Running

For as long as I could remember that's all I'd been doing; running. Running from demons, my own personal issues, my home…even myself. And I continued to do so as I sprinted for my life through this repulsive forest. I could barely see where I was going and on top of that my bones ached, my head was pounding and every nerve in my brain was telling me I wasn't going to make it….and I believed it. Tears started flowing from my eyes as I thought about what inevitably was going to follow suit once they caught up to me.

"Please…please let me go. I-I can't take anymore." I sobbed as another needle was jabbed into me. This lab table I laid on day after day for hours on end had now become my "home". And if I wasn't here I was locked up in that cage like some fucking feral animal…no rest, bathroom breaks, meals or baths; which seemed to be pretty unfortunate for all of us. I had been here for…as long as I could remember. Each day was a new test, a new drug and a new pain; each more agonizing than the last.

"On the contrary, my dear, you shall be our salvation and you have to be absolutely perfect." A faceless figure stood above me with a big menacing smile, his face shadowed by the hood of his duster. These were the people I had come to know inhabited the world. It just wasn't possible that there was anyone with even so much as an ounce of humanity left in them and I couldn't believe that if there were that they would allow such horror like this to take place. I just couldn't.

He lifted his pale, lanky hand and caressed my cheek lightly. It was a lot like how a father might caress his newborn gift of life, but in this case it was more relatable to how one would caress a newly found prize for the taking. It had to be because these people felt no love…they had no feelings besides greed, malevolence and selfishness.

"Don't worry you're almost done…but unfortunately, for you, this will be the worst of them all. Just try not to die like the others, eh?" Tears immediately sprung to my eyes, but I forced them back as best as I could. I refused to show weakness…I couldn't. Not like it would help anything; they reveled in it. The one I liked to call Ogre Breath strapped the head piece to me and locked it tight. Then, the pain started. It started in my head; specifically the back. It felt almost as if someone was taking a pitch fork and burying it deep in the recesses of my mind only to pull it out and plunge it into another part again. I couldn't manage to hold my resolve anymore. I broke.

"AAAAAAHHH! SOMEONE! ANYONE! PLEASE, HELP ME! MAKE IT STOP! JUST MAKE. IT. STOP! PLEASE!" This was my life. A lab experiment…it's what I was born for.

"Never again." I spoke with a determination I, for one, didn't even know I had and in that moment I found a new resolve; I would never be the helpless victim again. If there was no one left to save me I would save myself. I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around; standing my ground. I imagined I didn't look very intimidating; a scrawny, anorexic girl with a small 5'7 frame…doesn't exactly send the message 'run for your lives'. But, I had to try. It was time to put my gifts to the test. Only it wasn't them that got to me first…it was something far worse. The stench of death and decay filled my nose the second they attacked. I couldn't tell how many there were as they seemed to blend into the darkness surrounding the forest. Even the wind grew quiet in their wake and a shiver ran up my spine. Shakily, I crouched down a little into the best fighting stance I could manage in my condition.

"Who are you?! W-Who's there?" I was answered by a burning sensation raking down my side followed by complete numbness. Once again I was the helpless victim as I fell to the ground completely paralyzed.

"You think Zeref'll find good use for this one?"

"Why wouldn't he? Have you heard of what those deranged imbeciles were doing to her in there…she could be as powerful as Titania once was. Maybe even the she-devil." Their voices were understandable, they were surprisingly speaking plain English, and strangely human. I had imagined that if I turned around I'd be staring into eyes of red, deformed limbs along with a few extra, a face so decrepit it invoked sickness at the mere sight of it and horns, but something told me I was dead wrong. I felt myself being lifted and swung over what I assumed to be one of the demons shoulders.

"We better get going. I'm getting a little…blood thirsty." I couldn't tell if he meant me or what, but I definitely did not want to find out.

"Put the child down." I couldn't see where the new voice had come from, but I was just glad it wasn't accompanied by a putrid smell and appeared to be on my side. Although, there was an eerie quality to it as well; as if this mystery person didn't want to be so easily identified.

"Look, we don't have time for the likes of you so I suggest you run while you can." My mystery kidnapper threatened appearing completely unfazed by my rescuer. His voice even had a bit of amusement in it. Whoever the hell this person was I prayed they knew what they were getting into.

