? Well, how do you even expect us to believe that with how you¡¯re acting!? You¡¯re batshit insane, that¡¯s why!¡± ¡°TAKE IT BACK!¡± A tree imploded, bark flying everywhere. ¡°That¡¯s enough, ice-jerk,¡± Natsu stepped in, his usual smile replaced by a darker scowl. ¡°She gets it¡ª¡° ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t! She needs to get into her skull that Fairy Tail isn¡¯t Oraci¨®n Seis and that we¡¯re not like these goddamn degenerates! The massacre she did just now? It¡¯ll fall back on us and taint Fairy Tail forever. How can you stand by and let it pass? That girl is crazy, and she¡¯d be better off in an asylum than in our Guild!¡± ¡°Gray!¡± snapped Erza and Lucy in one voice. Kaelys¡¯s breathing stopped for a second before she let out a snarl of rage. Before any of them could think about even reacting, a flash of silver passed before their eyes and embedded itself in her shoulder. ¡°Kaelys!¡± screeched Lucy, horrified. Gray¡¯s anger faltered at the sight. The black-haired girl now had some sort of medical blade stuck beyond the hilt in her shoulder, blood already seeping through her clothes. Right here, right now, she could have killed him. ¡­ but she didn¡¯t. ¡°I promised¡­¡± She gritted her teeth, talking under her breath, taking a step back after another. ¡°I promised¡­ I wouldn¡¯t hurt any of them¡­ I promised¡­¡± With that, she ran away. ¡°Kaelys, wait!¡± The Thief Mage had already disappeared, though. Knowing she wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up to her, Lucy pulled out one of her keys. ¡°Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!¡± ¡°My Princess¡ª¡° ¡°No time for that, please catch up to Kaelys and make sure she doesn¡¯t do anything reckless,¡± practically ordered the blonde. For a second, the Spirit looked over all the corpses surrounding them. Understanding the gravity of the situation, he nodded firmly before going after the teen. As soon as he was gone, Natsu punched Gray in the face. The Ice-Make Mage was sent flying, before crashing on the ground. ¡°What the hell, Fire Breath!?¡± ¡°I should be the one asking, you jerk!¡± snapped back the pink-haired boy, unusually angry. ¡°What were you thinking!?¡± ¡°I was thinking that we just accepted a goddamn murderer into our home and that it took a fucking massacre to open our eyes!¡± yelled back the black-haired teen. ¡°We all knew of her past when she joined us, Gray.¡± Erza narrowed her eyes. ¡°It is true that what happened is¡­ unfortunate. However, you have to understand that she was never told to do otherwise. I will take responsibility for this mission and go meet the mayor. The rest of you go back to the hotel and wait for my return. Hopefully, Kaelys will have returned already, or Loke will have found her.¡± ¡°Tche.¡± The two boys glared at each other while Happy tried to calm them down with some of his fish, much in vain. Lucy approached the red-haired woman, a worried frown on her face. ¡°Erza¡­ do you think she¡¯ll have trouble with the Magic Council?¡± ¡°No,¡± assured Requip Mage, offering her a reassuring smile. ¡°As she said earlier, the bandits were wanted alive or dead. She will be fine this time around, but I believe a talk will be needed. Would you like me to leave it to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to wait a few more days,¡± sighed the blonde, agreeing. ¡°I knew it might take a turn like this, yet I pushed my doubts aside and¡ª¡° ¡°Lucy, what happened isn¡¯t your fault, or anyone¡¯s,¡± Erza placed her hands on the younger one¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Not yours, not mine¡¯s, not Gray¡¯s, Natsu¡¯s, Happy¡¯s, or even Kaelys¡¯s. It was an unfortunate accident, and we¡¯ll make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°¡­ right. Let¡¯s go back. Loke isn¡¯t back yet, so I guess he¡¯s still after her. I just hope she¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°You do not seem to fear she might have run away,¡± pointed out the Titania. ¡°She ¡®swore allegiance¡¯ to Fairy Tail,¡± quoted Lucy, calmer now. ¡°She won¡¯t run away, no matter what happens. She was just shocked and didn¡¯t know how to handle it. Running is a natural defense mechanism.¡± ¡°Right. Gray! Natsu! Happy!¡± The three that had started fighting again ¨Ctheir anger was partially gone, now leaving the place to mild annoyance- but froze at the woman¡¯s sharp tone. ¡°Y- yes!?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going. And Gray? I expect you to present a sincere apology to Kaelys once we find her. How you treated her was uncalled for, and it isn¡¯t how one should talk to their nakamas, no matter the circumstances,¡± warned the redhead, serious. He simply looked away, not disagreeing. Satisfied, Erza nodded and spun on her heels, guiding the group out of the forest.
