"Kid, you shouldn't be here," I heard a gruff voice say. At this point, though, I was far too exhausted to even consider trying to bring myself to care. I had been running for the past two weeks, sleeping uneasily when I did, and struggling to keep a low profile when I didn't. All I wanted right now was to fall into a bed and sleep.

Hence the location. I was almost happy for a second that my mother was dead. I could imagine that there would be no end to her shame, both for herself and for me if she ever caught wind that I'd spent a night in a building like this. But, beggars can't be choosers, as the saying goes, and the idea somehow wormed its way into my head that a brothel would be the best place to go for confidentiality.

I can only imagine the number of customers that a brothel would lose if it had a reputation for exposing their clientele.

I pushed my way past the bouncer at the door and walked into the building, not even glancing at the rather buxom woman who was seated at a desk set up just inside the building. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw that she wore a very… revealing, outfit, to say the least. It was a dress that covered her from chest to ankle, but had a very low cut neck that hung extremely loosely from her body. It also had only a very thin string tying the front of the dress to the back, keeping the draft from the door opening and closing from pulling it away and revealing her generous assets. The side view also revealed that there was no way she was wearing anything underneath it.

She tried to say something to me, but I ignored her. I wasn't here for business or pleasure, though I was sure that in this establishment, those were one and the same. I shouldered my way past her and walked up the stairs to one of the rooms above. Somehow, my mental faculties were sufficient enough to ensure that I didn't enter a room that was currently occupied, and I collapsed into a very soft bed, falling asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

Sunlight filtered its way through the curtains and blinds, navigating its way through a complex maze of glass and drapes before landing on my face. Groaning, the light slowly wormed its way into my groggy brain and woke me up slowly.

As I sat up and took in my surroundings, I noted with no small amount of surprise that I wasn't alone in the room. Laying on the bed next to me was a woman with blond hair that extended down to the middle of her back. She was on her stomach, which, unfortunately, was on my arm, and she had wrapped both of her arms around my arm, so there was no hope of me extricating myself from her grasp without waking her.

Oh, and she was naked. Honestly, not all that surprising, given that my current refuge was a brothel.

Sighing, I gave my arm a slight tug to see how unlikely my escape would be. To my great regret, the slight movement caused her to shift, and cling tighter to my arm, and she mumbled something unintelligible into the mattress. Honestly, this could be a lot worse, I mused as I resigned myself to my fate.

As such, I was pleasantly surprised when the woman mumbled something else that was unintelligible before rolling over and sitting up, releasing my trapped arm. Turning to face me, a sultry smile lit up her face as her eyes roamed over my body. It was likely she was imagining what I looked like without all of my clothing on.

I felt my face heat up slightly at that look on her face, particularly the lustful glint in her eyes. Something told me that she was one of the few brothel workers one could find who actually enjoyed their work, and didn't need to be threatened with some form of punishment. Hell, maybe she enjoyed punishment. It wasn't like I would know.

She leaned forward, her chest brushing against my upper arm as her lips grazed my ear. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" she murmured in a low, sultry, and husky voice, her hands pressing into my chest, urging me to submit to her ministrations.

"Unfortunately, I'm not here for pleasure or business. I just needed a place to sleep that's off the so called grid," I replied momentarily.

"Well," she continued coyly, pressing into me, her fingers trailing down my chest. "We only guarantee the confidentiality of paying customers," she whispered, her hot breath flowing over my ear as she lifted her leg and slid it between my thighs, lowing her hips.

"I'm not interested in your services," I hissed through clenched teeth. It was taking a substantial amount of my willpower to resist her charms. "I'm willing to pay for your silence, though."

"That would make you paying, but not a customer," she replied in her enticing voice as her fingers started to wander below my stomach. Her tongue darted out, tickling my ear before she arched her back, leaning away from me and flaunting her voluptuous form. As a consequence, she ended up grinding her hips into my thigh not all that uncomfortably. Seizing the opportunity, I quickly sat up and rolled her off of me before rising to my feet.

"As I said, I'm not interested in your services," I managed to say between labored breaths. Damn, she was attractive, and shit, she was hard to resist. I mentally patted myself on the back for having escaped her feminine wiles.

Opening the door, though, I was greeted with an unfavorable sight. Two unfavorable sights, actually.