"Suit yourself."

"GAH!" A short grunt sounded to my left, followed by what sounded like flesh and bone hitting bark. I was pissed that I was missing all the action, but I wasn't about to ask for a better view.

"You little bitch!" My kidnapper charged; with me still in hand. I just hoped he wouldn't either A; use me as a shield or B; get us both smacked into a tree. Neither happened. Instead he stopped mid-run and froze. I could only assume my savior had disappeared.

So much for a hero.

"FIND H—" In that split second he was launched forward and I upwards . Time slowed a little as he stumbled forward and I was heading for the ground face first. Luckily the masked magician was there to catch me…until he was tackled from behind. When I hit the ground new waves of pain immediately flared and I was pretty sure a few of my stitches broke. I didn't even have the strength to stand up and I could feel myself slipping. Black dots danced around my vision as I struggled to move, worsening the pain even more. Last thing I heard was what sounded like a small explosion followed by a white light, crackling, whipping, screams and then silence again. Then, I was being lifted bridal style into the arms of who I hoped was the cloaked stranger. Of course my parents warned me about strangers and predators, but something told me I was safe.

"Don't worry, no one will harm you now." With that I allowed myself to relax and the darkness to engulf me once again, but this time we were at peace with one another.

"This magic, it's…it's—"

"Yes, I know. Can you remove it?"

"I'm sorry, but…she's been exposed to too much. These aren't just wounds, there's no removing one from the other. They're one now."

"Damnit…that's what I was afraid of. Is there a way for it to be controlled?"

"The binder will help so make sure she keeps it on, but she'll need lots of training; both magic wise and spirit wise. If she allows herself to succumb to this darkness the outcome will be ghastly." I opened my eyes to be greeted by a blinding light and what felt to be another table under me. I, immediately, panicked. Shooting up I grabbed whatever was nearest to my left, which happened to be a scissors, and aimed it towards my captors.

"Stay back! I won't go back there! You can't make me!" It took me a little while to focus my vision, but when I did I was met with two people; one who I recognized as my savior and another who was unfamiliar. It was a girl who appeared to be around my age, if not just slightly older, with a small petite figure and olive skin. She had snow white hair styled in a high bun held together by two large golden pins with crescents on the ends and two long strands of hair framing her face, her eyes were a piercing pale green and she wore a royal blue hooded cloak with short sleeves, four slits and a white cross on the front with lots of, what looked like, ancient markings and designs adorning it. She also sported a white skirt underneath that, some long, elegant white gloves that stopped at her elbows, a black scarf and matching blue ankle boots. She was beautiful; at least from what I could tell with her shocked and puzzled expression. There was something about her that suggested she was wise way beyond her years and I had a feeling she was here to help, but I wasn't going to stifle my chances by making assumptions.

"Calm down, child. You are with friends, we wouldn't even think of harming you. I swear to you. But, if you don't believe me, then trust your magic. I know you're able to sense someone's wills and their genuine character. Your heart is telling you something...listen to it."

There's no reason to trust them. Why should I? I know nothing about either of them besides the fact that they kidnapped me...and saved my ass in the woods. But, I guess someone could say, in a sick, twisted way, the Guild saved me from the demons...but what would their purpose of lying be if it meant bad news?

Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes, relaxed a little and focused solely on my instincts and the feeling I currently had in my heart about these two. I felt a surprisingly, completely calm, warm and...something else I couldn't quite get a firm grasp on, but it was a good feeling. I physically relaxed my body, still keeping a firm grip on my weapon, got in a slightly more comfortable position; I crossed my legs.

"Alright, fine. Now who the hell are you and where am I? Better yet why am I here?" I asked, my voice a little more acidic than I had intended, but hey they were still strangers...and kidnappers.

"This is Giselle Grandeene, by far the best healer in all of Fiore and I am Lexine Valdis. You are currently in the medicinal wing of my Guild hall and as far as why we've brought you here...I will let Giselle explain that to you." I had gotten to know a little more about this cloaked person as their barrier dropped just enough to reveal that "they" was actually a she. That brought me a little comfort since I'd been entrapped by men for as long as I could remember. On that final note she was up and out the door in a blink.

