The darkness covered her as she stumbled through the trees in the forest. Her broken ribs had yet to heal completely, therefore stressing her lungs to a frenzy with the slightest movement. Milliana hadn't eaten in 4 days, hadn't slept in 5, and hadn't stopped walking since the attack. She had to put as much space as possible between her and ship. Griped in between a haze of sleeplessness and the fervor to keep moving, her mind plagued her.

Six days earlier….

It had been the usual treatment. Completely uncovered with nothing accept a shift to her skin, she was freezing. It was her grandfather's favorite torment. Tied to the wall so that she could not move while having a pile of blankets put slightly out of her body's reach. But the cold wasn't the torment. It was that she was uncovered. Being so uncovered never made her fear for her bodily health, never was she in any danger of being raped or beaten, they never would have lived through it. That didn't stop her grandfather from pitting people against her, forcing them to touch her until the skin started peel from their bones, coughing up blood, and eventually dying in the worst pain. Her skin was a disease. A type of magic not learned, but born into her. To touch meant pain. And if that wasn't enough torture for a girl to endure, only hurting those around her, her powers as an empath made it that much worse. She felt every feeling, every fear, and every ounce of pain she unwantedly gave to her victim.

So sitting there in the dank cold room slowly trying to get the ropes around her barely there wrists to loosen, to get any sort of comfort, she heard commotion. Suddenly everyone was gone, no one was outside her door taunting her, there was no one. The ship shook and wailed at a battle raging on the top floor and with a violent lurch, a hole was made in the side of her room barely enough for her to get through. She rushed to get to her feet, feeling the rope twist her wrists together and holding her back.

Milliana looked down and pulled with all her small body could muster, cursing that her grandfather had been so gleeful only the day before and therefore kept her food from her. The ropes held but slightly gave to the ripping her of her skin. Whimpering in pain, she looked away and ripped her hands through the rope, creating a deep gash in both wrists. Dashing to the hole, she slipped through and the adrenaline that had been coursing through her to get her escape suddenly vanished. She had never been allowed to see the outside of the two rooms she occupied, depending on the mood of her grandfather and his lackies. She didn't know which was out, which was towards more danger. Where was everyone? There was always someone walking by her room. In the eerie silence a roar sounded throughout the ship "THUNDER DRAGON ROAR!" The pitching back and forth made Milliana stumbled and jump to action. Her legs moving on their own so fast she wondered in her panic if this is what people called running. She came up to a huge gaping space where the rest of the ship should be with nothing but quickly passing water beneath her. Water? But I can't swim, I don't even know what it feels like and I'm supposed to escape with that?! She thought quickly. Looking back the way she came she saw a man slowly walking towards her.

"Milliana…"

A slow deep sound came from his mouth, realizing it was her name she croaked with a voice that went too long unused, "I will not go back."

"No… you have been used for too long. They do not understand the power you hold, but I will not be the person to unlock it for you. I shall only help you on your way. Your family deserves to be punished for its crimes, but you, you are not to blame. I shall therefore spare you."

And with that she vanished in light, slamming into the ground of an unknown forest. Find Fairy Tail. The master there will set you free. The words drifting in her mind, she stood up and walked.

Within in the few days of her escape, Milliana had come across an abandoned store house with winter clothes, the food being all by rotten much to her chagrin. Even with the warm wind on her skin, the winter clothes brought her comfort that she had not felt before. Wrapped up she made her way to a small town, Fairy Tail… Fairy Tail was a guild somewhere in the province. A powerful wizard guild with many famous mages she had seen in glimpses of the magazines Ultear read in her spare time to her. They would never help her, her family being the basis of the most powerful dark guild in the country, possibly even the world. The master would end her if not for that reason alone, for her magic. If you could even call it that. How was she supposed to be set free from a power that she was born with? Alone her in cell, the common fears that should set in never did. She never thought she would get out, never to have her own life. Now that she had she knew that it didn't matter if she had stayed or not. No one could touch her. No one would be able to care for her. She only brought pain. Her only purpose to punish unknowing crimes with her very being. Who would even want to be in her presence much less be her friend or even SET HER FREE? Absurd. But even so, she had to know, even with her magic, she had to know… Was I really born to be a plague?

