In this chapter, you'll meet my very first OC…*drumroll*…Gray's grandma (hahahaha).

We'll meet all of our main 'villains' in this chapter, and again, I'm sorry for how OOC they are…

Also, remember those sexual themes I warned you about last time? They already come into play in this chapter, so you've been warned.


Chapter Two

Hear Our Prayer

Lucy swallowed as she glanced around at the single room her family would have to share, her mind already dreading the night because of how close they'd have to sleep together on the floor in order for all of them to fit. The white walls were colored brown and black with stains in various different patches, and the few pieces of furniture in the room were heavily withered with rust and dirt blotching their surfaces.

Her father had found work at a local farm, desperately accepting the job regardless of the low pay and amount of manual labor it required because it promised food and housing.

She bit her lip, trying her best to be positive as she watched Sting drag his hand down the doorframe, her twin's fingertips only traveling a few inches before pulling back in fear of getting splinters, "It's…it's not that bad."

"Really?" Jude sought for affirmation from his place behind her, sharing an apprehensive glance with his wife as his two children looked over their new, rather dreary abode.

"Yep," the blonde lightly hummed, turning to face her family fully with a reassuring, soft grin on her face, "It's fine as long as we can stay together, right?"

"Of course, dear," her mother returned her gentle smile, "Let's move what we need first then, alright?"

Without another word, Layla began her lengthy scrub down of the home, getting down on her hands and knees to start with the wooden floors, her rag quickly dirtying with filth and grime.

The twins followed their father back to the van, helping unload the small stack of boxes from the trunk. Lucy and Jude took up the task of carrying the boxes from their car to the house while Sting stayed behind to pull the boxes from further back in the trunk closer to the door, sorting out where the boxes needed to go as he went.

Lucy smiled as she watched her twin work with a soft, amiable grin on his face, glad to see that he was still doing all he could despite the physical remnants of what had happened to and because of him three months ago. While she knew her brother would never fully recover from the past, she was at the very least content with seeing him try his hardest to carry on, and so she resolved to do her best to endure as well, regardless of the situation they'd fallen into.

Because like she'd said before, everything would be fine as long as they were together.


Lucy swallowed hungrily as she stared at the steaming bowl of soup her mother had placed in the middle of the table, both her and her twin respectfully waiting for their father to take his first bite so they could begin digging into their own meals. She squinted when a breeze rustled the leaves of the trees they'd set their table under, the sunlight weaving through the branches and shining directly into her eyes.

Her father seemed hesitant to eat his meal, his mind instead focused on something internal as he silently stared off into space. The positive, optimistic atmosphere Lucy had crafted earlier had finally seemed to lose its affect over him, and he suddenly sighed solemnly, "I'm sorry, you guys. I'll work diligently and find a better place for us to live soon. I promise. So please do your best to endure it until then."

Lucy gave him a soft smile, "You don't have to worry too much, dad. We'll be fine here for the time being." The blonde looked around at their serene surroundings, taking a deep breath and sighing in content. For once, she wasn't lying for the sake of comforting and reassuring her family, and she was genuinely starting to believe in her own words, "The room still needs some fixing up, but the air is nice and the water is clean." She gently giggled as the noises of the farm animals carried through the air, "And we're eating dinner with the sounds of cows mooing in the distance. It kind of feels like we're living in olden times, doesn't it?"

Sting let out a single, breathy laugh, his voice quiet as he remarked, "Yeah. I'm happy here, too." His lips quirked in a small smile, and Lucy's heart warmed at the rare sight.

At their children's genuine words of reassurance, the Heartfilia parents couldn't help but adopt their own pleasant grins.

"The food will get cold! Hurry up so the kids can eat, dear!" Layla demanded of her husband from across the table.

After her father finally began his meal, Lucy took her first sip of her own soup, her taste buds dancing in delight at the taste, "This is really good, mom!"

Layla turned to her son, "What about you, Sting? Do you like it?"

His face had tinted red as soon as he'd put his first spoonful into his mouth, his lips attempting to quiver into a grin as he barely managed to falsely huff out, "It's…it's delicious."

Lucy giggled at the sweat running down his face, "It's really spicy, isn't it?"

The air was filled with laughter as a few, harmless words of teasing were tossed at the blond boy, the family feeling genuinely happy for the first time in days.


Precht silently clasped his hands behind his back as he watched the family of blondes laugh together under the shade of a tree as they ate their meal, having to squint to get a good look at their faces from his place on the porch of the farmer's home. He could hear his apostles conversing with the old man inside, but he paid them no mind, his focus instead devotedly attached to the family. The daughter in particular seemed to smile the brightest as she laughed, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she seemed to tease her brother about something he couldn't quite hear.

He didn't cast Ultear a single glance as she exited the house and came to stand beside him, her eyes traveling between him and the family a few times, "Is there a problem, Spiritual Father?"

Laughter continued to pleasantly ring through the air, the family completely oblivious to those whom were watching them carefully.

Precht's expression was unflinching as he monotonously remarked, "They look very happy."

Her brows furrowed at his comment, searching his side profile for details as to what he was getting at.

The preacher only continued to stare, his tone growing heavier with the weight of solemnity, "Don't you miss it sometimes?"

Ultear's features lost all traces of her former pleasantness at his inquiry, her expression darkening as she turned her focus back to the family, bitterly letting her mind succumb to the urge to lose herself in memories of better days.