¡®I told you so¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ I protected them, did I not?¡± The girl was sitting on a roof, her knees brought tight to her chest. ¡°Fairy Tail protects their comrades, right? They can count on each other, right? Then why¡­ why was he so mad? He told me I¡¯m crazy, but I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡®To stab yourself like that, how more reckless can you be?¡¯ ¡°I promised not to hurt them¡­ I swore I wouldn¡¯t¡­ and I¡¯d rather hurt myself than hurt them¡­¡± She closed her eyes tight, though it wasn¡¯t enough to keep the tears from falling. ¡°Fairy Tail doesn¡¯t kill, he said¡­ but why? It¡¯s not like it matters, right? People live, people die, why did it make him so angry¡­?¡± She hid her face in her knees, a slight whimper escaping her lips as blood kept flowing out. She still hadn¡¯t pulled out her scalpel and knew she¡¯d have to take a look at it soon if she didn¡¯t want to die. But there again, did it really matter? ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­ I don¡¯t get it¡­¡± ¡°Found you!¡± Her purple eyes widened. Startled, she backed away from the sudden presence, only to hiss in pain when she used her injured arm. ¡°Right, still broken¡­¡± She swallowed back some bile. ¡°Broken?¡± Loke ¨Cit was the Spirit, no doubt about it- crouched next to her. She eyed him for a few seconds, unsure. She knew he was Lucy¡¯s friend, but so was Gray, and he had been angry at her when she left. Loke surely saw what she did, so would he be mad too? ¡°You¡¯re bleeding pretty badly too,¡± he frowned. ¡°Can I take a look?¡± After another moment of hesitation, she let him look at her arm. He prodded it gently, though it still hurt. ¡°Yup, definitely broken,¡± he hummed. ¡°How the hell did you managed that?¡± ¡°The mage threw me to a tree,¡± she answered, her throat dry. ¡°It broke at the impact.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what happened while I take care of your shoulder?¡± Biting her lower lip, she let him sit next to her. As he examined the wound, she decided to explain. Who knew, maybe he¡¯d tell her what she did wrong? ¡°We were in the forest. Happy got captured, and Natsu tried to help him but activated a trap. I flew above everyone to get a better look and realized they were trapped in a magic field. They weren¡¯t fighting anyone, just illusions. I took care of the Illusionist and killed the bandits. I let my guard down, though, and the Puppeteer caught me by surprise. He tried to control me, but I didn¡¯t let him. After that, he said he was going to control everyone too, and I got angry. So, I killed him too, using Nirvana to Reverse his own magic. The others were freed from the illusion, but Gray got mad at me and started yelling and saying that I was crazy ¨CI¡¯m not!- and I got angry too but I promised I wouldn¡¯t hurt them so I stabbed myself because if I didn¡¯t, then I would have stabbed Gray, and that would mean hurting him, which would mean I broke my promise, and I¡ªFUCK!¡± Loke had pulled out the scalpel, effectively shutting her up. More blood poured out, but he was already bandaging the wound with a piece of her ripped cloak. ¡°Why did you kill the bandits, Kaelys?¡± His tone held no accusation, merely mild wonder. And for a second, the girl stiffened. Why did she kill them? ¡°Because they were going to kill Lucy, Erza, Natsu, Gray, and Happy,¡± she then answered with a ¡®duh¡¯ tone. ¡°I killed the bandits before they could kill them, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just knock them out, then?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± she blinked, now confused. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I have? I don¡¯t understand, what¡¯s so bad about killing them? I mean, they were the enemy. Plus, they were going to die anyway. We all do. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± ¡°How should I put it¡­¡± The Spirit finished bandaging her shoulder and handed her back the scalpel. She took it and hid it back in her boot, surprised he gave it back so easily. ¡°Life is¡­ precious,¡± then said the lion, wiping away what was left of her tears. ¡°Each is important because each brings a¡­ balance, of some sort. To every light, there is a shadow. To each life, there is a death. But, look at it the other way around.¡± She thought for a second about his words. ¡°Each death¡­ has its life?¡± she answered, unsure. ¡°Exactly,¡± he smiled encouragingly. ¡°Before reaching death, a person has had many experiences, feelings, adventures... A human gathers knowledge all his life and has the chance to live a way that we, Spirits, cannot. Humans die, it¡¯s a fact. But¡­ that¡¯s why life is precious. Because each second passing is one worth living, no matter what some people might believe about others or themselves.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± The Lion chuckled, rubbing the back of his with a sheepish grin. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the vision of the Spirits, so it¡¯s kind of hard to explain,¡± he apologized. ¡°Let¡¯s put it that way: what are you doing right now?¡± ¡°¡­ talking to you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed, slightly amused by her confusion despite the mild gravity of the situation. ¡°You¡¯re also breathing, hurting, you¡¯re gaining experience, you¡¯re making new bonds, you¡¯re living. Why are you living?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I had a choice in the matter,¡± she retorted with a huff. ¡°True, but it¡¯s not like you¡¯re trying to die either, right?¡± he pointed out, raising an eyebrow. ¡°From what I¡¯ve gathered, you¡¯re doing your best to stay alive. Why is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± She seemed even more troubled now. ¡°It¡¯s because you want to live, simple as that,¡± he shrugged. ¡°Now, think about those you killed. They too had a life. They too wanted to live. But now, they can¡¯t. Why?¡± ¡°¡­ because I stole it from them,¡± she realized, eyes going wide. ¡°That¡¯s why killing people is considered bad,¡± he concluded. ¡°Because you¡¯re stealing their chance at living. Kind of.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Her eyes downcast, she stared at her hands. They were bloody, sticky. The sensation was very familiar, fitting her skin like perfectly matching gloves. Ever since her first kill, she never cared about it. She never enjoyed it ¨Cit was dirty, after all- but she never cared about the sensation. But now¡­ ¡°It¡¯s heavy¡­¡± She whispered, her throat constricting. ¡°Why is it so heavy now?¡± He got back on his feet, patting her head. ¡°Because you¡¯re aware, now. This is the weight of all the lives you have taken, and it¡¯s a weight that won¡¯t ever go away,¡± he answered, solemn. ¡°However, don¡¯t let this weight be a burden. Use it as a mean to grow even stronger, and to atone. That¡¯s really all I can tell you.¡± Clenching her fist ¨Cshe couldn¡¯t really move her other hand, what with her broken limb-, she took a deep breath, before raising back up. ¡°Thank you, Loke. I swear¡­ I swear, I won¡¯t ever kill someone again!¡± ¡°You do that. Now, let¡¯s bring you back to the hotel and have your injuries treated. I¡¯m not a doctor either.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Before she could react, the Spirit had already pulled her up in his arms and jumped to another roof. Terrified at the sudden movement, she clenched her hand tightly around his suit. She had always been in control of her flights, and the knowledge that she currently wasn¡¯t was not a comfortable thought. ¡°Scared of heights, Kae-hime?¡± he teased. ¡°You wish,¡± she scowled at the nickname. ¡°And don¡¯t call me that!¡± Kae wasn¡¯t a princess. A weapon? Not anymore. A monster? Sometimes. A hero? She wished. But a princess? Never in a thousand years. For only answer, though, Loke laughed.