Unfavorable sight number one was a woman, if she could be called that, who I both recognized and feared. She was a sadistic slaver who took what she wanted with little care for who or what she destroyed to get it. She also had a very twisted sense of humor, finding great entertainment and joy in the pain and suffering of others - particularly if she was the one inflicting it. Perhaps most notable about her appearance was the helmet she wore that had two large horns sticking out to the side like handlebars, with an attached mask that covered most of her face, save for her blue eyes and her purple lips.

Unfavorable sight number two was another woman who I recognized. Of course it would be these two who would find me first. Why wouldn't it be? She too had horns, though hers were growing from the sides of her head, and she had a black tattoo on her forehead. Overall, on a scale of one to ten, I was fucked. If I were actually there.

"Kyouka… Sayla… fancy meeting you two here," I muttered in greeting.

"Ornyx, what a coincidence," Kyouka said, a dark smile forming on her face. "We've been looking for you." Glancing past me, she looked into the room and noticed the naked blonde. "Have you been having fun without us?" she accused, somehow simultaneously glaring at both me and the woman.

"N-No, No," I stammered out.

"Good," Kyouka whispered into my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. God, she creeped the hell out of me. Honestly, what is it with the Etherious being creepy as all hell? "You know how displeased I would be if you had."

"By the way," Sayla spoke up, reminding us she was there. "You didn't honestly think you could get away, did you? You knew that we had the time and resources to track you down before you fled."

"But I did," I said, earning a confused look. "Get away, that is."

"Well, you did. But you won't again," Kyouka darkly threatened.

"No, no, you misunderstand," I countered. "I got away now." Sayla's eyes narrowed in response to my statement. Her left hand shot out, grabbing for my throat, only to pass through as my body faded into nothing. Naturally, since I was gone, I don't fully know what happened next, so I will not elaborate on what followed.

I let out a sigh of relief as my consciousness returned to my real body. It had been two weeks since I had escaped from the clutches of Tartaros, and this was by far the closest they had come to capturing me. I probably most definitely would need to seek help from somewhere if I was going to continue to evade capture. Maybe one of the Guilds would accept me. Only problem was whether or not a guild actually existed that was strong enough to match Tartaros. And if they would be willing to risk the wrath of Tartaros.

And so it happened that, in my wandering that day, I managed to mistake a Guild Hall for a tavern and strode in like I owned the damn place. In my defense, it did actually have a bar and tables, and the bar sold food and alcohol, as well as some non-alcoholic drinks. Still, I strode in and decided that I needed something to drink and eat to still my nerves after the meeting that morning.

"Do you have something with any calming effects?" I asked the woman behind the bar counter. She had white hair that reached all the way down her back, her bangs held up by a small hair binder and she had clear blue eyes. All in all, it was quite an enchanting look. Also, a strangely familiar look. I knew her from somewhere, but I couldn't think of where.

"We have some alcohol, but it's a bit early for drinking," she replied. "Also, that might not be the sort of calm you're looking for."

"I don't care what it is, I just need something," I responded disinterestedly, my gaze wandering around the large room I was in. The ceiling was high and arched, and didn't seem like the sort of thing a tavern would normally have, but that wasn't something I paid incredibly too much attention to. Over on the far wall from the entrance was what appeared to be a bulletin board with messages pinned to it - some sort of bounty board? A message board? Again, not important enough to draw my attention.

What was important enough, though, were the other patrons of this supposed tavern. At the time, I still thought it was a tavern, though I soon realized my mistake. Just not at this point in time yet. Anyways, I digress. The people here were extremely rowdy, to the point of it being barely possible for me to concentrate on my drink.

Especially obnoxious were two guys who looked like they were nearing adulthood. One of them had short, spiky pink hair, and was wearing a black coat with gold trim and one sleeve, white pants, and a white scarf. The other was currently not wearing a shirt, revealing a muscled and well toned body, as well as a black tattoo of what appeared to be a sprinting bird or something on his chest. He had black hair, and it looked like he and the other guy were just itching to duke it out.

Idly gesturing towards the two, I decided to ask a few questions regarding their behavior. "Isn't there a bouncer or something? Someone to make sure that a brawl doesn't start and destroy the place?"

The bartender spared a moment to glance at the obvious disturbance before shrugging. "Those two go at it all the time. Give it a minute before Erza decides to put a stop to it."

It was at this point that I noticed a tattoo identical to the one on the black haired guys chest on the pink haired guys arm, and the same symbol hanging from the rafters on a tapestry. This was when I became suspicious that this might not actually be a tavern.

"This isn't a normal tavern, is it?" I sheepishly asked my snow-haired companion. I use the term 'companion' loosely, because I didn't even know her name, but she was the only one who was speaking with me. In response to my question, she merely giggled and shook her head.

