(Authors Notes: Yeah, I know I should be working on Hawkeye... but after a bit of encouragement and the realization that one of my one-shots was refusing to die I started another story. Yeah...I know...this plot bunny won't die and in fact is reproducing at a alarming rate. I have a world, history, character stations...it's really just a tad ridiculous, really.)

(Edit: Rewrote sections and added parts 01/08/15)

~Prologue~

The dream was always the same memory

The one that she'll never forget.

The one that changed her life forever.

It started the same every time. Perhaps she should be thankful. The smell always gave her a moment's notice. Time enough to prepare herself as best she could for reliving that horrid day.

It was a stench she'll never forget: burning flesh and blood that even within the dream her stomach churned violently at the smell. She was clad in what was once her best gown that was now stained with blood, soot, and other more unmentionable items. She was clawing and pushing her way from beneath a pile of bodies, all as finely dressed as she. Glimpses of somewhat fresh air teased her senses. The progress was slow. Lifeless bodies weigh so much more than their living counterparts. Blocking out what she was handling she shivered as she felt warm liquid seep through her once pristine white gloves. But the light from flames pushed her to move faster, to take in her newly renovated surroundings. Her brown gloves finally reach air as she pushes the last one out of the way. Her, last ditch stasis spell had saved her, but she had been placed at the bottom of the pile of bodies by the rebels. No doubt to be burned later. Iridescent blonde hair fell into her eyes as she looked down at her hands still shaking from the effort she'd just gone through then up above her.

Sky.

She was sure she was in a ballroom before.

Ah, yes that would be why she saw the sky.

Something had blasted through the roof leaving a sizable hole. No doubt that was what made the debris that had crushed some of the party goers. Heaving herself up finally she rolled one last body off of her and made the mistake of focusing her eyes on it.

On HIM.

Blonde hair, so similar to her own, blue eyes staring at nothing. She dry heaved all over again turning away only to see that the person who had occupied the lowest level of the body pile with her was like looking into a mirror. For a split second she deliriously thought that maybe she *was* dead and was staring down at her own body. But the faint creases around the woman's eyes told her otherwise.

Panic welled within her causing her to suddenly scramble completely out of the pile. Arms, legs, torsos and her own skirts hindered her progress as she frantically attempted to put space between her and the horrifying revelation. Stumbling she falls and rolls away from the pile and ends up laying face up at the beautiful night sky.

Finally taking a deep breath without the worry of taking in something untoward she lays there a few moments. Sitting up she hesitantly looks back at the formal gathering. Magic once seeped from the pores of the Castle and everyone who came to it was equally steeped with it. Now as she cast her senses about she found nothing.

No signs of magic.

No signs of life.

No comfort in knowing that she wasn't alone.

Only the faint flickers of the severely damaged wards from the melted walls. And a lot of comfort those walls where now that everything she had once held precious was gone. She turned and saw the black oozing creatures come over the wall, detecting her life and wishing to consume it. The panic she had managed to stave off before comes back full force as she turns to run... the ooze catches up with her, it's viscous appendages sticking to her, crawling up her already battered form and pulling her back, leeching her of her will to live...

Jolting back to the present Lucy immediately became aware of her surroundings and the woman shaking her violently. She didn't scream any more and all her tears had evaporated years ago leaving a large gaping hole that was ever so slowly mending itself. But she feared that what was to come today would only rip it raw again. Staring down at her in concern was Cana. A woman she's come to respect dispite her love of alcohol. She always had a sense of when Lucy had a nightmare...she was often found standing over the younger girl in her night clothes (a scandlous thing from the other realm consisting only of shorts that barely covered her backside and a 'shirt' that was held up with string). But her concerned eyes where always a welcome sight.

"Lucy~?! Lucy~! Are you alright? You where moaning in your sleep and sweating... it was another nightmare wasn't it? Their getting more and more frequent. This is the fourth time this week. Are you sure you want to go today? We can find a excuse..." She sat down on her bed.

"No. No, I'm going to go. It would be disrepectful not to and I refuse to show weakness to the council."

Cana stares reluctantly at the woman presently sitting up in bed with faintly disheveled hair. She tweeks the blonde braid that had fallen over her friend's shoulder and sighs. "Your stubborness will get you into trouble if your not careful. I don't envy the man who manages to win you."

"I'll probably simply agree to some political agreement with someone who I don't abhor..."

"What? Why? You have your choice of men!"

"From what I see love is tedious at best,and a gamble 80% of the time. I don't have time to worry about it...Love or anything similar makes you stupid."

Cana has her eyes closed and shakes her head absently as she listens.

"Only if you allow it. You won't...for the most part. But you'll ignore the obvious and remain ignorant in things. Those two are what's going to get you into romance. It will be a sound match...one that cannot be questioned." Lucy shivvers and frowns as goosebumps rise. Anytime Cana got like that it gave her the willies. Having lived with a Oracle for the past few years she'd hoped that she would've gotten used to it...but it still bothered her. Her moments where always random too. No real pattern...