Gray swallowed nervously as he reluctantly approached the drunk man who was precariously seated on a street curb, a bottle clutched tightly in his grasp as he swayed, fighting to remain seated upright in his alcohol-induced stupor. There was a tray full of food lying untouched on the sidewalk next to him, and Gray let out a heavy breath when he realized that his grandmother must have stopped by earlier to visit the drunk.

The raven haired boy clasped his hands in front of himself as he came to a stop in front of the curb, keeping far enough away from the man in case he decided to get violent, which he normally did when Gray came to see him. The boy kept his gaze trained on the pavement, his voice barely above a whisper and laced with traces of his unwillingness, "Dad…grandma wants you to come home for dinner today."

Silver sucked in a rugged breath, his eyes drunkenly squinting in the daylight as he tried to focus on the boy before him, "Stop with the nonsense already…and go buy some more alcohol for me." The man drained the bottle of its contents and released an undignified belch, his eyes morphing into a heated glare when he found that his son hadn't moved an inch despite his command.

Gray flinched as his father launched the bottle at him, the glass shattering into pieces at his feet. He finally raised his gaze to his father's, a glare of his own beginning to form as he clenched his hands into fists.

But he knew he could never bring himself to actually fight back against his father, despite how much stronger he'd grown over the years. Deep down, he was still the same terrified, little kid, the one who would let his father beat him senseless without so much as a peep.

An accusing finger pointed at his chest, his father drunkenly slurring, "You know, you look just like your mom." Silver suddenly slumped off of the curb, hacking to himself and tugging at his clothes as if he wanted to rip them off. He let out another belch, his glare returning at full force as he ground out, "You shouldn't have been born in the first place. Having you was a mistake."

Gray stood completely still, his face forcefully void of all emotion. No matter how many times he fell victim to the same insults that spewed from his father's mouth, they never got any easier to hear.

"Whenever I see you, I…I get so angry," his father fumed, still pulling at his clothes as his voice grew even louder and harsher, "It'd be better if you'd just die! Leave the same way your mother did and just die, you bastard!"

The raven haired boy swallowed, fighting to keep the angry tears that threatened to spill from his eyes at bay. He absolutely would not cry in front of his father. He'd pledged long ago to never again show weakness in front of the man who'd made his life hell; the man who had abused him for years after his mother's death.

With his teeth clenched, he turned his back on his father, not an ounce of sincerity in his voice as he ground out, "Bye then, dad."


The old, metal gate of the Fullbuster home creaked raucously as it was shoved open and slammed shut again in the matter of only a few seconds, the rusted hinges threatening to give out against such a force.

Gray didn't bother feeling sorry about it though, his mind still caught up in other things. A frustrated cry flew from his lips as he took out his anger on the stack of garbage just inside the gate, furiously kicking the pile over and stomping on a few pieces of the spilled trash in his heated rage.

The old woman kneeling next to the house's small, poor excuse for a garden paused in her work, her calloused hands removing her dirtied gloves as she looked to her grandson.

Her wrinkles deepened in sorrow, a knowing look on her face as she took in his frustration, "What kind of father doesn't remember his own son's birthday?" She gave him a warm smile, attempting to get his mind off of things, "I ordered Chinese food, your favorite. Let's go ahead and eat."

Gray swallowed heavily, the back of his eyes burning with angry tears and his fists still clenched into fists so tight that his knuckles turned white. He didn't want to take his animosity out on her, but he couldn't stop the heated words from pouring from his mouth at her sacrifice for him, "You barely have any money. Why would you order something like that?"

Her soft grin never once faded, even at his charged tone, "It's okay, dear. Let's go and eat."

She finally stood from her place next to the garden, her bad spine nearly sending her tumbling back to the ground.

Gray rushed to catch her before she could fall, his hand tightly gripping one of her own whilst his other clasped around her shoulder.

Once she was steadied on her feet, she moved both of her hands to affectionately pat her grandson's cheeks, a warm grin still gracing her features, "I can give you my everything, even if I don't have much." Her smile grew a bit watery, "I'm so sorry that I can't do more for you on your birthday."

Gray smiled back in an effort to stop his own tears from finally slipping free, once again feeling overwhelmed by her undying tenderness towards him. He didn't think he deserved such devotion, and from a woman who had so little to give no less. He hunched down to affectionately place a soft kiss on her cheek before pulling back to look her in the eyes, "Grandma, you're my favorite person in the whole world. So you don't need be sorry, okay?"

She nodded and hummed in understanding, a bright smile on her face, "Now, let's go and eat, dear."

He returned the gesture, "'Kay."

Gray kept her hand in his as he wrapped his other arm around her lower back, helping her inside the house and to the table where their food was waiting.

He made sure to eat every bite of the food she'd bought for him, relishing in the joy upon her face as she watched him stuff his face. There was pride in her expression, too, and he sucked in every feature of her face while he could, knowing he didn't have much time left with his cherished grandmother.


"Here, open wide."

Natsu's eyebrows quirked in confusion as he entered the familiar hospital room he visited nearly every day. He hadn't expected anyone else to be inside, and he was taken aback as he rounded the corner to see his brother leaning over the hospital bed, a bowl of soup and a spoon in his hands.

