~?'s POV~

The sound of a horse's hooves clopping against the pavement below me.

Clop, clop, clop, clop, clop.

The sound of the rain hitting the same pavement around me.

Patter, patter, patter, patter.

Combined.

ClopPatterClopPatterClopPatterClopPatterClopPatterClopPatter.

I sighed, tired of these noises. I sat up, looking around the carriage I sat inside of. The world is more modern than this.

At least, this world is.

Unless you're one of those people who like to ride horse-drawn carriages or you'r just experiencing it for the first time, or something like that... Why am I taking a carriage in the first place? I didn't want to.

I sighed again, turning to look out the window, playing with my red hair a little. 4 long years, it has been.

Not that the 4 years have been terrible. There's only so many experiences in one's lifetime. Why would you want to consider them terrible if there are only so few? Well, I guess I have a right. I have unlimited experiences. Woohoo. Lucky me.

I suppose I consider them long because of the guilt upon my shoulders.

Not because of where I was or because of what I had to do or anything like that.

Just guilt.

What guilt, you ask?

The guilt of letting my friends, no, more like my family think I've been dead for the last 4 years.

If you're wondering how I know that they're dead, the answer is quite simply and quite clear.

I've been watching them.

Now, don't look at me like that! It's not as though I was stalking them, much less have I been in the same dimension as them. I simply check on them from this side of the mirror from time to time to make sure they're okay. To see how they're surviving in this not-so-friendly reality.

In this harsh reality.

And I miss them and care about them, a whole lot.

But now I have to face them.

Just not as the person they knew.

As the person they knew in disguise.

I can't believe I'm doing this, though. I've wanted to see them - in PERSON - not in a stalker kind of way - for 4 years. But now I'm starting to have second thoughts. I'm not so very sure...

I mean, what am I supposed to do when I get there? What am I supposed to talk to them about? I have to pretend I don't know them. I have to pretend I don't know them, that I don't miss them, that I don't know anything about anything. This is going to be hard.

The carriage came to a stop, but the rain kept coming down.

Patter, patter, patter, patter.

There was a quiet thud, and then another thud.

Patter, patter, patter, thud, patter, patter, thud, patter.

There was a click, and the sound of cloth rubbing harshly against metal, as though an umbrella was opening.

Patter, patter, patter, click, patter, open.

Quiet thuds neared the door on my right side.

Patter, patter, thud, patter, thud, patter, patter, patter, thud, thud, patter, thud.

The doorknob clicked as the door creaked open.

Patter, patter, click, patter, patter, creeeeeaaaak, patter, patter, patter.

The driver stood there, umbrella in hand.

"Time to go, Mistress." He stated calmly, moving out of the pathway and holding the door open for me. I nodded blankly in response, scooting over to the right side of the carriage, swinging my legs around, and hopping out of the carriage, ignoring the hand held out to me by the driver and immediately walking off. I knew where I was going, anyway. The driver quickly caught up to me, holding the umbrella over my head. I hoped that we never stopped walking.

But I knew it would, sooner rather than later, so I concentrated on the sounds around me once more.

The rain pelted the top of the umbrella.

Patter, patter, patter.

The rain was plinking into puddles.

Plink, plink, plink.

It was dripping off of everything exposed.

Drip, drip, drip.

Our footsteps on the pavement, in the puddles.

Splash, splash, splash, thud, thud, thud.

Finally, we arrived at the train station. I didn't bother to say anything to the driver. He knew what to do. I just kept heading in, while the driver tipped his cap and turned back. I kept making my way through the twists and turns of the structure, until I finally made it into the empty bathroom. I stared into the mirror, at my red hair, and my brown eyes, at my face. I didn't know when I would see this face again. I sighed and dropped my head - the lights came on and off again, and I looked into the mirror once more...

and saw someone else standing in my place.

Instead, I saw a 5'2", skinny girl with shoulder-length, puffy black hair, a golden eye and a blue eye, a cute, small nose, a mouth just small enough to be considered small, a slender, graceful figure, and some small feet. I'd guess myself to be about the age of... 17? 18? Old enough for where I'm going.

As for clothing, I was wearing a crimson, faded blouse that was slightly puffed at the shoulders and had 3, small, yellow buttons in a vertical line in the middle of the shirt collar, and black, skin-tight capris that were slightly folded over at the bottom, the bottom being above halfway down my shins. On my feet, I wore jet black track shoes. Behind me was a small suitcase on wheels with the handle sticking out.

The train is leaving in 3 minutes. Gotta hurry.

I grabbed the suitcase and rushed off, making it just in time, jumping on the train as soon as I got there. Time to leave Gehenna, and go back to Assiah.

(Line Skip)

Here I am - True Cross Town. I just need to change and get over to the ceremony.

(Line Skip)

Lucy is right behind me. Gray, Natsu, and Jellal are in the boy's row right next to me. I can hear them whispering to each other, and it's breaking me. How badly I want to announce myself to them. It hurts so much...

I can feel my hear throbbing. I can feel it hurting. I can hear it -

Oh, wait. I suppose it's not really my heart. Right now, I'm Ishiguro Maeko. What a fitting name; Maeko, a name for someone who tells the truth.

I can hear Erza Scarlet's heart shattering.

Clink, clink, clink.