Songs
Background on Envoys: Child of Chaos (Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn OST)
Nova's Piano Song: Waltz No. 7 (Frederic Chopin)
Layla's Piano Song: Etude Op. 10 No. 4 (Frederic Chopin)
Vs. Kinana and Erik: Beauty is a Mad Mistress (Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn OST)
Fushigi Arrives: Soredemo Sara ni Mukou e (My Hero Academia OST)
Fushigi vs. Kinana and Erik: Bunta (Naruto OST)
Fushigi vs. Erik: Rising Dragon (Naruto Shippuden OST)
Fushigi at the Guild & Future Juvia: Comfort's Call (Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn OST)
Fushigi and Nova's Discussion: Sorrowful Prince Pelleas (Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn OST)
Festival: Mannen No. 2 (My Hero Academia OST)
Nova's PTSD: Hidari wa Zettai Tsukawanee (My Hero Academia OST)
Nova's Decision and Fushigi and Mira's Pursuit: Kimi no Chikara (My Hero Academia OST)
"Why don't you tell us why you're here?" Mira released her daughter and went back over to the bar, leaning against the counter. The blonde haired girl sighed and looked around, waiting for everyone to give her their full attention. At last, she took a deep breath and began explaining their situation.
"First of all, I should say that in our time, the year is X814, which is 21 years off from here. Oh, where is it? It should be here somewhere, right?" She stood up and ran into the Master's Quarters, scanning Layla's bookshelf before taking out a book and bringing it downstairs, beginning to read from it.
"This is probably review for you at this point, but I'll say it anyway. When the gods destroyed the first world, they created another one, and instead of starting over again when conflicts arose, they decided to introduce the concepts of demigods. The five main primordials journeyed down to Earthland for about a year, and found someone to conceive a child with. Those children were born with special abilities that far outclassed a normal mage, and could keep the balance between guilds during a power struggle. After all five demigods in a generation passed away, the gods would choose new candidates within their families to bestow their powers upon. The Heartfilias are direct descendants of Nyx, the Goddess of the Night, the Dreyars are direct descendants of Aether, the God of Light, the Dragneels are direct descendants of Erebus, the God of Darkness, the Fullbusters are direct descendants of Uranus, the God of the Sky, and the Belserions are direct descendants of Gaia, the Goddess of the Earth. For generations, these five envoys, as we call them, were able to successfully keep the peace in the land. However, the question came up to the gods about the envoys joining forces to take down the rest of the guilds for themselves, or if they fight amongst each other and others get caught up in it. Their solution was to have the sixth primordial, Hemera, the Goddess of Daylight, do the same thing her family did before, and her descendants are known as the Strausses, whose purpose is to keep the peace between the envoys."
"Right...so what's your situation?" Silver asked.
"Well...after you all defeated Isabella in X792, things were peaceful for those two decades. Fewer and fewer dark guilds were operating, and most jobs were simply taking out bandits or monsters rather than enemy mages. But that all changed a few months ago...a new mage showed up out of nowhere, and completely overpowered us. She calls herself The Conqueror, and uses a unique type of magic that she created, called Antimatter."
"Anti-Matter? Never heard of it. Does that mean she's from the future too?" Layla asked.
"Yes, and that blue and white shroud that was on Gray is her doing. Her magic has the ability to steal the souls of others and make them do her bidding, turning them into bloodthirsty fighters. She's already used it to turn the entire guild into her slaves, and to finish us off. None of us are strong enough to stand up to her, so we used a time travel spell that Nyx taught us to come back here and get help. Unfortunately, based on what happened earlier today, we can assume that she was able to follow us."
"Do you know who she is? Her real name?" Layla asked. They all looked over to Nova, who remained silent.
"...No. She hides her face with her magic shroud. I don't know who she really is."
"...Very well. If what happened to Gray happened to the others, as you said, then it's only a matter of time before more show up seeking you. For now, we'll wait for them, since going out and looking will not have a high success rate. I'm going to the Magic Council to inform Yury. I'll be back soon." She used her magic to create a portal and left.
"I'm...going to get some fresh air." Nova stood up and began walking towards the exit.