Which led her to this moment, traveling unendingly to find this unknown place. Scared of asking too many questions, terrified that anyone seeing her would only let her escape be known, Milliana kept to the trees and the shadows. Six days had past since her escape and she had no idea where she was going, no idea how to get there, and no food.

Grudgingly she thought, I have no money, so I guess I should forage, but these aren't fruit bearing trees, I suppose I could steal some, but that would require going into a town where anyone could see me….. She paused hearing a soft rumble off to her left in the distance. As she hurriedly turned in the opposite direction she felt them. The conflicting emotions of happiness and self-hatred made her stop. What a weird combination. Fighting with herself, she slowly inched towards the source of the feelings stopping when she saw a person sleeping fretfully on the ground completely covered by a blanket. Dreaming.. must be a nightmare for them to be in such pain. Her eyes flickered over to the stacked apples to left side. She drooled at them. Apples had always been her favorite, a thought she always kept to herself scared that her grandfather would keep them from her out of spite whenever he did actually present her with fresh fruit. If I could just get to them…

Slowly, as if not to move at all, Milliana stretched her body towards them inch by inch. As if making a single breath of sound would wake the stranger and by simply doing that she would end up back her in cell. As her fingertips brushed up against the side of one red fruit, a small animal dashed out of a tree not feet from her, scaring a shriek from her lips. Suddenly she was thrown against a tree with impossible strength, wincing from the impact Milliana looked up in shock to clash with very deep blue eyes.

"What….. the fuck.. are you doing?" A deep angry voice. Milliana winced at the intense feelings of the stranger and then gasped, looking down at his arm pressed against her collarbone. Thank god she had bundled up, no skin showing except for a few inches around her eyes and ears.

Angry with herself for being caught by her own stupidity, she glared at the stranger. "I was trying to steal an apple if you must know." The stranger was so shocked by her admittance of guilt that he dropped his arm.

"Seriously?" The stranger looked at her with interest now. His eyes scouring every inch of her looking for a sign of danger. She was fully covered with her hair hidden by a black hat. A large cuff scarf covered her neck up to her nose, only revealing crystalline grey eyes. Her bodice was brown leather armor strapped around her like a glove with long black sleeves covering to her wrists, only to met with well- made leather black gloves. Her black pants clashed with her boots giving her a clandestine appearance. She looks almost like a female Mystogan.. He thought to himself.

"Who are you and why should I give you an apple?" He finally said.

Her gaze finally moved from his eyes to the apple he held tauntingly in front of her now. His hands were strong, attached to rippling arms that conveyed the huge amount of strength he obviously had. Wearing a sleeveless green top only helped to accentuate his chest. Moving slowly over him as if distracted, and how could she be distracted from apples honestly except for something even better, she saw brown cargo pants met with black army boots. Looking above seeing a lightning shaped scar over one eye and brilliantly blonde hair seemingly struck by the same to have a natural style like that.

"What? Only have one sassy comeback an hour saved up there?" He smirked. He. SMIRKED. At her? Oh now she was mad. How dare this guy play games with her when she was about to actually STEAL from him. Infuriating man. He was clearly enjoying her discomfort and moved slowly towards her to intimidate her into speaking.

"If you do not want to be hurt you will not come near me." She said stiffly, people like this made her sometimes not be so upset her skin was like acid.

"Oh feisty isn't she? I doubt you could hurt me darling with your small stature but good try." The sharp glint that took over her eyes made him go on. "How about a name?" What was he doing? He thought to himself. Why do I care? This bitch just tried to steal from me… but damn if she isn't cute. Wait what? His conflicting emotions not quite panning out into Milliana's mind enough for her to grasp his intent.

"Milliana." His eyes questioned her as if he had been in another place and forgotten his own question. "My name, Milliana. Now hand me the apple and I will go."