"Today is only the beginning. No amount of running will help you escape. In fact running will put you into the situation sooner."

"I am not running. I just need a change."

"Your ignorance spells your downfall." Standing in a huff she stares down at Cana.

"WHy can't anyone accept why we're leaving? It's not like we won't be back. It's not even like we're going to give up who and what we are! Cana, you, of all people should understand!"

"I do...but I don't live there. Neither should either of you. Your beautiful mages who are highly sought after. You could take your pick of any job here...why go work like a ignorant mortal?"

"Because after today...it'll all be over. I can start over! I just want...I just want sometime without all the magic...and politics. With out the games. Today is just going to be on big game and I think winning this round and leaving is the best thing to do. Visions or not I fail to see how moving to a magically impoverished realm will hurt. Now...we need to get ready. I have preperations to do and you're not helping me with them at this rate!" She grabbed her robe and stalked towards the bathroom leaving irritated Cana behind.

Today was to be the official memorial and burial for all the mages lost in the attack five years ago today...there would be no coffins no funeral pyres. All the bodies had long ago been burned by the rebel leaders after they took over The Castle. It was more of a ceremony for closure than anything. Lucy had closure the very night it had happened. She was not the same girl from before. Her eyes not as bright or innocent any longer. That girl had died violently and lay beneath that pile and was burned along with her parents. If she hadn't discovered Juvia, another survivor she's not sure if she would've come out of the ordeal sane.

Or alive.

Staring down at the tub she begins to fill the bath and she placed a liberal amount of the bathing foam in it. She remembered how she had dreamed of getting to a bath during the hike after the attack. They had to make a twenty five mile trek to the nearest gateway to safety. For the sake of Jade and for the sake of everyone else they had to survive. They had to live and make it back to the gateway that would take them back to the capital of Jade over 100 miles away. Several rebel bodies where scattered about. At least a sizable number of them too. Let it not be said that the Mage Association of Business leaders went down without a fight. Both girls had known that they would be tempting fate moving about like that and in their condition, burned and weak. But waiting until the morning was not a option, rebel forces could be wandering about looking for people like them. It was easier to hide in the dark. Even with weres and dark elves their chances are still higher of avoiding them than during the day.

She and Juvia had made it to a gateway, but only barely and it took them twice as long to get there as estimated due to their condition and outside hindrances. They had been perused many times that night and fought into exhaustion. Juvia knew how to hide their scent and Lucy kept their magic from being detected. Even at that it wasn't easy. When they rolled through the gateway they where greeted with spears and a containment spell. It wasn't until after thorough questioning by a Gryphon inquisitor where they allowed to be released and treated. Both girls had attempted to return to their separate homes only to discover that the rebels where laying in wait, believing that with them alone and unprotected, it would be a simple matter to kill them.

To set an example.

She sunk greatfully into the steaming bath sighing as the scalding hot water rid her muscles of their tension.

Emotionally exhausted and angry, the shock of the events had worn off and left only anger and grief in it's wake. Lucy and Juvia where forces of nature and the rebel sects where ripped through by two very angry heiresses. Word got around and the girls became regular targets. Not only had they survived but they had dared to fight back. The council had taken the girls into their custody at that point and gave them to two large family's that lived within compounds well behind the large fortressed walls of the capital of Jade. Lucy was given to the Clive Clan, a powerful, but somewhat eccentric clan that was well know for their kindness, power and Psychic abilities among their women. Cana was the first one to get her to smile again. Juvia was sent to Vastia Clan. A staunch clan known for their formality as well as their strength. Both where fiercely loyal to the council.

The attempted coup, had failed and left many orphans and even more scars on their beautiful lands. The rebellion had wanted to over throw the Jade Council and set up a their own system. A system in which they could own those who where weaker, and set up a caste system. Needless to say the Holy Council of Jade didn't agree with this at all. As a terroristic tactic they attacked several places all over the dimension using Acnologia's appearance as a sort of omen of them being in the right. The fight had only ended six months ago when the leader and base was taken out. Cells still existed all through out the various lands but it was nothing the Jade Knights and the Enforcers couldn't handle. Everyone was attempting to resettle into peace again. Many Weres and Dark Elves, who where not apart of the rebellion still attempt to atone for the mistakes of their brothers and sisters. Everyone else was attempting to heal. Lucy and Juvia being no exceptions.

She was going to soak extra long today. Lucy worked through her usual mental exercise. Visualizing her mind as a soaked towel and slowly, methodically, in some cases, painfully, squeezing all emotion from it's confines into a bucket. Once she felt nothing she would 'toss' the bucket out of her mind leaving her free to think in a completely and unflappably logical manner. Less chance of letting her emotions getting the better of her or of making mistakes.