"This is the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. You must be new in town," she said, extending a hand. "I'm Mira. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Ornyx, and the pleasure is all mine," I replied smoothly. Yes, quite smoothly. Why are my pants wet? I looked down and realized with a groan that in my eagerness to shake hands with Mira, I had successfully managed to fail epicly and knock my drink over, spilling it into my lap. Grumbling, I tried to get as much liquid as possible off of me before it could soak into my clothing, but unfortunately, my clothes were very absorbent.

"So," I started, trying to distract myself from my wet pants, "What is Fairy Tail?"

Mira gave me a look that was half disbelief, half amusement. "We're a Wizard Guild," she simply stated. "One of the best out there."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "That's a pretty tall statement," I playfully muttered.

"But a true one," she interrupted cheerfully before I could continue. True or not, though, there was little doubt in my mind that they would be crushed if Tartaros came after them. Maybe I'm a pessimist, but hey, if it keeps people alive, than I don't really care.

"Anyways," I said, rising to my feet, "I should probably get going. Places to be, people to not see, that sort of thing." I set my now empty mug down on the counter and turned towards the door, just in time to see a woman with long red hair, a steel breastplate, and a sword step through the door.

"Why don't you stay, at least for a little bit?" Mira asked, gesturing to the two brawlers with one hand, and the redhead with the other. "Erza's here, so this should be amusing."

It's amazing how fast some rumours can spread through a crowded room, especially those based on truth. Hardly fifteen seconds after Mira informed me of Erza's arrival, the entire guild was made aware of Erza's presence. That is, everyone except for the two idiots who were brawling.

"Natsu Dragneel… Gray Fullbuster," the redhead said in an ominous tone. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"

I gathered that Natsu and Gray were the names of the two fighting idiots from that statement. What was humorous, though, were their reactions. Natsu pointed at Gray - or was it Gray pointing at Natsu? I don't know, all I knew were their names. Regardless, it's unimportant, because Gray pointed at Natsu at the same time that Natsu pointed at Gray.

Then, both looking at Erza, they simultaneously laid blame on the other. "He started it."

"I don't care who started it. I only care that both of you were willingly involved in the fighting. If you're so intent on fighting," she announced, an evil smile finding its way to her face, "Why don't you fight me?"

"Awesome! I'm finally going to beat you ErzaaaaAAAAAA!" the pink haired guy shouted, though it turned into a scream after Erza uppercutted him, launching him into the rafters. A cloud of dust fell from his impact site, raining down on the tables below. Mira let out a slight giggle.

"As I said," Gray stammered, his hands held protectively in front of him to ward of Erza. "Natsu started it. I don't need to fight you."

Unfortunately for him, his words fell on deaf ears as Erza raised a fist and 'dropped' it on Gray's head. I couldn't stop myself from wincing when the dust cleared, and there was a distinctly Gray-shaped indentation in the floor. I glanced at Mira, but was surprised to see that she had already dismissed the event and was returning to her bartending.

"Judging by yours, and everyone else's complete lack of a reaction, this sort of thing is normal?" I asked, somewhat curious now. Mira merely spared a glance for me and nodded before returning to wiping down the one mug that every bartender is always wiping, but is never finished cleaning. Gesturing to the mug, I continued. "You know, you've wiped that thing down at least a dozen times since I sat down."

"Actually, I've wiped it down two dozen times," she teasingly retorted. "By the way, if you're going to head out, you should be careful. There have been reports of two highly dangerous dark wizards from one of the worst Dark Guilds in the area."

I nodded while my brain struggled to comprehend her words. It clicked when I remembered that Tartaros, despite their attempts to persuade me otherwise, were in fact a Dark Guild. "In that case, maybe I should stay a little longer. After all, it wouldn't hurt to stay somewhere they're unlikely to show up, would it?"

Mira directed a small smile towards me. "Of course not," she agreed, though she did narrow her eyes at me. At the time, being the fool that I was, I didn't notice the slight shift in her demeanor. The slight shift that became even more noticeable when I spoke next.

"Does anyone know why they're here?" I offhandedly asked in an attempt to appear disinterested.

"Rumour has it that they're looking for someone," Mira answered, staring at me. I blinked under her intense gaze, trying to not back down at all. I think it worked, but I couldn't be certain. "But it shouldn't matter too much. Mystogan took a request to run them off," she continued as she gestured towards the bulletin board. All the while she stared at me with those intense eyes.