"Oh, Zeref. I didn't think you'd be here."

His brother only gave him a small smile as he scooped another spoonful of soup from the bowl, "Have you eaten?"

"Yeah. What about you?"

Zeref lifted the spoon to the mouth of the patient in the bed, his voice losing a fraction of it pleasant tone, "Wendy should eat first, so I came here before going home."

Natsu swallowed heavily as he looked to the blunette in the bed, her eyes unfocused and staring at nothing just like they always were as of late. She hadn't been herself since her accident a little over a month ago, an injury to her spinal cord preventing her body from functioning properly.

Despite the doctor's words, Natsu knew she'd get better. He could see it in her eyes, that his adopted little sister was still in there, fighting to get out and live life again.

And he'd be there to help her every step of the way. He'd make sure of it.

Even if she wasn't his real little sister, they'd practically grown up like full siblings due to the love and affection of their adoptive parents. Their lack of common blood hadn't stopped them from growing devotedly attached to one another, and Natsu would even go as far as arguing that they were closer than some of the full-blooded siblings that he knew, namely Loke and Laxus.

Zeref's relationship with the blunette didn't have the same depth due to the wide age gap between him and Wendy, but they'd grown closer when both Natsu and the young girl had moved in with the oldest Dragneel boy after the sudden deaths of their adoptive parents three years ago.

Natsu swallowed down the sorrow he felt every time he caught a glance of his sister's current state, holding his hand out for the bowl, "Here, give it to me. I'll do it."

"Okay," once Zeref's hands were free, he lowered himself into a chair at the girl's bedside, a small smile on his face.

Natsu took a seat as well, scooping another spoonful of soup and holding it up to his sister's mouth. Her lips parted only a small fraction, but it was enough of a gap for him to the pour the soup in. A soft grin appeared on his features as he set the spoon in the bowl and retrieved a napkin from her bedside table, lightly dabbing at a few beads of soup that hadn't managed to make into her mouth, "You're eating well today, Wen."

Zeref swallowed heavily, traces of sorrow in his eyes as he watched his younger brother, "I know this is hard for you."

Natsu filled the spoon once more, still smiling softly, "No, I'm fine." He lifted his gaze to his little sister, "If it's hard for anyone, it'd be Wendy, not me."

"Wendy's a strong person," the older Dragneel remarked softly.

Natsu sighed heavily at the comment, once more thinking of the girl his little sister had been before her accident.

He checked the time on his watch, glancing up at his brother, "You should head home and get some sleep. You'll be busy with work all day tomorrow, right?"

Zeref chuckled, jokingly aghast as he incredulously asked, "Is the headstrong Natsu finally showing concern? And for me, no less! Why am I worthy of such an honor?"

"Oh, shut up," Natsu brushed his brother's joke aside with a soft chuckle, "It's just that you should be healthy if you really want to win the election for governor again."

The dark haired man seated across the bed was still lightly laughing to himself, "Okay, then. If you're the one telling me, then of course I can't refuse."


Lucy let out a small, somewhat irritated sigh when her shoulder lightly jostled against Sting's for the twelfth time since they'd started their drive, her father steering their van up yet another windy, uneven forest road. While she appreciated Magnolia's farms and open pastures, the forested mountains that surrounded the little town on all sides were definitely something that would take some getting used to. She still much rather seeing the mountains in the distance, like she'd been able to from her family's high rise apartment building in Crocus, instead of being nestled between them like she was now.

Earlier in the day, Jude had come home with a small smile upon his face, informing his wife and children that while at work, he'd been approached by someone who wanted to meet with their family, someone who could offer them aid. He hadn't been able to refuse their request, and so the family had stuffed themselves back into their old van, the twins albeit somewhat reluctantly, and started towards the forest on the east side of town, following the road signs for 'Zentopia.'

Lucy's brows furrowed as they drove up to a newly built white church, signs warning of construction and plastic sheets still draped across the frame as the finishing touches were added to the building. Its architecture was a strange mixture of gothic and the modest style most modern churches were built in accordance to, a large steeple with a red cross at its peak extending high above the tops of the trees which surrounded the church on all sides. There were several dirt paths leading off into the forest in various directions, and Lucy assumed that they led to the establishment's other buildings.

As she exited the car, along with the rest of her family, her gaze followed the long steeple upwards, her head craning backwards and her eyes squinting in the sunlight. She was sure she'd be able to see the large red cross from the valley, and she made a mental note to look for it when they returned to the farm.

A woman with purple hair so dark it would've appeared black if not for the light of the sun pulling out its wine hue was waiting on the steps that lead up to the church, her lips pulled into a tight smile and painted an obnoxious shade of red that matched her watchful eyes.

Her hands were reverently clasped at her front, her smile not quite reaching her eyes as she greeted the Heartfilias, "Welcome. You must be the family our Spiritual Father invited. I'm Apostle Ultear Milkovich of Zentopia."

Lucy's eyebrows raised a fraction at the information. Upon catching her first glance of the woman and examining her somewhat self-important and well made-up appearance, the blonde hadn't expected her to hold such an important position in a religious group. Though she quickly cast her surprise aside, knowing looks didn't define a person as she bitterly recalled the rather insulting and demeaning names she'd often been called by random men on the city streets back in Crocus all because of her curvy figure.

