Conflicting heart

The mist of from the blizzard rained heavily over Mt. Hakobe like thousands of silver sharp knives. Lucy shivered huddled with Wendy, "Its so cold!" Making Happy laugh.

"Well that outfit your wearing isn't helping."

"Shut it fleabag!"

Wendy's eyes widened shifting over to Acel staring out at the cave entrance, his eyes didn't so much as blink with his tail bristling from the harsh wind. Erza and Gray searched the cave any firewood or rocks but without luck the team huddled close.

"We should wait until daylight, hopefully then the storm should calm." Erza's armour clanked from her constant shaking.

"But what about this cold, if we don't get warm we'll all freeze to death." Lucy complained.

Acel returned on all fours sighing he swung his four tails over them. "Here," to everyone's surprise, "lie under them they'll keep your warm at least until morning, get under before I change my mind." Laying his head down.

Lucy gasped rubbing her cheeks against the soft fur, "Oh my gosh, I never realize how warm it was."

"It's like being in a hot tub." Erza wrapped herself.

"Or a day at the beach with a loved one." Juvia blushed close to Gray's embarrassed face. Natsu just lay out flat snorting bubbles out. Wendy glimpsed one of Acel's eyes open tilting her head he stared sadly at the ground.

Hours had passed: Together the team laid under the warmth of Acel's tails all that is expect one lying next to Carla. Juvia on the other hand frowned in her sleep two spaces away from Gray. Sneakily Wendy rose up eyeing Acel's long sharp ears and the black swirled marking down his shoulders.

The fox starred down into his necklace lying in his clawed palm. "What is that?" Wendy loomed over. Quickly Acel snarled snapping the locket shut. "It's nothing! Shouldn't you be asleep?" Bearing his teeth. Wendy stood her ground clinching her fists she relaxed her shoulders.

"I've seen you stare at the locket," he looked up at her, "it's special to you that I can see, but why don't you hide from everyone that asks and why are you so distant?" Kneeling down she said calmly. Acel starred down with a twitch in his eye. "You wouldn't understand. What it's like to lose the ones you love disappearing before your very eyes." Suddenly Wendy's mind flashed and her heart raced.

"I do know," Looking up at her.

"I know what it's like to lose the people you love, I had a dragon mother that vanished and a group of people I thought real. It still hurts thinking about it, but you can't hide it in. Or else you'll never know how to move on and have a future."

Acel's heart raced starring back down at the locket shaking in his fist he gently handed it over and Wendy opened it.

A photo of a beautiful woman with pure white hair and yellow eyes with red underlining wearing a blue kimono smiled back with blush red lips.

"That's my mother."

"Wow, she's so beautiful." Wendy gasped by her stunning face.

"The man on the left's my father." He was blonde haired thin man with a nice smile wearing a brown suit.

"Acel…?"

"How did they meet? I guess its kind of children's story really. My father told me when he was a young boy he lived on a farm in the eastern valleys, I can still smell the fresh scent of the grass under my feet. Anyway one day one of the cows got lose and made it the river by the forest and then as if fate intended, he met the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen bathing in the river."

Wendy smiled with eyes widening. Erza woke over hearing them.

"What did she do?"

"Nothing, actually everyday he would come to visit her by the same point by the river bank bringing her food and fragrances for her smell nice. Out of this act of kindness she fell in love with him, even when she showed her true form my father wasn't afraid."

"Your mother was the fox?"

"Yeah, her fur was so white like the snow and her nine tails waved like the wheat in the field. It was happy living together on the field without any care or anyone telling us what to do. When I was ready my mother taught me fire magic it tough but I was grateful just as long as we were together."

Wendy smiled touched warmly by his story she finally saw him smiling at the ground. Looking back at the locket, "What happened to them?" Suddenly he clawed into the ground the smile faded with a flinch in his arm. "Sorry, just…I just need some rest." Taking the locket back. Wendy reached her arm out to apologize but was ashamed. Lying back under his tail Acel clinched his fist hiding his eyes deep in her fur. Erza starred down at the ground with her head clear she closed her eyes.

Through the blizzard those dark eyes pierced through the cave flicking the forked tongue digging back into the snow.

Over Magnolia the sky brightened with a warm sun. "Ah, finally it's good to be back, I sure hope Mira's got some food ready cause I'm starving!" Natsu stretched."

"Is your stomach all you think about?" Carla hovered above.

"It's all he ever thinks about after a mission." Happy giggled.

Everyone welcomed them home rasing their jugs, "Hey, Natsu! Did you get that Wyvern scale you were asked to get?" Macao smiled.

"Sure did! We only got one though but it's sure great to be back, right Happy?"

"It sure is Sir!"

"Hey what about that fox friend of yours is he…?"

Acel walked passed without looking shifting back into a fox he dropped with his back turned into the pillows.

"What's wrong with him?" Said Wakaba.

"He's just tired, he just needs some rest." Wendy looked across the room sadly.

Shrugging their shoulders the team passed by the fox hesitating to ask him.