"Wait! What about-" I had so many questions that apparently weren't going to get answers. I sighed. Giselle placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and gave me a small smile,

"It's okay, she just had her own vendetta. Don't take it personally," I found myself warming up to this place, against my conscious will, as it started to feel more like...home, "Anyway, how about I start with how we found you?. Lexine and I were here going through some business related stuff when we both picked up a strong aura of magic energy radiating not too far from here; that, of course, was you. She went after you already knowing that you'd be in danger because of how strong you seemed to be. And she was right. We decided to bring you back here not only to save you, but because we also sensed that your magic was dark, very dangerous and possibly deadly. I told her to bring you to me so I could have a better analysis." It was a lot to take in, but I wasn't surprised. But, one thing I didn't understand was why they would be willing to help me.

"Because no one gets left behind or unprotected." She replied with a sweet smile. I froze, refusing to meet her eyes.

Is she really reading my mind right now? That's a little...discomforting.

"I'm sorry I probably should've explained this earlier, I have a form of what's called aura magic. It allows me to see the spiritual energy a person emits which tell me their current emotions, magic properties and etc by the "physical" colors of it. Normally it's just like a blur of color surrounding them, but sometimes they can become really clear and bright or unstable and hazy...like with your circumstance. Just then I could see "

Well that's not strange at all...not like it's a complete invasion of my privacy or anything.

"I know it's probably really off-putti-"

"Anyway, umm...about my magic what exactly is the problem? And just how "possibly deadly" are we talking here?" I interrupted before things could get 10x more awkward than they already were. She simply chuckled, brushing it off. Her expression had tightened from one of childlike interest to utter sternness,

"Well, you possess a mixture of forbidden magic. One is the Black Arts and the other is known as Death Magic. The problem is, these magics are only able to be used who allow darkness in their hearts. Meaning at one point in time you allowed it into yours, but, obviously, that's not the case now making your magic highly unstable. Long story short, your magic is a ticking time bomb that could blow at the slightest loss of control." By the end of her explanation I was practically shaking with fear.

There's no way I can do this...my temper is already on a short fuse as it is and I know they'll be looking for me. There definitely no way in hell they were going to just let their "salvation" slip away so easily...I wouldn't be surprised if they were waiting outside the Guild hall right now. The only one way for all this to end before it can begin is with my death.

A burning sensation in my right cheek knocked me out of my thoughts. Shocked, I looked to Giselle with a loss for words and look of confusion. Her face flared as tears fell from her reddened eyes with furious expression adorning it.

"How dare you sit there and quit! We didn't rescue you to have you come here and throw it all away. I wouldn't of told you all that if a dark outcome was inevitable. I told you that because I hoped to strike some will in you to fight. The will we both know you have; obviously since you made it this far in the first place. But, if that's really what you want to do then I'll show you to the door and you can feed your own...butt to the demons, but I will not let you do it in here. It's your choice." On that final note she got up and stormed out without so much as a second glare. Luckily, at that time Lexine decided to make her grand entrance. She raised a brow noticing Giselle's distress, but just shook her head.

"Whatever just happened I will leave between you two, but come. There's another reason you're here, but I'm afraid it's not as...simply put as the first." It worried me, slightly, how much more complicated things were about to get. Especially since I hadn't even gotten a firm grasp on what was just explained to me.

God, what have I gotten into...

However, I made no objections and swiftly got up to follow her out the door. I nearly gasped at how much bigger the Guild was than I had expected...and empty. As we walked down the hallway there were so many sights to be seen; the high ceilings were vastly decorated with bright, shining chandeliers and embellished with gold designs of what looked like wings, the floors were a glossy reddish brown hardwood and I didn't know anything about floors or wood, but if I had to take a guess it would've been bamboo. The hallway seemed to go on for miles, along with the rooms we passed. I was curious about one thing though...

Why so much space with no one occupying it?

We finally came to a staircase that looked to be painted on like some cartoon; it was a classic spiral staircase going downwards into what I wouldn't of been surprised to see was a dungeon, with lit torches aligning the walls. Lexine grabbed one of the torches and started down the stairs. I hesitated before reluctantly following after her.