"You must feel incredibly honored to have been chosen by the Almighty," Ultear pleasantly continued, her hair and long skirt swishing around her as she turned to make her way up the stairs and into the church, "Spiritual father is waiting for you inside. Please, come in."

Lucy shared a reluctant look with her twin as their mother and father started up the stairs almost immediately, obviously not wanting to be rude by making the woman and the man who had invited them wait.

But instead of eagerly charging up the steps like her parents, Lucy stayed behind with Sting, walking slow in order to stay by his side as he did his best to limp with his disabled leg dragging behind him. Being his twin, she knew better than anyone how disconcerting it was for him to be left behind on his own due to his forced slower pace, constantly struggling to catch up because the wound he'd received to his leg during the incident all those months ago would never heal.

She tried to be by his side always, constantly letting him know that she'd meant it when she said she'd never leave him alone again after the one night she had all those months ago, the night when their entire lives had changed.


Lucy warily eyed the blond man seated on the chair to the left of the couch where she and Sting had settled, his hair beginning to gray and his white suit annoyingly free of any stains or wrinkles. He'd introduced himself as Precht Gaebolg, but Ultear had insisted on him being referred to as 'Spiritual Father.' The dark haired woman stood behind the old man as they conversed, her tight smile still pulling at her painted lips.

The Heartfilia parents were seated on another couch across from their children, Jude's previous enthusiasm about their meeting seeming to deflate a fraction at Precht's strange clothing and the whole idea of a 'Spirtual Father,' which Ultear had rambled on about nonstop on their walk to the man's office.

Lucy was unnerved by the way their so-called 'Spiritual Father' carried himself, his expression and tone neither amiable nor unpleasant as he looked around at them all. His lack of visible emotion made her increasingly uncomfortable the longer she sat in his office, and the way he stared at each of her family members in turn as he placed four cups of tea on the table in front of them sent chills ricocheting up and down her spine, "Here. You should drink it while it's still warm.

"Know that this is no ordinary tea," Ultear added in. "It was made using the living water our Spiritual Father blessed with his own hands. Our pastor here is more than just a clergy to us. He's the father of our spirits, and so he holds a special power to do such things."

Lucy glanced around at her family, their expressions letting her know that they shared her feelings about the peculiarity of the situation. They'd never felt particularly inclined to join any one religion, instead respecting and finding intrigue within all the religious groups they'd encountered. This group so far, however, felt off somehow to the blonde as she observed the way they spoke and acted. Their amity was overwhelmingly forthright and earnest, so much so that it felt faked, and therefore their preaching seemed more like falsehood than anything else.

Her father respectfully nodded his head in understanding despite his feelings, still seeking to give the man whom wanted to become their family's benefactor a good first impression, "Oh, I see."

Lucy shrunk into herself a small fraction when she turned her focus back to Precht, unnerved to find his eyes already dutifully focused on her face as if he was searching for something in her features.

Although he spoke to her parents, he continued to stare at the blonde as he remarked, "Your children have truly clean spirits…What are your names?"

"Lucy," the blonde quietly informed him after a few moments of hesitation, still unnerved by his gaze.

"I'm Sting," her twin quietly answered. She could hear the strain in his voice as he fought off his nervous stutter, which had almost become the norm for him in terms of speech.

Precht hummed, seemingly in thought, but as he continued to stare at the girl, Lucy swore she picked up traces of something that she could only describe as satisfaction in his croon, "How old are you two?"

Layla answered for them, happily and proudly speaking of her children, "They're both seventeen. They're binovular twins."

"Almighty's grace is truly astonishing," the preacher was still staring, and for some reason, Lucy couldn't stop staring back, "Don't you agree, apostle Milkovich?"

"Yes, indeed," Ultear pleasantly affirmed. "There are many priceless gifts which the Almighty has sent to us."

Lucy finally tore her gaze from the old man's when she noticed that the dark haired woman was staring at her as well, a look in her eyes similar to Precht's. But her expression was somewhat more apologetic and even a tad remorseful, features that sent chills down Lucy's spine once again.


Gray let out another huff of frustration as the rock he'd thrown broke the surface of the lake before him, the water splashing and rippling outwards in its wake. At first, he'd tried to skip the rocks, but his lack of concentration proved too strong for him to get more than a few good skips. Now, he'd resigned to simply chucking them at full force, finding that it helped eased his anger, if only a fraction.

His thoughts were still lingering on his father, or more specifically on the things his old man had said.

Despite Silver's caustic words, urging his son to just kill himself already, Gray had never seriously thought about committing suicide like his mother had. In moments of extreme weakness, the idea had come to mind, but he'd never fallen far enough into his sorrows to actually consider doing the deed.

However, he had thought about running away countless times, planning on getting on his bike and simply driving in whatever direction fate took him until he ran out of gas. But whenever thoughts like that started bubbling up in his head, he forced them away, refusing to leave his grandmother alone after all she did for him.

And the raven haired boy was sure his friends wouldn't let him go so easily if he ever were to run away, especially the salmon haired idiot. Natsu would undoubtedly manage to find him no matter where he went, stubbornly chasing after him and dragging him back whether he wanted to return or not.

As if on cue, the phone in his pocket buzzed, the screen coming to life with a notification of a text from 'Flamebrain.'

Gray tsked as he read over the message.

'Wanna race?'