"I'll go with you." Storm stood up and followed her, leaving the others a bit confused.
"What's up with them?" Laxus asked.
"It's...don't worry about it. She'll be alright." Nashi reassured, walking back down to the others.
X
"Why did you lie to them?"
"I did what I had to."
"Stop using that excuse." Nova began walking faster, trying to leave Storm behind.
"Look at me!" He yelled, running around to the front of her.
"What?!"
"It's not good for you to keep denying this, Nova!"
"I CAN'T HELP IT, STORM!" She screamed, now shedding tears, startling him.
"How do you think I feel, seeing her again in there? After what she did to me? I can't just forgive her…" she sobbed.
"Nova, you need to rest and think about things some more."
"I can't...If I fall asleep, I'll have that nightmare again."
"Nova, it's been two months since that day, and you've barely slept in all that time. You need to rest."
"...If I have that dream again, you're going to get it."
X
"I see...so that's who they are, huh?"
"Yes."
"And what do you think of the situation?" Layla sighed and sat down across from him.
"I think they're pretty cute. And from what Mira told me, their abilties are something too. However, one of them, the Dreyar girl, Nova, seems a bit different from the rest."
"In what way?"
"She seems...lonely, broken up...she's like me, in a way."
"Ah, so that's it. You've taken a liking to her."
"Yes. I'm curious as to what's making her so distant compared to the others. Granted, she's the oldest of them, so it's possible that she's just being mature and taking the situation more seriously, but...I don't know. She was the only one who didn't seem excited to meet her parents."
"Does she know about the envoys?"
"Yes, she does. She knows about you as well, all of us. So, at some point in the future, either we told them or they found out from their parents or something. What worries me is what she said about who they're fighting."
"You mean this mage they're calling "The Conqueror"?"
"Yeah. From what she said, this mage is also from the future, and uses a special kind of magic she created herself, called Antimatter. It's supposed power is to steal the souls of others, effectively making them her puppets. Nova claimed that the rest of their guild had already been taken by her, which means that it's possible that even you and I fall to her. She also said that she was the first major threat to show up since Isabella. If that's the case, it might be possible that she wants the power of Chaos for herself."
"We can't let that happen. Isabella was dangerous enough, and this new individual...has a power that she never had."
"You're forgetting that Isabella took control of your mind."
"Yes, but it's possible to break through that. She herself explained when we fought her that all she does is change your thinking process to support her own. This Conqueror is stealing people's very essences, and forcing them into ravaging the world. She's even more dangerous because we don't know who she is, and what her goals are. This time, we're going to need your help."
"...I understand. Thank you for telling me."
"Yes. I'm going to head back now. Contact me should you need anything else."
X
"Where'd Nova go?" Layla asked upon returning to the guild.
"I brought her to your place to rest. I hope you don't mind." Storm answered.
"No, that's fine. I wanted to speak with her." She walked off, and in a short time, arrived at her house, where she heard faint piano playing. She unlocked the door and walked into the living room, finding the girl playing flawlessly. Layla slowly walked towards her, and stood nearby, picking up her coat and hanging it up in the closet as she listened. Finishing the song, Layla clapped, and Nova looked over to her, smiling.
"Where did you learn that?"
"From you."
"From me?" She sat down next to her on the bench.
"Yes. Didn't you make your wish yet?"
"Yes, I did. Ah, I see what you're getting at now. After Zeref passed, I went back to Olympus and changed my wish for Chaos. I asked him if I could have the knowledge of all music from the previous world. And he granted it to me, giving me the scores of all of the famous composers. I've been studying lots of them. That one you just did was Chopin's Waltz No. 7, correct?"
"Yeah...Can you play one for me too?"
"Huh? Why? You're a masterful player on your own." The younger woman blushed, looking away.
"W-When I was little, you always used to play for me, and it would make me so happy. And right now...I could use some cheering up."
"...Of course, dear." Nova moved over, giving Layla the room she needed to play. She looked up, thinking about what piece to play. Beginning to play extremely fast, Nova was captivated, watching her fingers dance across the keys effortlessly. She went and sat down on the couch, closing her eyes and taking in the flawless piano playing that she was given. Once Layla was finished, she went over and sat down next to her. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise when Nova laid down, resting her head in her lap.