Obviously I did something that gave myself away. To this day, I don't know what it was, though. "Good luck to him," I said. "He'll need it."

"The confidence in your voice when you say that is telling," Mira said, all traces of humor leaving her face. "So… Either you know something about Mystogan… Or you know something about the two dark wizards. Care to spill?"

I tried to take another drag from my glass, only to realize that it was still empty. With a sigh, I decided it couldn't hurt to tell her. I mean, I didn't have any legitimately enjoyable memories of my years with Tartaros. "Kyouka. She's a member of the Dark Guild Tartaros, and one of the Nine Demon Gates. Supposedly, she has ties with Zeref."

Mira's eyes widened slightly at the revelation, but before she could speak I continued. "Sayla. Also a member of the Dark Guild Tartaros, also one of the Nine Demon Gates. Also, alleged to have ties with Zeref. Both are as cold, calculating, and cruel as it gets. Oh, and they're extremely powerful."

After a brief moment of silence, during which Mira refilled my glass, she spoke with a slight tremor in her voice. "How do you know who they are?"

Having the penchant for suspense that I have, I took a drink before answering. "I'm the person that they're looking for," I flatly answered. "As you guessed." I extended my hand towards her. "Ornyx Deathwalker, at your service."

Her eyes widened even more, which was surprising because I thought that would be physically impossible, given how wide they had been before. Evidently she recognized the name. "You were there," she whispered, recognition dawning on her.

Okay. That was confusing. I was where? "Pardon?" I asked, somewhat taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"

"That night, you were there," she growled, anger seeping into her voice. "When Lisanna died, you were there."

Oh. That's why she was familiar. She was one of the first people I encountered during my first excursion out of the Guild Hall. Supposedly, it was a reconnaissance mission to scout out potential enemies. Kyouka was there with me that night to keep an eye on me and make sure nothing bad happened to me. Secretly, I thought that she was there to do something else, but whatever it was, I didn't know at the time. I figured out what it was only much later.

"Now that I think about it, I was there," I admitted, not understanding where she was going with this. I flinched when her hand crashed down on the table, cracking it. A glance at her face told me more than I needed to know. I guess that it may have been slightly possible that she might potentially blame me for the death of this Lisanna person.

The strange thing was that there was no body, though.

In an attempt to calm down the angering barmaid, I raised my hands before me placatingly. I'd swear I imagined it, but there was a meter above her head with the title "Mirajane Anger Bar" with a little tick mark near the very far right that had a note attached that read "Transformation!". Oh, and the meter was quickly filling up.

"I was there, yeah, but I didn't have anything to do with the Beast. If anyone did, it was Kyouka," I managed to say without stuttering too much. "I thought she was there for a reason other than to observe me."

Slowly, and with several deep but uncertain breaths, the tension left Mira's shoulders and she unclenched her fists. I myself let out a breath that I didn't realize I had been holding. It was somewhat intimidating to be on the receiving end of a glare as long and intense as the one she had sent my way before she calmed down.

Before I could really relax, though, her hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. Had I been expecting it, there were are large number of things I could have done to prevent it - cut off her hand, move mine, grab her wrist, stand up, shove her… the list goes on and on. Nonetheless, her speed caught me by surprise as she dragged me to my feet and away from the bar. Despite my protests, she dragged me along without a hint as to our destination.

I was dropped rather unceremoniously in front of a very short, yet very ancient looking man. Maybe he was short because he was ancient, but I don't think old people shrink enough to change their entire skeletal structure. The man was very nearly bald, with the exception of two spiky tufts of hair as white as Mira's that grew above his ears.

"Mira, what have I told you about guests?" the old man asked in a gravelly voice.

"I'm sorry, Master, but it seems that he has some knowledge about those two black wizards that are wandering around and destroying every inn they come across. As well, it appears, as that brothel this morning."

Oh. Shit. I didn't realize quite how little they cared about killing people and destroying lives. I felt my face start to burn as I realized that it was my fault that those establishments were destroyed. Somehow, tears managed to threaten to squeeze their way out of my eyes. Strange. I thought that Kyouka had beaten all the tears out of me that I would ever shed.

Mira continued, oblivious of my emotional struggles. "He said that they're high ranking members of Tartaros. One is named Kyouka, and the other is named Sayla." What she didn't notice, though, the Master did. He held up a hand, stalling her, and turned his attention to me.