When they arrived at the hotel, it was only to find the rest of the group already there and awaiting their return. ¡°Kaelys!¡± Lucy exclaimed in relief when they entered the room. ¡°Thank you for finding her, Loke.¡± ¡°No problem, Princess. You should take a look at her injuries, though,¡± he replied, setting the girl on the nearest bed. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later~!¡± With that, he disappeared in a flash of light. Instantly, the blonde rushed to the dark-haired girl¡¯s side. ¡°What were you thinking!? Hurting yourself like that¡­¡± she scolded, checking the wound made by the scalpel. ¡°Where did you find a scalpel anyway?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mine,¡± simply replied Kaelys, looking away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡± ¡°You should be sorry about injuring yourself needlessly,¡± huffed the blonde, putting on real bandages. ¡°You¡¯ll heal yourself in the morning, once you¡¯ve regained enough of your magic.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Loke mentioned more than one injury.¡± Erza narrowed her eyes at her. ¡°Where else have you been hurt?¡± ¡°My right arm¡¯s broken.¡± ¡°What!?¡± As Lucy lost her cool once more and left to go get a full medical kit, Erza shook her head. ¡°Anyhow, I am glad you have returned. I must admit that I have been worried¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯m not running away,¡± Kaelys bluntly cut her off. ¡°I¡¯m with Fairy Tail, now. The only way for me to leave you guys would be for the Guild to be disbanded or to die.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not reach such lengths,¡± sweatdropped the redhead. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± however cheered Natsu, rubbing his fist against Gray¡¯s head rather roughly. ¡°See? Told ya she¡¯s with us!¡± ¡°Shut it, flame-brain!¡± ¡°No fighting!¡± snapped Erza. Lucy came back at that moment, and started treating her arm, muttering under her breath about ¡®reckless powerhouses who can¡¯t look after themselves¡¯. Kaelys looked over at Gray. ¡°I cannot apologize for my actions today,¡± she said seriously. ¡°But I do apologize for failing to understand sooner the consequences of said actions. You were only trying to protect your home and your family, and I am sorry for acting so recklessly.¡± With that, she bowed. Gray spluttered, not having expected her to apologize. Before he could say anything, though, she raised her head again. ¡°I understand, now,¡± she added, more softly. ¡°Loke explained it to me. As for the Dark Magic in my possession¡­¡± Requiping her Book and ignoring Lucy¡¯s protests to straining her magic even more than she already had, she turned the pages until she found what she was searching for. ¡°Nirvana: Reverse Magic,¡± she read. ¡°Erase¡± There was a flash of blinding light for half-a-second before the Book disappeared, Nirvana¡¯s magic forever lost. Gasping at the sudden drain of her Magic, Kaelys stumbled forward, though Lucy caught her. ¡°That could have waited for tomorrow! Stop being so reckless!¡± she yelled. ¡°Are you okay, Kaelys?¡± Happy looked up at her with worry. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It just feels like emptying your full magic reserves with nothing to fill it back,¡± grunted the teen. ¡°I¡¯ll be in top shape tomorrow, though my magic reserves will have diminished, that¡¯s for sure¡­¡± She shook her head, reporting her attention on Gray. He looked away, crossing his arms over his chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she repeated. And only an idiot wouldn¡¯t be able to notice the sincerity in her voice. The boy groaned, passing a hand over his face. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry too,¡± he finally gave in, though unable to look at her. ¡°I¡¯m still not okay with what you did¡­ but I guess I can understand why you did it. Let¡¯s just¡­ Don¡¯t do it again, okay?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Gray, you ass!¡± however protested Natsu. ¡°What kind of apology is that?¡± ¡°Hey, I said I was sorry! What more do you want me to say, pepper-breath?¡± ¡°Why you, damn pervert!¡± ¡°Pervert!?¡± ¡°Yeah, your clothes are off again, popsicle brain!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± As they started fighting again, Lucy finished bandaging her arm. Satisfied with her work for now, she then ruffled Kaelys¡¯s hair, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m still angry about you just running off while you were injured,¡± she warned. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m proud of you.¡± Kaelys stilled as the blonde mage returned to speak to Erza. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ proud of me¡­?¡± ¡®See? She can trust them¡¯ ¡®Shut up¡¯ And, while none noticed, Kaelys smiled, slightly rubbing her wrists. To Have A Second Chance They received the reward in full for the mission, Lucy received her Key, and the whole massacre had been covered. The villagers took care of¡­ well, cleaning things up, and the Rune Knights came for the Puppeteer, who was apparently an escaped prisoner. On their way back to Fairy Tail, the atmosphere was tense. Now that the actual shock of the mission had worn off, everyone was extremely aware of what had happened and what they had seen. Lucy had no doubts she¡¯d have trouble sleeping for a while, though she didn¡¯t mention it. Kaelys felt sorry enough as it was and learned the lesson, though more harshly than the blonde would have liked. The Master had already been informed before they reached the Guild, and graciously omitted to mention it to their fellow guildmates. If Kaelys was to be rejected for her mistake, then there¡¯d be no going back. Natsu, though mildly disgusted ¨Cit hadn¡¯t exactly been clean-, just pushed it in the back of his mind. What was done, was done, and, frankly, all Mages were at risk of losing their lives every day. It was no different for criminals, and it just ended up being at the girl¡¯s hand for these guys. Even if he didn¡¯t like the idea of it reflecting on Fairy Tail, he knew people would probably never even consider the possibility of the guild having a hand in it. He could guess that much, no matter how carefree ¨Cfor not saying stupidly- he could act at times. Erza had gotten over it. Back in the Tower of Heavens, things were always ugly, sometimes more than what she witnessed the day before. She felt terrible, for she should have been able to prevent it as Team Leader, but knew it was merely another obstacle they would all have to overcome. Kaelys forgot, kind of. While she now understood why it was bad to kill people and had learned what ¡®guilt¡¯ was, she still couldn¡¯t bring herself to care much. Yes, stealing their chances at life put an uncomfortable weight on her heart, but it''s not like she knew these people either. In the end, they were lost for the greater cause, so to speak. Gray, though¡­ Gray still kept his distances. He tensed whenever she approached, remembering each time how easily she wiped out all the bandits without even breaking a sweat ¨Can arm, maybe, but that was after-. While they both apologized, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to feel at ease with her. Yes, Kaelys was a kid. Yes, she obviously had lost a few screws over the years. But did it fully excuse the bloody mess she had created? Not in his books, it didn¡¯t. It was like with Deliorah, when the monster destroyed his village. When that happened, he felt so ridiculously helpless¡­ and that same, horrible helplessness came back when she went on her little killing spree. How was he supposed to feel? How was he supposed to react? She killed them and he couldn¡¯t do a damn thing but watch as it happened. So, when they arrived at the Guild, needless to say that they were all eager to part ways for the rest of the day, each planning on returning to a familiar routine as soon as possible so as to forgot what they had witnessed. ¡°Are you coming, Kae?¡± The girl glanced back to the Guild Hall. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind¡­ I think I¡¯ll stay at the Guild for an hour or two,¡± simply replied the girl. ¡°I¡¯m allowed to, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Uh? Yeah, sure.¡± The blonde watched as her charge left and went inside, unsure of what to make of this new development. After all, Kaelys had never initiated contact with the others for the few days she had been present, always seeking Lucy¡¯s reassurance. Who knows, maybe she¡¯s warming up to everyone.