"I will try to make this as simple as possible..." As we rounded the corner, once again, I was shocked. If I had made a bet on it I'd of been broke a long time ago. Instead of a dungeon it was similar to an old timey spy headquarters; there was a single large, rectangle table in the middle of the room with twelve swivel armchairs surrounding it and a disarray of papers. There were also pictures of what I assumed to be current "targets" and hideout places tacked along the walls and various maps of forests and what was left of towns and villages. It was quite intriguing; only elephant in the room was the single naked wall at the front of the room with another small desk and chair facing it. She directed me to the unorganized table and brought my attention to a map of Fiore; old Fiore.

"This is probably what you remember of our country, the world you used to know," She then pulled out another one marked 'Zeref's Fiore', "And this is what the world has become now. Eight years ago this man, Zeref, attacked Magnolia along with an army of demons; like the ones you encountered in the woods, and an omnipotent mage turned dragon named Acnologia. He destroyed every single Guild he found, dark or legal, slaughtering their members and masters...it was a blood bath. His plan was to get revenge on all those who rejected him by ridding the world of humanity and so far he's succeeding." She paused leading me over to one of the many webs of "objectives".

"Now, Fiore has been split up into five major territories; The Mongols, Abaddon, The Gracious Executioners, Beasts of Satan and...Fairy Slaughter," The venom practically dripping from her tone when she said the last name told me there was some bad blood regarding it, but I held off asking about it, "Our job is to get rid of the demon "Guilds" controlling these territories and restore the proper order of Fiore before, finally, ridding the world of Zeref and Acnologia. For good. And that, my child is where you come in." I made as much of an effort as I could to hide all the affliction, fear and anxiety that immediately erupted just at the thought of anyone even thinking of attempting an impossible mission like this.

These people are crazy. Does she honestly think they have the means to pull off a mission like this? It's suicide...there's no way they'll be able to just take back the world on their own; there's no one here. Is she really planning on doing this alone?

"I know it sounds crazy, but I would not be asking you to do this if I didn't have faith that you'd be able to do this. And you won't be alone, which is what I forgot to tell you, there will be a total of 15-16 of you I need for this mission. I'll split you up into teams and you, along with your team, will go into the towns and take down the demon Guilds. Only when that is done will we be able to defeat Zeref and Acnologia. Eventually it will come down to it, but I promise it won't be until you're ready. All of you. But, you definitely have the potential of immeasurable power and with it will follow greatness." I gasped at the end of her speech when the shadows concealing her face receded to expose a porcelain white face with big, round golden hazel eyes, strawberry blonde hair that was pulled back at the top in a high ponytail with the rest left down and light freckles scattered across the bridge of her face. She was beautiful. It brought a tingle to my heart when she gave me me a small genuine smile and placed a soft hand on my shoulder. At that moment my mind was wiped of all worries, but I still had my doubts.

I don't know how in the hell we're going to pull this off...but I do owe her my life. And if there's any place for me to learn how to control my magic it's here. Plus, I could use the opportunity to kick "scientist" ass. And I don't know who this "Zeref" is, but if he's the one who ruined the world then I definitely have a bone to pick with him.

"...Alright I'll do it. But I still think this is a suicide mission." She smiled and pulled me into a tight hug. It'd been a while since I had any affectionate human contact so I flinched slightly, tensing. It took me a few seconds to relax and return the loving gesture. Involuntarily, the corners of my lips curled up as I realized I'd have more than just a job here. I'd have a family.

"We are known as the Black Lotus revolution," She pulled back and led me over to a full body mirror, "Where would you like your mark?" My browser furrowed.

"What Mark?"

"Oh, sorry, our Guild mark. It's like a permanent tattoo representing the Guild you're from." I'd known of Guild's before, but wasn't very familiar with how they worked exactly. But, I did know this was something I was going to be proud of and I wanted everyone to know of my new home.

"Right here." I stated proudly, raising my shirt and pointing to the naked spot right above my left hip on my stomach. She nodded and placed her hand there.

"What colo-"

"Red and black!" I responded a little too enthusiastically. I had no idea, but they were always my two favorite. Probably had something to do with them matching my eyes and dark hair. She smiled and closed her eyes taking a deep breath. The area tingled a little before, suddenly, it set ablaze. I yelped at the unanticipated sensation; surprised my skin didn't have third degree burns.