"What is it?" she laughed slightly.
"I just...feel comfortable around you…" she mumbled, curling up.
"...Nova. Why do you feel more of a connection to me than with your parents?"
"My…..mother was often busy with her work that came with her positions. I didn't really get all that much time to spend with her, and since my dad often joined her, they left me in your care. You're my godmother after all...I love you."
"Aww...I love you too, dear." She bent down and kissed her forehead, then continuing to stroke her hair.
"Nova, about earlier…you didn't give away as much as you know. I suppose that's understandable, since we were surrounded by lots of people, but now that we're alone...tell me what you really know."
"What are you talking about? I already told you everything-"
"Nova. Let's not play this game. You may have some of the others fooled, but I'm not like them. Tell me the truth. I promise I won't tell anyone else if it shouldn't be known. The Conqueror. Who is she?"
"...She's…" At that moment, the front door flew open, and Vera stood in the entryway, out of breath.
"What is it?"
"Sorry...was I interrupting something?"
"Don't worry about it. What's happened?"
"Another attack. In Oak Town. According to the townspeople, the ones responsible have taken up in Phantom Lord's old headquarters."
"I see. Well then, let's see...tell Silver, Storm, and Nashi to meet me there. I'll be taking Nova with me. The rest should stay at the guild just in case, and to watch over the other kids."
"You got it." She ran off.
"We'll consider this conversation later, okay?"
"Yes…" She sighed.
"Alright, good. Now come on." Layla stood up, Nova following closely behind.
X
Arriving in Oak Town, the streets were deadly quiet. It seemed that everyone had already fled, and what damage that had been done was already dealt.
"Hmm...well, I doubt that they're still out here. They must be in the castle." Layla led the others through a portal that went just outside the city, taking them right to the front entrance of Phantom Lord's old headquarters, surprisingly rebuilt.
"How is this place still standing? I thought it would have been abandoned for years now." Nova mentioned, looking through the newly decorated halls.
"I fixed it up and bought it, then turned it into a history museum. It's where part of my income comes from. Obviously I had to move it a bit closer to the town than it was previously, but there were still plenty of people that came by. Though right now the only ones here are us and whoever we're about to face." They continued walking through the dining halls until coming upon the main foyer, where someone greeted them from the top of the stairs, covered in the same blue and white shroud that Gray was in.
"Kinana?" Layla asked, recognizing her appearance. The shroud slowly faded and an older version of Kinana stood there, clad in a green dress and black boots. Her hair was slightly longer than usual, reaching down to her upper back. Layla began to run towards her, but was intercepted by Future Erik, who used Poison Dragon's Roar to make her keep her distance.
Nova ran towards him this time, preparing a spell of her own.
"Lightning Dragon's Claw!"
"Poison Dragon's Claw!" The two slashed at each other, but Erik was able to overcome her and throw her to the ground with his superior hand to hand skills.
The others prepared to attack, but he placed his foot on her throat, prompting them to stop.
"Make another move and her throat gets crushed." he threatened. They gritted their teeth, standing by.
'I can't even slow down time, he'd kill her before I got to them…' Layla thought.
"Good. Now say goodbye." He raised his foot up, preparing to stomp, distressing the others.
"Poison Dragon's Roar!" A stronger, purple blast of magic blasted through the wall and knocked Erik away, landing in the next room. Kinana, startled, looked down and saw a single figure walk through the rubble.
"Come on, Dad. It's been years since you were part of a dark guild. Don't tell me you're back to your old habits?" The girl smirked.
"Fushigi…" Nova cried happily. She walked over and helped her up, Erik jumping through and getting ready to attack again. Fushigi intercepted him.
"Poison Dragon's Crushing Fang!" She swiped at him, cutting through the air with streaks of red and purple magic. He jumped back and used a spell of his own.
"Poison Dragon's Scales!" Creating a magic circle, a rain of red projectiles spewed forth, bombarding the others.