¡°I¡¯ll leave Lucy and the others alone for a while¡± muttered Kaelys, closing the door behind her. ¡°It¡¯s obvious they¡¯re wary now, I should leave them be¡­¡± ¡®Well, they did assist at a massacre. Leave them some time, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be back on their feet by tomorrow¡¯ ¡®Ugh. They¡¯re just feeble-hearted. Who reacts that strongly at a little blood?¡¯ ¡®Little blood? It was a bloody mess that smelled of intestines and released excrements!¡¯ ¡®How charming¡¯ ¡°Guys, shut up,¡± she grunted. ¡°What¡¯d you do?¡± Startled, the girl was about to break all the bones in the hand now on her shoulder, before faintly recalling her promise, and directing her surge of power to the nearest chair¡ªwhich exploded. ¡°Okay¡­¡± The black-haired man let her go, lifting an eyebrow. ¡°Nervous much, pipsqueak?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come from behind,¡± she simply answered, frowning. ¡°I might hurt you.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± he hummed. ¡°Now, what¡¯d you do?¡± The teen stared at the older guy for a moment but was unable to recall his name. Seeing her struggle, he let out a really, really weird laugh. ¡°Gihihi, Gajeel Redfox. So, you¡¯re the shrimp that was with Oraci¨®n Seis?¡± ¡°Kaelys,¡± she simply answered. ¡°And yes, I am. Though, I am no shrimp.¡± She was obviously missing the point of the comparison. The Mage sweatdropped, before going back to the main subject. The first thing he had smelled when she came in was the blood. Even though none was to be seen, the smell clung to her like a second skin. ¡°So, who died?¡± She stared for half-a-second, before looking away. ¡°The bandits we were after. They were going to hurt Lucy, Happy, Natsu, Erza and Gray, so I killed them.¡± ¡°Well, that sure explains the weird air you guys had when you arrived,¡± he snorted, gesturing for her to follow. ¡°And what, they saw everything?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t done very cleanly, to be honest.¡± He nodded, taking a seat at the bar. After a moment, she did the same. While most people would be wary around Gajeel, she found herself finding comfort in the aura they shared. An aura tainted with red. ¡°Well, about damn time they lost some of their goddamn illusions,¡± he snorted. ¡°Illusions?¡± echoed Kaelys, confused. ¡°Look, kid, you and I aren¡¯t that different,¡± he pointed out. ¡°I killed, you killed, all for the sake of missions. Ain¡¯t something I¡¯m proud of, but ain¡¯t something I regret either. It¡¯s what was necessary. In that stupid cheery Guild, though, killing isn¡¯t exactly appreciated.¡± ¡°Fairy Tail doesn¡¯t kill,¡± Kaelys repeated Gray¡¯s words almost religiously. ¡°Exactly,¡± nodded the Iron Dragon Slayer, rolling his eyes a little. ¡°But, the world ain¡¯t just black and white, as they¡¯ve been believing since day one. You know that, I know that, and now they do too. It was about time they opened their eyes, it¡¯s all. They¡¯ll come around before the day is over, though, knowing them.¡± ¡°Gray was really angry, though,¡± she mumbled, her eyes fixated on the floor. ¡°To hell with that pansy, it¡¯s not like he can change what happened,¡± shrugged the Steel Mage. He gestured for Mira to come over, and the white-haired woman approached with a gentle smile. When she noticed Kaelys, her gaze softened. The old geezer must have told her, he mused internally. If there was one thing Gajeel could respect about the she-demon, it was that she was one of the few in this happy-go-lucky Guild to know about the true shades of this stupid world they were living in. Her very magic was considered demonic and, believe it or not, but many had died when she lost control of her powers in the past. It wasn¡¯t something much known, but her Take-Over Magic was dangerous, for herself and for those around her. Now, Gajeel wasn¡¯t saying Fairy Tail knew nothing of darkness. All the members he could think of ¨Cthose a minimum worth remembering, at least- had a dark past, or at least some sorrow tainting it. However, what they failed to realize was that people weren¡¯t made of just evil or just good, and that pissed him off sometimes. ¡°Hello, Kaelys. Did you enjoy your first mission?¡± then asked Mirajane. ¡°It was interesting,¡± answered the girl, tilting her head in wonder. ¡°In a good way, I guess. I had always been alone on the missions before, or it was always about the Dark Guilds under our command. Helping people was different. I think it was the first time people were greeting me with cheers instead of terrified screams.¡± Gajeel choked on his drink, laughing, and Mirajane simply offered another gentle smile. The teen¡¯s blunt honesty was refreshing, to say the least, if not a little scary at times. However, neither minded. Gajeel because he found it funny as hell, and Mira simply because she could see beyond the teen¡¯s harsh words that she was simply stating a fact. ¡°Anyway, what would you like to drink? Or maybe you¡¯d like to eat?¡± then proposed the barmaid. The teen was about to answer that she didn¡¯t have any money, before remembering that she was just coming back from the mission and thus, had her pockets full. ¡°Orange juice,¡± ordered the girl. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Coming right up,¡± winked the woman. ¡°Orange juice?¡± repeated the Dragon Slayer. Kaelys simply shrugged. She liked the taste because it made her remember that she no longer was in the asylum, where her meals were bland, without any taste. ¡°There you go, sweetheart!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Kaelys offered a few Jewels, and prodded the liquid with the tip of her finger, before bringing it to her lips. After a few seconds, seeing as nothing happened, she started to sip on her drink, relishing in the flavor now engulfing her taste buds. She tested her drink to see if there was something in it, the man next to her realized. ¡°So, kiddo¡­¡± Gajeel downed his own drink. ¡°What happened to have you so messed up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crazy,¡± she instantly shot him a glare. ¡°Never said you were.¡± ¡®He¡¯s not lying¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t answer! You know nothing of that guy!¡¯ ¡®Well, at least he didn¡¯t treat her like a ticking bomb since she arrived!¡¯ ¡°Torture. Abandonment. Treason. More torture,¡± she listed off. ¡°Ain¡¯t that fun,¡± grunted the red-eyed wizard. ¡°Not as fun as getting them back for it, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Gajeel let out his weird laugh again, slamming his cup on the counter. ¡°You¡¯re a riot kid.¡± ¡®Well, there¡¯s one who seems to appreciate your humor¡¯ ¡®Must be as fucked up as she is¡¯ Both voices fell quiet when, for the first time, she ignored the jab at her mental state, and engaged in a conversation about past bloody missions with the Dragon Slayer.