Natsu's undying hunger for victory in everything and anything really pissed him off sometimes, but he knew he was just as much of a sucker for competition when it came down to it. That similarity was why they fought with each other as much as they did, though neither was willing to admit that they had something in common with the other.

'You're on, ashface. Meet me at the lakeside. Same spot as always.'

A way to blow off some steam was just what Gray needed at the moment, and a race with his rival sounded like the perfect outlet.

He chucked his final rock into the water, turning back towards his bike and mounting it before sliding his helmet on. It was ironic that something which had once belonged to his father now brought him one of his greatest freedoms in life, the bike his most common means of escape from the pressures of the world.

He didn't linger on the irony of the situation for long though, his phone vibrating once again. All thoughts of his father were chased from his mind as he read over Natsu's latest text, his lips quirking in a half-smile without his volition.

'Happy Birthday, snowflake.'


The occupants of Precht's office all had their heads bowed and eyes closed, Lucy and Sting clasping their hands together in prayer like they had been instructed.

The old preacher had insisted on praying for the Heartfilia children, and despite the family's slight hesitance, they'd eventually given in, not wanting to be rude to a man who was offering them aid.

Precht was kneeling on the floor in front of the twins, his eyes squeezed tightly shut and his right hand clasping Sting's knee, "Our dear Almighty, who is able to open the eyes of the blind and allows the crippled to stand, I ask you to comfort Sting's wounded body and soul. Please heal him."

"Our wishes be fulfilled," Ultear quietly whispered from where she stood behind Jude and Layla, her own head bowed in prayer.

"For Lucy, who is beautiful like porcelain and fragrant as balm…"

The blonde girl jolted, her eyes snapping open when she felt Precht's hand come to rest on the middle of her thigh, his fingers squeezing around her flesh. His grip was far too high up on her leg for her liking, her eyes desperately shooting from him to her family as panic began to seep through her veins.

But her twin and parents still had their eyes closed as the old man continued on with his prayer, and so her gaze sought out the last person in the room, her brows furrowing as her gaze connected with Ultear's. The dark haired woman had that same apologetic look on her face from before, though it was to an even greater magnitude as she gave the blonde a long, hard look before averting her focus and bowing her head once more.

Lucy didn't have time to contemplate the apostle's expression, her breath stealing from her lungs and her eyes widening as Precht's hand slid even further up her leg before clamping down again, his voice devotedly continuing on with his words of prayer, "I ask the Almighty to bless your heart. Our Almighty's blessing be with us. Please help this family…"

She tuned out his words after that, her panic about where his hand was approaching too overpowering for her to comprehend much else. To her relief, his hand never traveled any higher on her leg, but she still didn't really come back to herself until she exited the church altogether, Sting offering her his arm sometime during her daze as if sensing her discomfort.

The blonde tiredly looped her arm through his as she followed their parents back to the car in the dark night, the area in front of the church now bathed in red light from the cross atop the steeple.

Ultear had accompanied them to see them off, her lips unceasingly pulled into a smile, "Spiritual father has given his word. I'll drop by the cattle shed to meet you tomorrow morning."

Jude and Layla shared a glance, the blonde woman humbly beginning, "If you don't mind me asking, how could he so willingly insist on finding us a place to live? I'm sure there's many other things he's concerned with as the leader of your church."

"It's because the Almighty is with us," Ultear replied simply, as if it should be obvious.

"Pardon?" Layla sought for clarification.

"It's one of the commandments the Almighty has given us. 'Love thy neighbors like thy family.' That's what Spiritual Father always preaches and practices himself."

Jude nodded politely in understanding, "Oh, I see." He looked to his children, Lucy's head tiredly resting atop Sting's shoulder and the blond boy's head similarly resting atop his sister's, both obviously more than ready to leave. He turned back to give the dark haired woman his goodbyes, "We should get going."

Lucy didn't bother to pay attention as her family said the rest of their farewells, nor did she feel the need to offer Ultear any of her own.

She let Sting's arm slip from hers as he pulled the car door open before climbing inside, and she quickly went to follow him, hesitating when she felt someone's gaze on her back. She looked over her shoulder, her focus ascending the stairs leading up to the church, an uncomfortable prickling feeling taking hold of her spine when she finally made it to the top.

Precht was standing there, his hands clasped behind his back and his face still unsettlingly unreadable as it shifted in the eerie red light of the illuminated cross above.


Just like she had promised, Ultear arrived at the Heartfilila home as soon as the sun had peeked over the mountains, accompanied by two apostles from Zentopia that the family had yet to meet. The first was a man with rather unruly blond hair that fell past his shoulder blades, and just like Ultear, his eyes shone a dangerous shade of red. However, Lucy quickly decided that unlike the dark haired woman, whose eyes she actually found quite stunning, his crimson orbs only served to add to the unsettling aura that surrounded him, his crude grin further heightening the disquieting atmosphere he carried.

The second was a silent, hulking brute of a man, his skin unbelievably pale and his coarse, black hair falling in tangles to brush against his shoulders. Lucy didn't like the looks of him either, his large muscles and frame intimidating enough for her to only have to look once to feel somewhat afraid of him. It only took a moment for her to realize that he was mute, responding to all of Zancrow's snide comments by using his hands to sign.