"Sorry about that, it's just a precaution to make sure no other mage can forcefully remove your mark. Take a look." It was a flower; a lotus. But, it wasn't just any generic lotus. It was a hybrid combined with a phoenix; the stem was the elongated tail of the legendary bird with two small petals dangling as "tail feathers", the wings were the outer embodiment of the flower while the inner petals formed something similar to a headpiece and there were small extra designs around it like swirls and falling petals. The elegance was amazing. It was a truly mesmerizing piece of art. I nearly teared up at the sight of it.

"It's beautiful! I love it. Only one question though, why this specifically?" She grinned as if she'd been waiting for me to ask that exact question.

"Well, I'm glad you asked. I chose this mark because it represents everything this Guild is about; the phoenix, which represent rebirth, symbolizes our purpose of reviving the world and the lotus represents how even in this world of darkness and malevolence something good can still be born from it. And that is exactly what we are, the light that will cleanse this world of darkness." Then I truly understood what it meant to be a part of this cause. It wasn't just about what was in it for us and the possible consequences didn't matter.

We may be the only chance Fiore has to live. I've seen what this guy has done and if it continues we'll all die off before he even has a chance to do it himself. Damn right this job isn't going to be easy, by a long shot, but it is well worth the risk. This isn't about redemption, revenge or even winning. It's about doing what it takes to save the lives around us and restoring order to our home. And I am honored to be a part of it.

Looking down at my mark I smiled. I really hoped everyone else came to the same clarity as I did, if they don't already have it, or else we may all lose our lives in the end.

"Come, I have a lot more to explain. Especially if you're going to be my second in command-oh! And your training starts now," I wasn't sure whether I should be ecstatic or nervous about the second in command part, but I was very flattered. She threw her arm around my shoulders as we headed back upstairs, "And I can't believe I forgot to ask this hours ago, but what's your name?" I laughed at the realization that she had invited a complete stranger into her home and to be a part of her rebel's cause.

"Yuriko. My name is Yuriko Sykora."

"Yuriko...that's beautiful. Well, welcome to the family, brat."

ALRIGHT AND THERE. IT. IS! THE OFFICIAL FIRST CHAPTER! You guys have no idea how long I've been dying to put this up. It would've been up sooner, but I haven't had a lot of good time to just sit and write. Anyway, I really wanted to give you guys a good taste of my writing since I know I, for one, don't like committing to a story unless I'll actually enjoy reading it. I worked real hard on it (like I promise to do with the rest of this story) so I hope it's a good showcase of what I can do and how I do it. Also, I wanted to introduce you to a few of the main Guild characters (non-team members of course). Don't worry just because Yuriko is my character, one of the S-class team leaders and our gracious Guild Master's recruiter does not mean this is her story. This is OUR story (whoever gets in) and I promise I will try to keep it as equal as I can since I've had plenty of experience with inequalities in writing. We're all major characters here :D. Now will everyone have their own time to shine? Yes they will and I'd really appreciate it if I didn't get any hate reviews and ignorant PM's about that. I was thinking about writing another one if you guys would like a deeper intro look into the Guild, but it's really up to you guys. If I get enough who ask for it then I will, but if not then the next chapter probably won't be up (or started) until I get at least enough characters for the first team. Btw, I've only gotten 3 submissions so far and it's not looking very good right now...I'm not saying I'm giving up on this story, but you can't really have an SYOC without characters now can you? I'll wait for about a month or so I guess (which I hate cause I'm sooo pumped for this now) before I either shut it down or use my own characters if people really want me to continue regardless. Well I'm done rambling now so you guys can get back to your everyday lives now. Here's some stuff you can comment about (if you'd like):

-How's my writing?

-Any suggestions on how I could improve or make the story truer to the Fairy Tail anime and/or manga?

-What do you think of the story so far?

-Do you see this being an epic story or a flop?

-What do you think of Yuriko?

-Any questions in general about the story; plot, characters, dialogue, etc.?

Well, until next time!

~xXBrokenThoughtsXx

P.S.- I know there are some people who were like there were no brown eyed, strawberry blonde Lexine's in Fairy Tail! And you are correct, but it's aaaalll a part of the plan 3:) *inserts evil laugh here*