When Kaelys returned to Lucy¡¯s apartment, the sun was slowly setting down. Going in, she found the blonde already eating, the table set for two. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back,¡± beamed the Celestial Mage. ¡°Come on, now, it¡¯s getting cold.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The teen took a seat, and quickly checked the food, before eating. If Lucy noticed, she didn¡¯t say a word about it. It was silent for a while as they ate, until the blonde sighed, and placed down her fork. ¡°I wanted to apologize.¡± Kaelys startled at that. ¡°Apologize?¡± she repeated under her breath. ¡°What does she want to apologize for¡­?¡± ¡°Because I knew this was going to happen,¡± admitted Lucy, looking away. ¡°I knew that there were still many things you didn¡¯t know about our way of doing things, yet I let you go anyway, and you got hurt because of that¡ª¡° ¡°I got hurt because of myself. You are not to blame,¡± replied the teen. ¡°Still¡­ from now on, I¡¯ll do my best to look out for you! I promise!¡± At the girl¡¯s sudden eagerness, Kaelys leaned away slightly. ¡°¡­ look out¡­ for me¡­?¡± ¡°I know we haven¡¯t known each other for very long, but I already feel as if we¡¯re connected,¡± insisted the mage, serious. ¡°And I want to help you, in whatever way I can. So, I¡¯ll do my best to be a great friend, I swear it! After all, you¡¯re a part of Fairy Tail, now, and Fairy Tail is family.¡± ¡°¡­ friend?¡± ¡®Maybe you should consider it. I mean, you are going to pass the next five years together. Plus, she¡¯s trustworthy¡¯ ¡®To what extent? Though I like Blondie, there¡¯s always a limit to what a person can take, ya know. When she sees how fucked up you really are, do you think she¡¯ll still be able to manage?¡¯ ¡°Fairy Tail¡­ is family¡­?¡± then murmured the girl. Her mind wandered back to her father, who killed himself when she was but a child, if not a baby ¨Cshe couldn¡¯t remember what had been said at the time-. She thought back to Miss Kelly, who betrayed her, and her mother, who left her alone in that hellhole. She lingered on the Doctor¡¯s face, unable to remember his name despite the two years he had passed torturing her. Family had never been an option for her. Family meant trusting people, and that¡¯s something she couldn¡¯t afford to do freely. The only ones she could trust were the voices, after all. Oraci¨®n Seis hadn¡¯t been a family. She was loyal to Brain because it was the only mean to survive in this new world. As for the rest of the members, she had grown to actually like them: Angel with her soft side, Cobra and his asshole comments, napping with Midnight, playing chess with Hoteye, sparing with Racer¡­ It still wasn¡¯t family, though, even if she genuinely regretted that she wouldn¡¯t ever see them again.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The girl then looked down at the warm plate of food before her. She glanced at the clothes on her back and the roof above her head. She stared down at the guildmark, fully displayed since she got rid of her gloves. ¡°¡­ family?¡± Crimson red would always be tainting her hands. There would always be a shadow in her eyes, burns on her body, and scars in her heart. Her mind would always be troubled by ghosts, and she couldn¡¯t erase her past, no matter how hard she wished she could. Fairy Tail, though¡­ No, Lucy brought back light to chase the shadows in those purple orbs that were originally hated by most. She gave her clothes to hide the burns and gave comfort to heal the scars. She gave support to ease her mind, and reassurance to chase the ghosts. Lucy gave her a chance to look forward instead of stalling in the past. The red would never go away. The shadows, the burns, the scars would never disappear. The ghosts would always haunt her, and her past was a part of her life she could never forget. However¡­ However, maybe this was it. Maybe this was her chance. Not to become someone new, but to become someone better. ¡®For once, don¡¯t worry about things. It¡¯s your chance, and you deserve to take it¡¯ ¡®Well, I guess that if worst comes to worst, you can always wipe them out once you¡¯re free or something¡¯ Kaelys took a deep breath, before looking back to Lucy, who was awaiting her answer with slight tension. ¡°¡­ can I call you nee-san, then?¡±
They passed the evening watching movies and eating popcorn. It¡¯s only passed midnight that they finally agreed to go to bed. Lucy summoned Plue, before leaving the small Spirit in the teen¡¯s company for the rest of the night. Sitting down on the mattress ¨Cthey still needed to buy her a bed- and leaning against the wall, Kaelys hugged the Spirit tightly. Nikolas cooed, hugging back and snuggling in her arms for some more warmth. Once she found a comfortable position, the teen drifted to sleep. This time around, no nightmare came to trouble her night.