Ultear had introduced them as Zancrow and Kain, though Lucy didn't bother committing their names to long-term memory, not intent on having to remember them for she never wanted to see them again after they said their farewells for the day.

Lucy and her family had stayed up late into the night repacking all of the thing's they'd unpacked that morning, their car fully loaded once more and ready for the journey to their new home.

The blonde was still upset that her parents, namely her father, had accepted Precht's aid. His gracious deed aside, the old preacher had done nothing but cause her skin to prickle in uneasiness during their meeting with him earlier. His grip on her leg had started out as borderline sexual harassment, but when he'd moved his hand even higher, he'd leaped over the boundary and then some, the way his fingers wrapped around her thigh far from being a friendly mistake in her mind.

Her words hadn't convinced her parents on the matter though, both of them admiring the members of Zentopia for their charity and kind deeds despite their daughter's tale of her uneasiness in the preacher's presence.

And so Lucy had been left with no other choice than to pile the boxes in the back of the van before climbing in herself as they left for their new home, not having the heart to show her parents any disrespect by arguing with them after all they'd been through.

The Heartfilia's new home was far from being comparable to the rather luxurious, two story apartment they'd owned in Crocus, but it was definitely a large improvement from the one-roomed house the farmer had offered them. The front door opened into a decent sized living space that connected to the kitchen at the back of the house, the walls occupied by a few doors leading off to the bathroom, a storage closet, and the house's two bedrooms.

Layla had apologized excessively to her children about them having to share a room again after years of bedding separately since puberty, and Lucy consistently reassured her that neither of them minded too much. She'd reminded her mother that at least they had their own bedroom in this house as opposed to the last, where they would've all been forced to sleep on the floor, packed in like sardines.

The Zentopia apostles had stayed to help the family move in to their new abode, and while Lucy had still done her part in helping to move the boxes, she'd also spent a fair portion of time just staring at their three helpers. The way they carried and conducted themselves while laboring had felt off again, their demeanors far too pleasant and without complaint for the blonde to believe they were being genuine.

After the last box had found its place within the modest house, they'd all taken a break, Layla amiably offering her guests tea and coffee.

Lucy had zoned out as soon as she'd sat down next to Sting, the whole situation of them receiving the house so quickly and completely free of charge still seeming far too surreal for her to focus on processing much else.

She finally snapped out of her daze when Ultear suddenly stood with the two men following her lead, the blonde catching the very end of the conversation between her parents and the apostles, "I'm afraid it's time for us to get going."

Her mother stood as well, her tone apologetic, "Already? We've barely done anything for you in return. Please, stay for lunch."

Ultear's red, painted lips pulled tight in a smile, "That's okay. We have some volunteer work to do today, and we mustn't put it off any longer."

"Volunteer work?" Layla repeated, obviously intrigued by the topic.

"Yes, it's a campaign to help the homeless," the dark haired apostle informed them modestly, her hands humbly clasped in front of herself. Her gaze slowly shifted to the twins, her grin never fading, "It'd be nice if our young friends helped us out. People must learn to do service early so that they can spend their whole lives making the world a better place."

Jude immediately perked up at the idea, "Oh, why don't you take Sting and Lucy with you? It'll be our form of recompense for all you've done for us."

Lucy felt Sting tense up next to her, her own body reacting in a similar way to the idea of accompanying the three apostles on their outing. The concept was exacerbated by the fact that they'd be going to help promote a movement of the church, an organization which she had no intent of linking herself to. She sought for an out, for both her brother's sake and her own, quietly protesting, "But, dad…we still haven't finished unpacking."

Her father didn't pick up on her reluctance to go, giving her a pleasant grin, "They've helped us so much, dear. We want to do something for them, too. Your mother and I will unpack the rest, alright?"

Lucy clenched her jaw at his obliviousness to her unspoken plead, her dread deepening as her lack of escape became more apparent.

"What a relief," Ultear remarked pleasantly. "One of our dear brethren who was going to help us today is sick, so we wondering what we could do to fill his place." She looked to the twins, her lips still pulled tight in an amiable grin, "Are you two really okay with coming along?"

The blonde girl swallowed heavily as she turned her gaze to Sting, silently pleading for him to take up the task of getting them out of going since her protests hadn't had any effect. Normally, she was the one encouraging him to never let his disabled leg stop him from living life, but for once, she hoped he'd use it as an out, knowing that if he brought it up, her parents wouldn't be able to refuse.

But despite her silent cries, Sting nervously remained silent, and their lack of objection was taken as a form conformation, the two quickly ushered into the apostles' car and sent on their way.


Lucy let out a deep sigh as Ultear slid the door of the Zentopia van open, her fingers anxiously fiddling with the light blue sash the dark haired apostle had placed over her shoulders. It read 'Zentopia: Salvation and Eternal Life' in red lettering, the saying flanked on both sides by the church's symbol, a winged cloud beneath a cross.

Once she had exited the car, Ultear turned around to face the twins with whom she'd shared the back seat of the van, "All you have to do is pass out these flyers."

She held out the aforementioned stack of papers, and Lucy swallowed heavily as she reluctantly took them from her hands. 'Zentopia's Clothing Donation of Hope' was written in large lettering across the top, and as she read over it, the blonde quietly decided that she might be able to make it through these next few hours with the three apostles after all. Even if she had to endure their company, she figured she'd push through knowing that at the very least, it was for a good cause.