"Poison Dragon's Guard!" Fushigi swiped her hands into a cross, a wall of poison generating and blocking the attacks. She went after him, kicking him back across the room and jumping after him.
"Go help her. We have this." Layla ordered. The two younger mages followed her through the castle while Kinana ran up the stairs, Layla and Silver following her. They arrived in the old master's quarters, where she opened a door in the back of the room that led up a final staircase. At the top was an old iron door that led outside to a balcony. She ran to the edge, turning around and facing them.
"Kinana, there's nowhere left for you to go."
"Yes, there is." She grinned, preparing to jump over the edge. Layla quickly slowed down time and added Silver into her dimension, allowing him to freeze her feet, preventing her from leaping. She turned time back to normal and walked up to her.
"You see, even though this magic has changed you, I can't let you hurt yourself. You still have your daughter to think about and care for."
"Fushigi? What do I care about her? She's been a rambunctious tomboy since she was little."
"I thought you'd love her like that. She's just like Erik."
"That's what I hate about her!"
"This magic really does a lot to your personality, doesn't it?" Layla asked, gathering Holy Magic into her palm.
"Where did you learn that?" Kinana asked.
"My grandmother invented it, and she said it's made of night and light magic, so it was rather simple for me to use it myself. It just took some practice and intuitiveness." She slammed her palm onto Kinana's stomach, attempting to purify her, but nothing happened.
"Hm...it's not enough...I'm sorry about this." She formed her spirit weapon and shot an arrow through her, blood spilling out of her mouth and her magic shroud leaving her. Falling onto the ground, Layla bent down and healed her, closing up the wound and saving her life.
"Now we just have to wait for the others."
X
Nova jumped back from another of Erik's strikes, and staggered somewhat as she recovered. Fushigi caught her and held her up.
"Don't overexert yourself." She jumped towards her father again, slashing him and then grabbing his clothes.
"Poison Dragon's Grip Strike!" She fired a blast of poison at him point-blank. This damaged him, but he was still able to stand.
"Poison Dragon's Roar!"
"Poison Dragon's Guard!" Fushigi formed another barrier that blocked her father's attack, then using her mother's snake magic to effectively maneuver her body around like a snake, slithering behind him, then deactivating the spell and aiming a roundhouse kick at the back of his head.
"I can hear you." He grinned, dodging her strike and countering by kicking her in the stomach, sending her reeling back into the corner of the wall, hitting it with a strong rebound.
"Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist!" Nova created a yellow magic circle that launched a large electric fist out of it.
"Poison Dragon's Spiral Jaw!" Erik jumped into the air and rotated his body so that he was upside down, gathering poison magic onto his feet and spinning, creating a spiral attack that broke Nova's efforts apart.
"Crimson Lotus: Phoenix Blade!" Nashi gathered bright orange flames around herself, then propelled towards Erik, headbutting him and knocking him through the castle and out the window, shattering the glass.
"No! It's too high up! Fushigi, I didn't mean to-!"
"It's fine, I'll grab him!" She responded, jumping out after him. The others ran out towards the entrance as quickly as they could. Fushigi saw the ground approaching fast and became worried.
"Poison Dragon's Roar!" Her attention was brought back to her father, who still insisted on fighting her, even in midair. She countered with her own roar, cancelling them out.
"Sorry Dad, I have to use this. I hope I don't give you Tinnitus or anything…"
"Poison Dragon's Scales!" He launched multiple projectiles at her again, distressing her.
'I have to get behind him again!' Looking around frantically, she used wind magic to propel herself over to the wall, grabbing ahold of it and instantly using her snake magic to maneuver down it faster than Erik fell. She undid it, appearing behind him again. But as he turned around, it was already too late. Fushigi, with her eyes now green with black slits, resembling a serpent, snapped her fingers.
"Sound Wall." A loud sound wave made Erik cry out in pain, his hearing becoming affected. He became unconscious, and Fushigi grabbed him, holding him close and closing her eyes as they were nearing the ground. Layla clapped her hands, stopping time, then running down to below where they were. She clapped her hands again, and now that their momentum had disappeared, she was able to catch them easily and put them down.