The next morning, Kaelys woke up alone. Guessing the Spirit had returned to its own world while she was asleep, she didn¡¯t make a fuss about it. After all, while his Gate wasn¡¯t taking much magic, keeping it open for so many hours unconsciously wasn¡¯t an easy feat. ¡°Oh, morning, Kae!¡± ¡°Morning, Lucy-nee,¡± mumbled the teen, rubbing her eyes. ¡°Slept better?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± The two exchanged a smile, Lucy¡¯s bright and wide, Kaelys¡¯s smaller, but as genuine. ¡®You¡¯re really going for it, then? All this sisterly crap and family jazz?¡¯ ¡®She has nothing to lose, right?¡¯ ¡®She could be hurt again!¡¯ ¡®If she lives her life doubting everything and holding back because she might be hurt, then she won¡¯t ever get anywhere¡¯ ¡®She doesn¡¯t have to get anywhere, she just wants to be free, right?¡¯ ¡°And what if I want more, uh?¡± retorted suddenly the girl in question, slightly annoyed to be excluded from the conversation when she was the main subject. ¡°What would you need more?¡± wondered Lucy, curious. ¡°Oh, no, don¡¯t bother. Just the voices annoying me,¡± Kaelys answered, somewhat apologetically. ¡°Right¡­ anyhow, I¡¯ll go get some of the pancakes I made yesterday morning,¡± the blonde proposed, going into the kitchen. ¡°Want some?¡± ¡°Yes, please!¡± As soon as she exited the room, the teen reported her attention on the still ongoing conversation. ¡®¡ªshe has a right to decide¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m just saying she¡¯s taking things fast! If she wants to be free, then bonds will only tie her down¡¯ ¡°What if I want more, then?¡± she repeated her earlier words. ¡®What ¡®more¡¯ could that be?¡¯ ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± she bit her lower lip, glancing around. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t want to be alone either, you know?¡± ¡®Then you don¡¯t have to be. Fairy Tail is your new beginning. You can be free AND have friends you can count on¡¯ ¡®The same could be said of her mother until she dumped her in a fucking asylum¡¯ ¡°This isn¡¯t the same,¡± protested the purple-eyed Mage. ¡°I was already Fairy Tail¡¯s enemy when we met, yet they invited me to join and are ready to welcome me with open arms despite our differences. That has to count for something, right?¡± ¡®Exactly¡¯ ¡®Tche. Just don¡¯t come crying when they hurt you too¡¯ ¡°It won¡¯t happen,¡± swore the girl. And somehow, she found herself believing this assurance.
Later on that day, Lucy offered to create a contract before Kaelys. The teen was curious about the blonde¡¯s magic, thus accepting right away. Sitting eagerly on the couch, the Celestial Mage grinned at her before brandishing the key before her. ¡°It must be the one she received for the completed mission¡­¡± mused the teen. "I am linked to the path to the world of Celestial Spirits, now! O spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate!" chanted Lucy with a confident tone. ¡°Bootes!¡± ¡®¡­ she got a nice ass¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t you start!¡¯ There was a flash of light before a man appeared in the middle of the room. He seemed in his fifties, with brown hair going gray and sharp, green eyes. Rubbing his beard, he took a look around, before reporting his attention on the one who had summoned him. ¡°Might you be my new Master?¡± he asked, his tone even. ¡°I am your new contractor, yes,¡± confirmed Lucy with a kind smile. ¡°But I don¡¯t like being called ¡®master¡¯ or any of the sort. Just call me Lucy, or Princess, if you really want to.¡± ¡°¡­ very well, Miss Lucy,¡± he agreed, deep in thoughts. ¡°Anyhow, I am Bootes. I can be summoned once a week, whenever you want, for an hour. I am an assassin type of Spirit.¡± ¡®Now that sounds like a fun Spirit¡¯ The two girls startled at his introduction, and Lucy blinked. ¡°Assassin type? What do you mean?¡± At that, the man looked away, a shadow covering his eyes. ¡°I can create poisons,¡± he explained, his tone somber. ¡°I am usually used for assassination missions, to get rid of my Master¡¯s enemies and such.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re a support type,¡± relaxed Lucy. He looked at her for the first that at that, genuinely surprised. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°Well, I would suppose you can create antidotes if you can create poisons, can you not?¡± she raised an eyebrow. ¡°And poisons aren¡¯t always used to kill. They can cover a much larger brand of operations, mainly tranquilizers, medicines, drugs¡­ I want to make one thing clear, Bootes: I will never send you to kill someone, and even less to beat my adversaries for me. I may be somewhat weak, but I know how to handle myself, and I rather fight alongside my Spirits than let them do the work.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Finally, a smile graced his lips. It was faint but genuine. ¡°I am happy that my key ended in your possession, then.¡± He bowed slightly. ¡°I will gladly help whenever you will need me.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m happy to have you as a friend, Bootes,¡± she replied kindly. ¡°See you next week!¡± ¡°Farewells, Miss Lucy.¡± With that, he disappeared. Lucy let out a satisfied sigh, and Kaelys whistled lowly. ¡°Well, that one¡¯s cool,¡± she remarked. ¡°Can you imagine if Angel had had him? We wouldn¡¯t have had to worry about Cobra growing hungry anymore! Damn, now I want to go see him just to rub it in his face¡­ Wait, he escaped Nirvana, didn¡¯t? Oh, of course he did. Cubellios must have gotten him out of there. Must have been captured by the Rune Knights, though, along with the others¡­ I hope they¡¯re okay¡­ Maybe I could go see them?¡± The Celestial Mage stiffened at the mention of the white-haired mage¡¯s name, glancing at Kaelys as the girl mumbled under her breath. ¡°Kae¡­¡± The teen snapped her eyes at her. ¡°I know that they were your¡­ friends, but you have to be careful. The Magic Council always have had their eyes on Fairy Tail because of our reputation, but it only worsened when we accepted you within our ranks. They¡¯re digging for excuses to use for the Guild to be disbanded, and if they ever catch you trying to do something¡­¡± The black-haired girl stared for a moment, before looking away, shame clearly written over her features. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I don¡¯t want Fairy Tail to be disbanded,¡± she apologized, rubbing her wrists. ¡°I just wish they could be here too¡­ They never had a choice either, you know?