For the rest of the night I found myself going back and looking at the picture, more specifically the woman. The bluenettes' mask covered from the bridge of her nose to the junction of her neck.

Her jaw, even covered by the mask, was sharp. Her singular eye was red with one silver stud on the end of her eyebrow. From what I could see she was wearing loose pants, her top stopped before her belly button, which was pierced as well, but went all the way down her arms. This woman was sun kissed like no tomorrow, probably making her hair that light blue. Normally, I'm not one to get jealous of someone by their looks, but her body didn't look frail like mine; her stomach had outlines of abs and the 'V' at her hips. I made a note of questions to ask mom in the morning.

When I asked mom who she was, mom said she hasn't been able to remember anything about her for twenty years.

"I don't remember her name, let alone her whole face."

"What about what kind of magic she used?"

"Hmmm… I don't remember that either."

"Didn't you and Lucy have diaries?" I wanted to know everything about this mystery woman.

"Don't you think we would have reread them!" Mom imbedded the nearest book in my head. "I may have written about her, but she could have erased everything about herself."

"Except the picture."

"Except the picture." Mom sat her coffee mug on the table. "You have to get ready." Rising, she looked more destroyed then Ripley leaving for a dark guild. "Come along. We don't have much time."

"Time until the crazy branding lady come back?"

"Until you have to leave." She had left the room.

"What?!"

-Noon-

"Find a spell called Temporal Tempest." Mom stood in front of the mirror, nursing her branded eye. "This trip will be dangerous and you need to do everything I say. No matter what."

Looking over my shoulder before I began my search, I saw that mom gently opened the branded eye. The damaged eye was red where the white normally is, and a putrid color of her iris. It took all of my will power not to shudder; and all of hers not to cry. "Fine, but…" I found the paper, a spell and read it quickly. 'Temporal Tempest'. "Here." I placed the paper in her hand. I didn't have time to understand the complexities. "Just tell me what you're going on about."

"When you go back you'll be back in X770…"

"Why so far back, that nearly fifty years!" I exclaimed. Oh wait, mom is forty-three, dad is actually fifty.

"Yes, your father and I will be children when you go back, but by no mean does it mean for you to slack off and not train." I could see the agitation building on her brow. Okay so I'm not the most dedicated student there is, I seem to lack the proper incentive. "Lin, find a dragon. Train, learn their magic and become a dragon slayer."

"Easier said than done." I muttered.

"Lin." She scolded.

"Sorry." I muttered. I'm screwed.

"Please find a dragon and become a slayer, train until X777. Please, take it all seriously." I solemnly nodded. "This spell will put you in a non-aging comatose state for fifteen years, after the seventh of July in X777." She had picked up the orange and blue book and held it closely. "You need to read this once you awake in X792. Do not, under any circumstances veer off what is said in the book."

"Okay, okay." I assured. Oh Gods, could she not give me a harder task; oh wait, yes, yes she could have. Helping my mother back to the compound which was a disaster. The fields were done burning and now the dark grey smoke filled the sky. The tallest house was cut in half, the others were reduced to rubble. There was nothing left of my home anymore. It would take everyone to build it back up again.

My brain rummaged through everything of the last fifteen years. All the training that dad and everyone, especially dad and Erza, out me through, all of the stories of everyone's past adventures. Why was I told more than Christopher, Demi or any of the other children?

Like she was reading my mind, she answered, "Why do you think we've all tried teaching you how to mostly use basic transformation and script magic? Not so you can just change your eye color, no, no its more so you don't have to weaver from dragon slaying training. We wanted it to be one of your brothers who was a born slayer, but Marcel had to follow after Ripley. Twenty-five years ago you helped rebuild Fairy Tail, we never saw, nor remembered, you again until X802; as an newborn. The black book is the one you write in."

"I don't get it."

"Before today this book was filled with your adventures in the past, but it was empty yesterday and today." She opened the book, empty. "You may have enchanted it." Lifting herself off the ground, she stood before me, tattered and beaten and strong. "I worked on cracking the code before I had you're brothers." She admitted. "All I could crack was five measly words." Looking me in the eyes she recited the words. "Youngest, female, dragon slayer, born. At first I thought it was Wendy, being the youngest dragon slayer but then Nastu and Lucy had Jude. Born a dragon slayer, I figured. Time ebbed on and Light and Brea were born, then boys and boys; never in my life did I, truly, think that it'd be my own daughter going back." None of this was making sense to me. Wouldn't she remember me? Before I could open my mouth and ask she explained. "You more than likely erased our memories to keep us from realizing it was you." Mom moved some of the rubble around before finding words to say. "At least I'm desperately hoping it's you who helps us rebuild. I'm truly hoping it's you who can change all of this so you or anyone else doesn't have to live this way."

Sighing, I let mom be. I had no words for her. I had walked to what remained of our former house. Maneuvering over fallen timber and unsteady walls I went to my room to gather some clothes and grabbed on trinket. After I had my stuff I maneuvered once more through the death trapped house to my parents' room. Grabbed moms' lucky yellow headband and dads white and tan headband; I looked quickly for two more trinkets. Dads piercing set and the first gift he gave mom. A iron pendent with a book charm, a dragon charm and the guild symbol in the middle of the two.

Why would I need a piercing set? Well every few years dad, and mom even though she's not fond of the idea, allows us to get a new piercing. At birth all seven of us got our ears pierced on the lobes. The second piercing was at seven when we began learning magic. The third piercing is at fifteen when we can legally drink, I'm yet to have gotten that piecing. The triplets and twins got to choice a fourth piercing at seventeen. Anymore piercings after would be whenever they choose. "Mom's gonna have to help me with my third." I muttered to myself as I leaped out the falling house.

I walked back to where I left my mother. From the back of her I tell she was crying.

"It's not like I'm going away to war, ma." Looking down at the woman who had almost lost everything and was going to lose the last thing she loved.

Mom smiled just a little. "That's not funny." More tears trickled out of her eyes.

"No, but you smiled. I'll take that." I looked towards the horizon. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."