From where he was still situated in the passenger seat, Zancrow spoke his first words to her, the combination of his tone and his words sending shivers down her spine, "Because Lucy is so pretty, I think we'll have people fighting over your flyers. I envy you, Sting, for having such a lovely sister."

The blonde clenched her jaw, and she felt Sting tense up next to her. She was sure that if her twin had heard such a thing in the months prior to his incident, he would've issued the man a threat. But in his current, much more self-conscious state, he wasn't able to anything more than offer him the smallest of glares.

Lucy was surprised when she looked over to find that Ultear seemed to be rather upset at Zancrow's comment as well, her lips clenched tightly together, "The Almighty doesn't judge people by their looks, but by their hearts."

Zancrow's lips quirked at the corner, "Well, of course. I'm sure her heart reflects the perfection and purity of her appearance."

The blonde hurriedly exited the car after that without another word, breathing heavily through her nose to calm her nerves as she got as far away from the man as possible. She kept telling herself that if she didn't cause any problems and just did what they wanted, then she wouldn't have to see the three apostles, nor their unnerving preacher, ever again after the day ended.

With that mindset, she focused on her task, finding herself rather surprised at how many people actually accepted her and Sting's flyers. Her brother had been given a sash that matched her own, and another stack of more handouts. She didn't miss the way his hands shook as he hesitantly held them out to those passing by, and when someone happened to take it from his grasp, he never made eye contact, his small whisper of gratitude his only response.

The blonde was sure that their surprising number of takers was due, in part, to the fact that the three apostles had busied themselves with handing out favors, whether it be bottles of their so-called 'living water' accompanied by tea packets or even small items of food. Lucy couldn't help but wonder how they attained the money to purchase such items in bulk considering they'd proclaimed themselves a church run solely upon the donations of their members.

She didn't think much on the matter though, her focus drawn back to Sting as he limped to Ultear, his voice barely audible to her ears as he quietly informed the dark haired apostle, "I…I need to use the restroom."

Ultear took his flyers from his hands with a grin on her features, gesturing to the public library they'd set up in front of, "Oh, there's one just inside this building here."

Lucy nervously watched her twin as he limped away, her eyes alight with concern. Ever since his accident, she always worried about him whenever he went off on his own. It wasn't like she didn't trust his ability to look after himself with something as simple as using the restroom, but this town was foreign and full of strangers. She already didn't trust the few people that they had met in Magnolia, and if the members of Zentopia were any indication as to what the rest of the residents were like, she wasn't eager to meet anyone else from the isolated country town.


"Why the hell did you follow us in here?"

Sting hurriedly tucked himself back into his boxers and zipped up his pants as the doors to the bathroom banged open, startled at the sharp voice that suddenly echoed between the tiled walls of the room.

"The girl's bathroom was full!"

He froze at the exclamation, the new voice obviously belonging to a female.

The blond swallowed heavily as the group rounded the corner in front of him, their edgy and rather unnatural appearances setting him on edge. There were three males and one girl, the pale boy at the head of the group by far the most unsettling. His unruly black hair was dyed white at the base of his neck, his uncaring red eyes lined with the same black that coated his lips. At his right was a boy with a unique shade of maroon hair, and on his left, a blond wearing shades. The girl brought up the end of the group, her brown eyes squinting and her arms folded across her chest in annoyance.

Sting's eyes widened as he caught sight of her, not because she was a female in a place where females were strictly prohibited, but because she bore an uncanny resemblance to her. The pure white hair and the soft brown eyes were so familiar that for a second, he let himself get his hopes up that she was who he wanted her to be.

But he snapped back to reality in an instant, mentally chastising himself, 'It can't be herbecause she's…Yukino is…'

He forced the thought away before he could finish it.

Despite the fact that they were walking directly towards him, Sting still tried to sneak past without drawing their attention, sticking as close to the stalls as he could and hunching into himself.

And it at first, it seemed to work, the black haired boy strutting forward without sparing him a single glance. But the boy's lack of acknowledgement of the other person in the room caused their shoulders to roughly collide in passing, a whisper of an apology immediately slipping from the blond's mouth.

Sting tried to continue limping onwards, but his hopes of escaping were dashed and his blood froze as a hand viciously clenched around his shoulder, his back roughly colliding with the stalls behind him a flash. He cowered into himself and dutifully kept his gaze trained on the floor as the group of surrounded him, the black haired boy ruthlessly snarling into his face, "You should apologize sincerely when you run into someone like that."

"I…I d-didn't mean to…I'm sorry," Sting tried to be talk louder and clearer, but the words still tumbled from his mouth in a stutter.

The boy with the maroon hair yanked on the sash around the blond's chest, his brows quirking in amusement as his eyes skimmed over the red lettering, "'Salvation and Eternal Life?' What kind of bullshit is that?"

"I was just…I was just helping out," Sting quietly mumbled, his voice turning into more of a squeak in his nervousness.

The boy with the shades chuckled cruelly, "Why does he sound like a girl?"

With a single look from the black haired boy, they all gathered closer around, sending the terrified blond cowering further back into the wall of the stall.

Sting's eyes widened in fear as the boy with the red eyes grabbed his belt buckle, his black, painted lips morphing into a ruthless sneer, "Let's see then, shall we?"