"So the one who was lost has found his way once more?" the old man asked, clearly directing it at me, but I didn't understand him. One who was lost? What did that mean? I raised my head to look at him, unable to keep the tears from escaping my eyes. A single tear rolled down my cheek, before dropping off of my chin and hitting the floor with a faint plop.

"That single tear holds far greater import now than the tragedies of your past," he kindly said, turning his full attention towards me. How was it possible for him to know about my past? All my life, all I had known was suffering. It was inconceivable that he would understand the hell that Tartaros put me through, or the suffering that I felt in my years before Tartaros found me, right?

"What are you getting at, Master?" Mira asked, only to be shoved aside by the old man.

"What have I said about interrupting me when I'm in the middle of something important?" he sternly asked.

Mira was silent for a moment as her head hung. "Don't," she dejectedly answered.

"Exactly," the Master agreed, letting the matter drop. Returning his attention to me, he looked at me, and passed me. At least, it felt like that. "Welcome home, wanderer," he warmly intoned.

I looked at him blankly. "What?" I asked.

Confusion covered his face. "I said, welcome home, wanderer," he reiterated.

"I know what you said," I muttered. This was getting ridiculous. "I'm wondering why you said it."

"Because," the old man said, irritation setting in, "Welcome home, wanderer!" I still gave him a blank look, and his irritation seemed to rise as he started muttering to himself. I didn't quite catch everything he said, but I heard the words "Mest," "Memory," and "Strong." It would have been comical if it hadn't involved me.

Having calmed down, the old man turned to me again. "Well, Ornyx, since it seems the memory trigger Mest put in isn't working properly, I'll have to explain a few things. I hear that you call yourself Ornyx Deathwalker now, yes?"

I nodded in confirmation, but he continued before I could say anything. "Well, your true name is Ornyx Lightblood, you're…" he trailed off as he counted on his fingers. "Sixteen years old, almost seventeen, an orphan, and a member of Fairy Tail since you were seven."

I nodded, sarcastically this time. "Right. If that's the case, why do I have no memories of this place?"

The old man sighed. "Why did your magic have to go haywire when you messed with your own memories, Mest?" he asked no one in particular. Turning back to me, he continued. "When you were nine, you volunteered for an infiltration mission. I don't know exactly why, but you did. In order for us to ensure that you had even a chance of success, your memories needed to be altered, such that you would be able to give no hints of your origins away. Our resident memory wizard at the time, Mest, removed your memories of Fairy Tail, as well as everyone's memories of you. He then proceeded to go on an infiltration mission of his own, for which he altered his own memories."

"It is my belief that his alteration of his own memories affected the spell he cast on you," the old man finished.

"And I'm supposed to believe that a non-existent wizard named Mest messed with my mind?" I asked incredulously. Hey, if you were in my position, you'd also find it hard to believe.

"I suppose there is one way that I can prove it to you. Show me your guild mark," the old man commanded. I hesitated, unsure what exactly would happen when he saw that it was a Tartaros mark.

My fears were dashed when he impatiently continued. "I don't have all day. I know it'll be a Dark Guild mark, so don't worry about that." Reluctantly, I lifted my shirt a small amount and twisted to the left, revealing a mark that looked somewhat like an insane face with small, beady eyes - the Guild Mark of Tartaros.

"I don't recognize that mark," Mira tentatively said.

"I've seen it once before," the old man said nervously. He placed his hand over the mark and closed his eyes. "As you know, Guild Marks are a unique form of tattoo. They are permanent, unless they're removed by the Guildmaster of the Guild they represent, with one exception. At least that I know of. If a wizard joins more than one Guild before leaving their first one, any subsequent Guild Marks will not permanently stick."

He removed his hand, and my eyes widened a bit at the sight. In nearly the exact same position as my Tartaros Guild Mark, there was an image of what looked like a bird in the middle of sprinting - the same mark that hung from the tapestry, and the same one that both Natsu and Gray were flaunting.

It was something. Not too much, but enough to pique my curiosity. Enough to make me question whether or not the story he told me was true. It didn't seem like he was lying, though, but it also didn't feel like he was revealing the full truth. It was apparently sufficient for Mira, though.

"Welcome home, Ornyx," she said with a smile and a small wave.

A/N: Time for the obligatory first chapter author's note, I guess.

Yay, first Fairy Tail fiction I've written. I'm putting this in the T category because the little scene at the very beginning is probably going to be the only one to reach that level of suggestiveness. If enough people think I should up the rating a bit, let me know and I'll figure something out.

As I'm sure you're sick of hearing, reviews are like water to authors. It's only possible to go so long without them before we dry out.