She would need it today for the upcoming battle.

Especially since those in attendance where convinced that they needed a firmer hand. They had become poster women for the ravages of war and would get away with anything. If they wanted. Neither girl had much desire to do much anyway, but that didn't stop the complainers. They where treated like china dolls, and constantly under estimated. It wasn't until Gildarts insisted they be tested at the University to learn their true magical aptitude. Both girls used to be privately tutored before the attack and after spent hours together simply reading and learning together. The attack left them utterly under prepared. They had seen how much good book knowledge was in a battle. And so they studied and worked. Their drive to be competent battle mages in addition to everything else became a driving force. Neither had any plans for tests, it smacked of a exhibition but after everything that had been done for them they couldn't rightly argue out of it without seeming ungrateful. Both tested and ranked withing the top tenth percentile of all University Mages causing a large stir all over Jade. They where not Adepts, but rather given the dubious honor of being given a title. Their treatment went from fine china to more of a finely sharpened and decorated stiletto deceptively fragile looking, easily hidden but deadly when it turned on you. And as the last two of the Mages Association, there was pressure from all around to create another organization and thus choose it's leaders.

Neither girl where fools. It was simply a ploy to trap them within a status and the constant observation and pressure of the public. Which is why after this circus, this exhibition under the guise of 'honoring' the victims they planned on escaping. And in order to do that they both had to hide all the magic potential they showed to the University mages. The rumors had already spread but most of the attendees would want to examine the girls themselves and if they came up much lower than expected they would assume that the University was simply being nice to them. If they found out how strong they actually where they would demand the girls remain on Jade 'for their own protection.'

Which was a load of horse shit. If they where that powerful why did they *need* anyone protecting them?

Finally stepping from her bath she dried off, brushed her hair out and added a light drying spell, before walking into her room and pulling a few large cases from below her bed.

She packed her last suitcase and places it together. Her new father didn't agree with the decision and had put his foot down as the City she was allowed to move to. She would be in the same city as Cana. Every morning since she'd told him of her decision he continued to argue against it.

So did Cana.

But Cana had no real complaints as to why she shouldn't go. Except this morning. That...omen was new. But she would be very careful...and learn as much as possible to blend in. Thus when both came to the conclusion that they would find no place to effectively hide on Jade they decided that maybe it would be better to return to the "Origin" home.

The original dimension from which every magical creature living on Jade evacuated.

Earthland.

It was over 3,000 years ago that the evacuation occurred. Non-magical humans where proliferating, and their overly violent nature and sheer numbers was starting problems. Certain magical creatures where almost hunted to extinction. It was the Dragons and the Elves who found this dimension and organized the ensuing evacuation. While humans where not turned away, they where not encouraged to attend either. So over the course of a decade all magical creatures slowly pittled away into the mists of myth and legend. The center of this mass exodus was the last to fade from existence.

Atlantis left in a explosion of glory taking almost all magical and many advanced technological information with it. Unfortunately moving such a large land mass had created tectonic vibrations and disrupted the ocean in that area for years to come. Atlantis was the capital city even now and was the center for everything. Many of the original buildings and park areas remain. They where going to one such area for the ceremony. The girls had been requested to wear white. Not a color either preferred as it denoted more than purity but rather that they where beyond the Adept level. The implications being they had so many skills and magic power that they could waste it on petty things like spells that are constantly keeping their gowns clean. She stopped in the foyer of the house to work on her hair. Cana stopped next to her in the mirror wearing the very modest robes of a Oracle. She adjusted the wrap that she traditionally wore on her head. The Navy blue and silver edged robes always served to make Cana look mysterious and powerful. Lucy preferred them to the other world nonsense she wore. But she also knew that it was Cana's way of lending support. Providing a united front. Smiling at the woman faintly she looks out the door at her father Gildarts who waited by the carriage.

Even if it was true that she and Juvia could afford to use such spells they didn't particularly want to advertise that. Being well known and obvious is what caused them to become victims anyway. Staring in the mirror she was finally ready with emotions bound as tightly as her hair. When going into a war zone you put on your game face and had your strategy ready. Her freedom depended on this.

She couldn't show magical strength.

Nor could she show emotional weakness.

She would not disrespect the sacrifices made and so her, already somewhat, sad eyes faded even more into a careful blankness. The omission of all emotion. Just like on that night five years ago to the day, she had to shut it away behind thick walls to save her shaky sanity. To save her life it was not safe to give in to her feelings. To feel.

Just like now.

It was not safe to feel where she was going what she was getting into. It was a inconvenient thing to do as you often missed the feelings of others but it had its upsides. She turned and walked out the door and into the bright sunlight careful steps taking her to the carriage.

After all, if you didn't feel, you never got hurt.