"Stop…stop it!" he weakly struggled against the two other boys as they grabbed his arms and pulled his hands away from where they'd been desperately fighting to keep his pants up, crushing his wrists in their bruising grips as they slammed his hands against the stall.

His gaze hopelessly turned to where the walls of the bathroom came to a corner, thinking of the door that rested just beyond the bend. He knew that it was open, and so he desperately prayed for someone, anyone to hear his cries. He mentally pleaded for his sister to come, even though he didn't want her to see him in such a situation. She'd always had a knack for sensing his emotions without him having to say a word, though he wasn't sure if the fact that they were twins had anything to do with their mental connection.

The black haired boy followed his desperate gaze, chuckling cruelly to himself as he commanded the girl, "Sorano. Lock the door."

Sting's belt was tossed aside, clattering to the tiled floor in sync with the clicking of the lock on the door.


Lucy anxiously bit her lip as she stared at the doors Sting had disappeared through. He'd been gone for ten minutes, and she was about ready to charge through the library after him to make sure he was okay, whether he was still in the men's room or not.

The favors and flyers they'd been handing out to passerby were gone, and with nothing more to give, the three apostles had packed up their van and prepared to leave. They were all waiting on her brother, and with one glance back at them, Lucy could tell they were starting to get annoyed.

The blonde lifted the sash from around her shoulders and folded it in her hands, glad to finally be done with advertising for a church she had no support for herself. Her fingers anxiously played with the fabric, her lip still caught between her teeth as her worry for her brother steadily grew.

Her gaze was drawn upward when she felt someone's presence approaching, and her eyes widened when she caught sight of her twin limping towards her in somewhat of a daze. His eyes looked dead, fear and something akin to loss more prominent in his irises than ever before. She could see that something was seriously wrong, her unspoken connection with him flaring to life at the pain he radiated, "Sting…what happened?"

He didn't even raise his gaze to hers, only continuing to limp past her and towards the van, where the three apostles were waiting for them, "I…I'm fine…"

Ultear perked up from where she'd been leaning against the side of the car when she caught sight of him, misinterpreting his lifeless eyes, "Oh, Sting, you must've been tired! Let's hurry and get you home, alright?"

Lucy stared after him as he hurriedly clambered into the car, knowing that his current state was attributed to far more than just exhaustion. Something must've happened in those ten minutes he'd been away, and she was determined to find out what, refusing to let her brother carry the burden alone.


After the three apostles took them back to their new home, Ultear had profusely apologized to the twins about not being able to buy them dinner in thanks for the work they'd done on behalf of the church that day. But Lucy knew that if they had ended up offering them dinner, she would've refused anyways, probably using the excuse of wanting to eat with her parents after being apart from them since morning.

After they'd given their pleasant goodbyes and driven away, Sting turned to limp back to the house without a word, his pace much faster than usual.

Lucy clasped onto his shoulder and forced him to face her before he could get far, not missing the way he flinched slightly at the action. As she saw fear flash across his eyes, her grasp loosened, sliding down to rest on his bicep, "Sting…something happened earlier, right?"

He nervously shifted his eyes between her and the ground, his voice barely above a whisper, "No…nothing happened."

"Stop lying to me," she pressed.

He let out a sigh through his nose before lightly placing his hand on top of the one she still had placed on his bicep, "Lucy…mom and dad are going through a lot right now. We shouldn't make things worse by bringing in our own problems." He finally looked her in the eye, the rest of his unspoken message conveyed through his gaze alone as he quietly, desperately pleaded under his breath, "Please. Let it go."

She swallowed heavily as she caught his meaning, knowing that he wanted to keep whatever had happened to himself because he didn't want her to have to feel any more worry and sorrow at his expense. She saw traces of shame in his gaze too, his irises shaking and pleading with her to give in.

Whatever had happened must've been bad, and although there was a part of her that desperately needed to know so she could seek revenge on those who had sent her brother into such a state, she didn't want to be the cause for anymore of his pain.

"Okay," she softly caved, reluctantly letting her hand slip from his arm as he left, her eyes pained as she watched him limp away.


AN

Yeah, not much Natsu and Gray in this chapter, but they'll be in the next a lot more! We did get to learn a little more about each of them and their pasts and families though, and there's still plenty more to be revealed later.

And we got to meet a few new characters! Our main villains have finally been introduced and they seem to have taken an interest in the Heartfilias! Again, I apologize for how OOC they are, especially Hades and Midnight as the story progresses, but I did try to place FT characters in the role I felt they'd fit best. Also, I will be referring to a lot of the villains by their real names as opposed to the ones most people know them by, so Hades will be Precht, Midnight will be Macbeth, Cobra will be Eric, etc.

I wasn't quite sure how to introduce Sting's permanent injury to his leg, so I hope that it wasn't too sudden. We'll learn more about this 'incident' that keeps getting mentioned later, and it'll help explain why Sting is the way he is in this fic, both mentally and physically.

We'll learn plenty more about Wendy later too, and the details about what happened to her to put her in such a state.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please leave a review to let me know your thoughts! I'm glad to know that this story already has some intrigue, and I hope it grows even more interesting to you all!

Hint for next chapter: The weekend is over, and that means Lucy and Sting will have to go to their new school on Monday…and maybe see some familiar faces…

Thanks for reading!