"T-Thanks, Layla."
"No problem." Erik's magic left him as well "We should get them back to the guild for treatment."
"Yes, let's…"
X
The guild waited patiently, watching Layla walk out of the infirmary and brushing her hair out of her face.
"They're going to be fine. They just need rest, same as before." she smiled, the rest of them sighing.
"Still, it's weird to think that there's another me in there, just older…" Kinana said to herself.
"Now you know how I feel." Gray told her.
"Oh, I meant to ask. Where'd that other girl go? You know, your new friend?" Lucy asked the kids.
"She went to the hot springs at Fairy Hills and took Nova with her. She said she hasn't been able to bathe in a few days, and wanted to do that and put a fresh change of clothes on."
"I see."
"Yeah. Fushigi is like an older sister to all of us. She takes care of us and looks after us, and loves us all unconditionally. Although she and Nova have the strongest relationship out of all of us. It might just be because they're the oldest, but Nova often confides in her, whereas she kind of keeps her deepest secrets from us."
"Mm…" Layla crossed her arms, thinking that she should maybe just ask Fushigi instead.
"Ahh…" The girl in question walked through the guild's entrance along with Nova, running her hands through her long purple hair. She wore black shoes, black leggings, and a purple blouse. Like Nova and Nashi, she also had a very womanly figure, and wore pink lipstick as well as eyeshadow and blush. To put it bluntly, she had a type of beauty that put many of the others' to shame, and would even rival Isabella, were she still alive.
"So they're fine, then?" she asked Layla.
"Yes, they'll be alright. I imagine they'll be awake again by tomorrow."
"That's good. I hope I didn't make my father go deaf." she chuckled. "I hope you guys know who we are by now?"
"Yes." They all answered.
"That's good. I was never really one that liked to keep secrets. I think that it's a bit obvious by now, but I'm Erik and Kinana's daughter, Fushigi Cobra. Yes, we decided to use his old codename as our last name." she smiled. Kinana smiled at her and walked over, hugging her, her daughter happily returning the embrace.
"If you don't mind me asking, where have you been the past few days?" Mira asked her.
"Ah, that's right. Well, when we arrived, I was the only one conscious. I figured that I should get them all into the guild at least, so they could rest. That's when I met you. But I couldn't stay. I decided that I should get to work right away, figuring out what year it was, and trying to locate some of our members that had been affected by Antimatter magic."
"And? Any luck?" Nova asked.
"Yes, actually. I've found and sent most of them back to our time actually, now that there's no danger there anymore. I don't think we should have everyone stay here, it would get too crowded, and the town would start to notice two of the same people walking around. The only one I deemed necessary to remain was Juvia, since she has you three here, as well as Gray." She motioned towards the infirmary.
"Mommy's here? Where?!" The twins ran over, jumping up and down, anxious to see their mother again.
"She's in a safehouse not far from here. She should be on her way now, considering that she's all healed up already."
"Wow...you did half of the work for us already…" Nova muttered.
"No, I'm afraid not." She shook her head. "Yes, I narrowed it down to the core members of the guild, but they're the strongest ones, and I'm afraid I can't fight them by myself, even though I'm an S-Class Mage."
"That's what we're here for. And hey, S-Class doesn't matter. I'm the same, but I had trouble with them too." Nova smiled at her.
"Both of you are S-Class?" Mira asked, surprised. "At such a young age…"
"Look who's freaking talking, you were promoted when you were only 16, right?" Gray yelled.
"I was promoted at 13." Layla said nonchalantly.
"That's because you're a monster!" All of them yelled at her.
"So then...who's left? I assume you've been keeping track?" Nova asked.
"Yes. The only ones left that we have to deal with are Erza and Jellal, Natsu and Lucy, Laxus, Layla, Yury, and Silver, and Master. Then we just have The Conqueror herself."
"Wait...I'm not the Master anymore in your time?"
"No, you retired 4 years ago now. Mira took over."
"I did?!" The younger version asked.
"Yeah! And actually...nah, I'll let it be a surprise." Fushigi giggled.
"What?"