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lucy couldn¡¯t help but ask. Kaelys shifted in her seat for a second. She had learned everything because of how much time she spent with each member, and they usually ended up babbling about their life from before. However, none of them had actually asked her to never tell anyone, so it was okay, right? ¡°They¡¯re from a place called¡­ err, Dark Tower? Shithole? Tower¡­¡± ¡°¡­ the Tower of Heaven?¡± paled the blonde. ¡°That!¡± confirmed the teen, nodding. ¡°Anyway, they were all kidnapped when they were children and forced to build that thing. At one point, though, Zero showed up and took them away. He trained them with their Magic and made them grow stronger because they would eventually become his weapons or, otherwise said¡ª¡° ¡°Oraci¨®n Seis,¡± understood the Celestial Mage, her tone darker. ¡°Exactly. I came along a year or so ago, and Brain at first simply wanted to make me a new member. The more the merrier, right? But I learned Thief Magic, and it gave him the idea of me copying Nirvana, which led us to where we are today.¡± ¡°¡­ what could they possibly gain from activating Nirvana, though?¡± then wondered the blonde, hoping she wasn¡¯t crossing a line. The Thief Mage thought about it for a moment. ¡°Freedom,¡± she finally offered with a slight shrug. ¡°They¡¯re not bad people. Sure, they did really awful things, but so did I, you know? They weren¡¯t after destroying the world or anything, they just wanted to make a place for themselves inside it. And, if it meant killing some people to do so, why not? They had no one but themselves¡­ We had no one but ourselves.¡± Kaelys let her eyes wander outside the window, where the sun was shining brightly. ¡°We may be a bunch of monsters, but it doesn¡¯t make us any less humans,¡± she concluded, slightly clenching her fist. ¡°Can one really be blamed for wanting a place to belong to?¡± ¡°¡­ no.¡± finally gave in Lucy, looking down. ¡°No, they can¡¯t. Hey, Kae?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°¡­ tell me more about you and Oraci¨®n Seis?¡± ¡°Sure.¡±
¡°Good morning~!¡± ¡°Gah! L- Loke!?¡± ¡°Kae-hime, what a joy to be reunited with you at last!¡± cried dramatically the Spirit, twirling her around. ¡°Let me go!¡± She managed to escape from his grasp and glared at him. He simply smiled, obviously teasing her. ¡°What, not happy to see me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He sweatdropped at little at her bluntness, before going back to his cheery attitude, slinging an arm around her shoulders. ¡°We get to spend the day together, isn¡¯t it fantastic?¡± he asked. ¡°The day?¡± repeated Kaelys, surprised. ¡°Where¡¯s Lucy-nee?¡± He gaped at her for a second, taken aback by the honorific she had just used, before trapping her in a deadly embrace once more, suffocating the poor girl. ¡°So cute!¡± ¡°Loke!¡± protested the girl. ¡°Where¡¯s Lucy-nee? Doesn¡¯t she want to spend the day with me? Oh, I must be a burden for her again, of course she has other things to do than keep an eye on me¡­ then again, I¡¯m supposed to always be with a member of Fairy Tail¡­ wait, Loke¡¯s got a mark, so I guess it counts. But he¡¯s a Spirit, is it the same jurisdiction? I¡ª¡° ¡°Alright, calm down a second,¡± the Leader of the Zodiacs ruffled her hair, earning a squawk of protest. ¡°Lucy had something to discuss with the Master, but she didn¡¯t want you to be alone and so asked me to hang out with you until she¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Oh, alright,¡± blinked the teen, swatting his hand away. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll grab some breakfast, then. Do you want some?¡± ¡°You know how to cook?¡± he seemed surprised. ¡°No, but it mustn¡¯t be that hard, right?¡±
Kaelys had been wrong. Cooking was harder than whatever hellish training Cobra had put her through when she arrived, and that was saying something. Damn it, even learning Thief Magic had been easier, that much she was certain of! ¡°That¡¯s it, you¡¯re not touching a frying pan ever again,¡± swore Loke, covered in flour and some sort of green paste mixed in his hair. ¡°Or a cookbook. Or the kitchen in general.¡± ¡®I can only agree on this one¡¯ ¡®Why did you take the flour anyway? You were making toasts!¡¯ ¡°I already said I was sorry,¡± she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t like cooking anyway. Plus, it¡¯s not my fault my Magic snapped!¡± ¡°Then again, using Fire Dragon Slaying Magic wasn¡¯t exactly the best way to toast the bread,¡± retorted Loke with a scoff. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you stop me!?¡± ¡°Because it was funny!¡± ¡°You damn¡ª¡° The door of the apartment suddenly opened, making the both of them freeze in their tracks. They turned around as Lucy came in, smiling brightly. ¡°Hey guys, I¡¯m home¡ªWHAT HAPPENED TO MY KITCHEN!?¡± ¡®She¡¯s going to kill us¡¯ ¡®Yeah, no kidding. That chick¡¯s scary as fuck¡¯
The next day, it was decided that Loke would help her out for her training. After some digging, he and Lucy had discovered that while Thief Magic allowed its user to copy the Magics, it didn¡¯t mean they could copy their control. Kaelys had never bothered learning to control the spells she stole. After all, as long as the work was done, the rest didn¡¯t matter, even if it was overkill. However, she wanted to cook, not burn down the house. Seeing as it actually demanded some serious control ¨Cwhich she obviously lacked- it didn¡¯t turn out in the greatest of ways. The teen had agreed to train, though begrudgingly. While she loved to train, she had only ever exercised control over her telekinesis. Also, she would lose even more energy with the spells, seeing as she had to first use her Thief Magic so as to be able to use them. Yep, a real pain. When she finally arrived at the clearing that had been chosen as their unfortunate training grounds, Lucy and Loke were already there, apparently discussing something of importance. When they noticed her, though, they instantly dropped the subject. ¡®Weird¡¯ ¡®Terribly suspicious, yes. Be on your guards¡¯ ¡°No,¡± growled lowly Kaelys. ¡°I promised I¡¯d give them a chance. I won¡¯t be the first one to turn my back.¡± At her resolve, the voices could only fall quiet. And, while a doubt still nagged at the young teen¡¯s mind, she merely pushed it aside. If she gave in her delusions, then things would only grow worse, that much she knew. She could only wait and hope she wouldn¡¯t regret it.