"I said it's a surprise. But it will get here soon enough." At that moment, an older version of Juvia walked into the hall slowly.
"Mommy!" The twins ran to her.
"Rin, Sylvia…" she sobbed, bending down and embracing them. Storm stood up and walked over, as well.
"Hey, Mom."
"Storm…" She pulled him into the hug as well, before standing up and looking over at her younger self.
"I know this must be strange for you…seeing me here like this…"
"Eh...Juvia has seen stranger." she smiled happily.
"Stranger than seeing your future self? What was it?"
"How about Uranus-sama standing over Juvia, 100 feet tall and with six lances floating around him, all covered in whirlwinds?"
"Ah, yeah...Juvia almost forgot about that." The two shared a laugh.
"Where's Gray-sama?" She asked.
"In the infirmary, if you want to see him. He'll be up and walking tomorrow." Layla said.
"Thank you, Layla-san." She bowed respectfully, going over to the aforementioned room and opening the door, going to Future Gray's bed."
"It's already nighttime." Fushigi pointed out, some of the others beginning to yawn.
"Yes, I suppose so. We should all go to bed early to have enough energy for tomorrow."
"Why, what's tomorrow?" Nova asked her godmother.
"Tomorrow is the anniversary of the day that the war ended with Alvarez. It's been a year since then."
"Ah...I forgot, with everything that's going on." Fushigi smiled. "That will be a nice break from all of this."
"Yeah...real great…" Nova sighed.
X
Once again, she couldn't sleep. Or rather, she wouldn't let herself fall asleep. Nova quietly got up and snuck downstairs, sitting down at one of the tables and sighing, holding her head in her hands.
"Having trouble sleeping again?" Nova gasped, looking up to see Fushigi walk down the stairs towards her.
"You know I can't." Her friend sat down across from her, looking concerned.
"Nova, you must be exhausted. You haven't slept for months, have you? You need to get some rest."
"Fushigi, every time I fall asleep I have that nightmare...I don't want to relive that hell every night."
"Nova, you have to move past this! You can't keep doing this to yourself!"
"What do you want me to do, Fushigi? You didn't see what I saw. You weren't the one she showed that scene to."
"And once again, you must remember that that was not our timeline."
"It doesn't matter if it was or not! That was her own, and what she did really happened!" The two remained in silence after this remark.
"...Is that why you've been avoiding her?"
"That's none of your business."
"I'll take that as a yes. Nova, how do you think you're making her feel? Everyone else is thrilled to see their parents, and you don't give a damn. They probably feel left out or lonely because you don't want to spend any time with them."
"...If you were in my position, wouldn't you do the same? I know it's not really her, but...every time I see her face, I see HER face...grinning, laughing, doing...that."
"So why haven't you told her?"
"Because first of all, I don't know if I have the strength to talk about it. And second of all, if I did, what if she's the one who becomes distant? After all, what she did was horrifying...Fushigi, earlier you said that you didn't like to keep secrets...please, don't tell her or Layla anything. I'd prefer to tell them myself."
"...I understand. Are you sure you don't want to sleep?"
"Yes."
"Very well. I'm going back. Goodnight." Fushigi left and went back upstairs to where the others were sleeping.
Inside the infirmary, Mira listened in, thinking to herself.
'...She can't fall asleep? What did I do?'
X
Early on in the morning, Mira opened everything up and found Nova asleep at the table.
"Hey...wake up. It's morning." She said soothingly, rubbing her daughter's back. There was no response until 30 seconds later, when she flung upwards, breathing rapidly.
"Nova! What's wrong?!" Mira asked. She slowly turned to her right, coming face to face with her mother, and falling out of her chair, scurrying away as fast as possible. Mira's looked changed from one of confusion to one of concern when she saw the terrified look in the young woman's eyes.
"Are you okay?"
"...Yes. I'll be alright." She sighed, looking down and catching her breath.
"Nova, you're clearly not alright. Night Terrors?"
"Yes…"
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No. If I do, you'll just become scared yourself. Trust me, you're better off not knowing." She left it at that, going back up to their room to change. Mira looked down sadly before deciding to just continue opening the guild.
About an hour later, everyone was awake and chatting, ready to go out and spend the day in the town.
Throughout the day, Nova still remained at a distance from where the others were, deciding to watch rather than participate in the games, food and drink, and music. Later on during the evening, there were fireworks over the river. As the explosions of color increased in size and extravagance, everyone seemed to be in awe of it. Nova couldn't help it. She finally smiled, for the first time since they got there.
But it was short lived. For a few moments, the fireworks seemed to fade out, and her senses were overcome by a certain voice, calling out to her.
"Ah...so you are here, after all."
"You…"
"Come to me, Nova...don't you want revenge? Look at you, watching this. This isn't how Magnolia is supposed to look, is it?" Her eyesight became blurry as the town flickered into ruin, fire spreading up everywhere, and all of the people dead in various positions. The river had become so bloody that it was no longer blue at all.
"Hah...Hah…"
"There, that's better, isn't it? I'll be in the forest later tonight should you want to catch up. I'll be waiting~" She laughed, and the voice faded away, and so did the illusion. But that didn't stop Nova from hyperventilating. Fushigi turned around to check on her before her eyes widened.
She saw it again. That "thing" mutilate her father and the rest of her friends.
"Nova! Calm down!" Fushigi ran to her as she fell backwards.
"I can't...Mo...ther…" Everything went dark.
X
"Tell us."
"No."
"You need to! Can't you see how far this has escalated?! She hyperventilated and blacked out!"
"I said no!"
"Why?! Your friend is hurt, and this information would help us to stop whoever's doing this to her! So what happened?!" Layla was silenced by Fushigi swiftly slamming her against the wall with one of her claws pointed at her chest. Her eyes had changed to their snake form, and she had a deadly red aura around her.
"It is not my place to say. Tomorrow, when she's better, I will drag her out of there and make her tell you herself, but until then, back off. What happened to her is something that I can't even imagine myself." Everything was quiet as she slowly backed up, releasing her magic, then walking to the infirmary to stay with her friend.
Layla sighed, defeated.
"Mom, are you alright?" Lucy asked quietly.
"Yes, I'll be fine. I'm just worried about what's going on with Nova. I don't know what happened to her, but it must have been traumatizing. Fushigi's right. We'll just have to wait until tomorrow."
X
Nova snuck out late that night, running through the forest as fast as she could. Not too long after, Fushigi got up, going to the bathroom. When finished, she walked out, yawning sleepily, before finding a note pinned against their door. She rubbed her eyes before muttering the words out loud.
Fushigi,
Earlier today, "She" spoke to me, which is why my PTSD acted up again. She's finally here, and I have to be the one to finish this, alone. These nightmares, my mental health, I can't keep doing it anymore. I have to make things how they were, and I have to kill her.
I'll be back in the morning.
Love, Nova.
"What?! She'll get herself killed!" Fushigi ran and got dressed as fast as possible, before rushing out and heading to Mira's house. Frantically knocking on the door, Mira came to it after about a minute.
"Fushigi? What's wrong? Why are you here?" She scratched her head.
"It's Nova. She's gone off and I need your help."
'Faster. Faster!' The blonde girl jumped from tree branch to tree branch, trying to lock onto that sinister magic power and get there as fast as she could.
"She went off and did what?!" Mira screamed, the two beginning to run through the woods as well.
"She feels responsible for these attacks, and wants to make things right by fighting their leader herself. But she's being reckless! She's no match for her right now, especially with both her physical and mental strength as depleted as they are!"
"For her to go after The Conqueror on her own…"
"Huh? You guys are still using her alias? How come?" Fushigi asked questioningly.
"Because we don't know her real name yet. Nova never told us!"
"WHAT?! She didn't even tell you that much?! Oh boy...we can't wait any longer, I'll just have to tell you. But you're not going to like it."
Mira looked at her intently, as Fushigi sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before looking right into Mira's.
"The Conqueror...her real name is...Mirajane Strauss...she's a different version of you."
"Finally. It's about time that you got here." Nova gritted her teeth, landing down in a clearing where across from her stood the very object of her vengeance.
"...Mother."
End.