Three days passed with the same routine. Lucy would make breakfast in the morning, then they would head to the training ground. Once there, Lucy would summon Loke, who would then help Kaelys while Lucy herself meditated. It had been Kaelys¡¯s idea. After all, meditating always helped to strengthen one¡¯s magical core and sources. So, the blonde was doing her own training. Meditating while keeping Loke¡¯s gate open drained her quickly, and she whined more often than not about her exhaustion. Kaelys stopped her from backing down, though. After all, while Lucy was strong, she could be much stronger. She only needed to make some efforts, something she wasn¡¯t very keen on doing right now though. ¡°Hey, Kiddo.¡± ¡°Yo.¡± If there was one other person Kaelys really liked in the Guild, it was Gajeel. The man didn¡¯t do sugarcoating ¨Cwhich she considered lying, to some extents, and he was really fun to hang out with. He also was one of the rare that never believed her to be crazy, which was a plus in her books. Oh, and he agreed to let her copy his magic once she was done training with those she already had. That did help strengthen trust. ¡°So, anything good happened?¡± he wondered, gesturing for Mira to bring a drink. ¡°Training,¡± shrugged the teen, sipping at her orange juice. ¡°We stopped earlier, though. Master called Lucy-nee, so we had to come back.¡± He hummed in understanding, and the barmaid then arrived with a mug, handing it over with her usual smile. ¡°Hello, Gajeel.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mira.¡± ¡°Of course. Do you want anything else, sweetheart?¡± the woman glanced her way. ¡°Nan, I¡¯m fine.¡± Mirajane was also really nice to have around. The woman always smiled genuinely, and never took offense to Kaelys¡¯s remarks. Also, she often offered her the juice for free, seeing as it wasn¡¯t much and the teen usually forgot to bring some money¡ªwell, more like she didn¡¯t want to ask some from Lucy, but anyway. ¡°Kaelys, dear?¡± The girl blinked, turning around to spot Master Makarov on the second floor. ¡°Master?¡± ¡°Would you come to my office for a few minutes please?¡± ¡°Uh? Sure.¡± She shot a wondering look at the Iron Dragon Slayer, who simply shrugged, ruffling her hair as she headed away. She shot him a glare, earning one of his infamous laughing fit. She was apparently a walking comedy. Trying to put back some order in the nest that had formed, she flew over to the second floor without much of a thought. ¡®I hope it¡¯s not something bad¡¯ The teen froze, her hand almost touching the handle. ¡®Great. Now you¡¯ve scared her¡¯ ¡®But it¡¯s true! I mean, we¡¯ve only been here for a few days. Why would he call her in his office?¡¯ ¡®Who knows?¡¯ ¡°Guys, you¡¯re not helping,¡± she grunted, before going in. ¡°What is it, Master?¡± Lucy was also there, sporting a very strange look. It was as if she was barely able to contain her smile or something. The Master had a much more serious air, though there was a slight twinkle in his eyes that softened his features. ¡°Come, my child. We have important news to share,¡± he announced. Growing a little worried, she sat nowadays. When he saw she was paying attention, the small man nodded. ¡°Alright¡­ Lucy here has convinced me of a certain¡­ project. She has talked to me about your worries for your ex-comrades of Oraci¨®n Seis and, after talking over the technicalities, I have decided to accept her proposition. I have talked over it with the Magic Council, who has also agreed to take part in the said project,¡± he explained. ¡°What project? What does it have to do with my friends?¡± blinked the teen, confused. ¡°From what you have said, the other members of the Guild didn¡¯t have much of a choice either. Therefore, the Magic Council has agreed to give them a chance to redeem themselves, just like they did for you,¡± he announced. The girl¡¯s mind went blank for a second. ¡®Wait, does this mean¡­¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re joining Fairy Tail¡­?¡¯ ¡°You mean¡­ they¡¯re coming here¡­?¡± Her voice was small, she didn¡¯t dare to believe what was happening. ¡°Joining the Guild as I did? They¡¯re¡­ they have a second chance?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She opened her mouth, then closed it, unable to come up with anything else to say. Noticing her state of shock, the Master decided to explain the last few details. ¡°Each member will be given the choice of either joining a Guild ¨Ceither Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus or Lamia Scale- or staying in jail and pay off their crimes as previously judged. Of course, they cannot all be sent at the same time, or it will hinder their process of rehabilitation. So, the Guild will welcome a new member each month. The same rules that apply to you will apply to them. Should they prove unable to be restored into society, though, they will be taken back to prison and return to their previous atonement. I know it may seem sudden, but¡ª¡° ¡°Thank you,¡± she cut him off, hiding her eyes behind her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­ I don¡¯t think you understand exactly what it means to me¡­ what it could mean to them¡­¡± The Thief Mage took a deep breath, before looking back at him, determination settling in her purple orbs. ¡°We won¡¯t let you down. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be easy, but none of them are stupid enough to pass that chance,¡± she then assured. ¡°At least I think so¡­¡± Makarov chuckled lightly, jumping onto his desk. ¡°Anyhow, a first member should be joining us at the end of the week. Until then, well, do as usual. I will do an official announcement later today to warn the other members of the Guild. Lucy, child, maybe talking to your Spirits¡­? After all, they may have a hard time working with Oraci¨®n Seis members.¡± ¡°Of course. Thank you again, Master,¡± she nodded, bowing a little. ¡°No,¡± he shook his head, smiling softly. ¡°Thank you, the both of you. I believe that thanks to your work, a few more people will finally be able to find their own light. Now, off you go! You have training to return to, I believe.¡± Lucy groaned in despair, making the teen snort. They then both bid goodbye to the old man, before leaving. As soon as the doors close, the Celestial Mage was startled by the sudden embrace Kaelys trapped her into. ¡°K- Kae?¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± whispered the teen, hugging her tightly. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± After half-a-second, a soft smile stretched Lucy¡¯s lips, and she hugged back with as much strength. If there was one thing she had been expecting from the teen, hugging wasn¡¯t one of them. After all, since the very beginning, Kaelys hadn¡¯t been keen on physical contacts. It meant leaving her back open, something she couldn¡¯t afford. So, for her to actually initiate the contact was an enormous show of trust that Lucy wasn¡¯t about to forget. ¡°Anytime."