"Um…should we at least…?"

"No, Juvia. Just let him rest." Nodding she joined the group at the bar.

"Acel? Believe me when I say this you can't hide your feelings forever it will only bring more harm. Because I know what's like to lose the ones you love."

Acel's pupil shrank swinging his head over his shoulder meeting Erza's gaze watching her re-join the others. Acel was left alone laying his head back his chest was filled with emotions he'd never felt it was so conflicting.

"Is he okay, should I check on him?" Mira glanced over.

"No he just needs time to himself." Erza drank.

"But, Erza...?"

"Do what she says, Natsu. Just leave it." Gray ordered.

Peering over Natsu's shoulder Mira glimpsed something glittering from the side of the fox's eye.

The sky was so bright the women sunbathed by the pool kids jumped playing diving into the water so deep it was large enough for even Elfman's ogre form playing ball with them.

Acel sat on one of the ledges in the shallows wearing long green shorts his tail floated beneath the water laying back letting his muscles cool.

"Mind if I join?" Came a sweet voice when he woke he froze with widened eyes. Mira smiled standing over in a turquoise bikini the light from the sun made her dazzle with radiance. Steam blew out his ears.

"There's room for two, mind if I join you?" She smiled.

"Um…um…yes I mean no, I mean yes no I mean…" Hiding his blushing face.

Mira giggled she dipped her shining leg into the water. Oh my…she's coming into the water? I just hope Virgo isn't watching! Sighing with pleasure she rested smiling at Acel's face.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No! It's just that…I've never been this close to a girl in a pool before…and what are doing?"

She moved closer were her skin nearly touched his sides. Acel gave up sighing hunching his shoulders the girls around the pool whispered.

"Don't worry I know you kissed Lucy's Virgo. So it's okay, I'm just here to help."

"How exactly is this helping?" He said confused.

"It's my job to help others when they have problems even with people problems." She smiled meeting his eyes.

Acel's shoulders dropped surprised he felt a sudden sense of gratitude thumping in his heart.

"That's funny, coming from the one they call: the she-devil."

"That names just an exaggeration. Besides you've been alone since you came to Fairy Tail and…well you could use the company or two."

Acel smiled laying back against the pool's edge watching the birds fly overhead. He'd never felt this before and watching all around everyone talked to one another smiling and laughing like the children it made his heart ache with sorrow.

"Thankyou." Acel mumbled.

"Huh?"

"For…being there when I woke up in this place. And to tell you the truth, when I woke up I thought and still think that you're very beautiful. Like this place."

Mira gasped slightly and smiled warmly Acel laid back staring at the sky.

"A snake! A snake!" A woman screamed. Acel thrust himself awake the women screamed by the bright green serpent. "Only real aren't scared of snakes!" But Elfman screamed when he saw it bearing its fangs.

"Oh dear, how did a snake get in here?" Mira looked up by Acel's clinched fist his eyes were hidden shadow peeling back his lips like wolf. "Acel?" But stepped out the pool hurrying back to the Guildhall leaving Mira confused.

Acel drank by the bar tapping his clawed nails watching the members chat and play games, even Natsu danced with a crowd of kids as Juvia picked out an outfit for Gray.

"Lucy." Meeting her gaze. "Acel? Are you okay?" His faced starred in her direction.

"Are you starring at them?" Covering chest.

"NO I'M NOT! Look if you see Wendy give her this." Dropping his locket Lucy was surprised.

"But why?"

"Just give it to her, and tell her I'm sorry,"

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry that I scared her all those times,"

"And tell Virgo she looks great in whatever she wears."

Looking away his body stood relaxed but Lucy suspicion narrowed in on his relaxed face a look she'd seen before more than once. And the door flew open. "ACEL VULPES!"

Three guardsmen of the Rune Knights stood before the guildhall yelling across the hallway. Everyone stared at Acel but Natsu, Gray, Erza and Juvia stood their ground. "On what business does the Rune knights have of barging in on Fairy Tail?" Erza stood with her hand around her handle.

"Acel Vulpes is a wanted criminal!"

"A criminal? What are you talking about?" Natsu growled.

"Thievery on the four grand guilds most treasured magical secrets, Fairy Tail now being the fourth!"

Everyone gasped locking themselves of the fox tailed boy staring back with slitted pupils.

"That's a lode horse crap! Acel was wounded when we brought him here he had no bags on him!"

"Either way I must take him for questioning, now stand aside!" Shouted the guard. Natsu ignited his fist at the ready.

"Stand back, Natsu! It's alright."

"What, are you kidding me?" Gray shouted in disbelief.

"Just do as I say! I'll come with you as long none comes to harm to the Guild."

The guard smiled nodding his head as Acel passed the chattering guild without a second look stepping into the bright light vanishing from their gaze.

"I don't get it? How can they just take him like that?" Natsu yelled confused.

"Hey as anyone seen Wendy anywhere?" Standing up with the locket in her fist.

"She went out to get groceries with Carla that was hours ago." Juvia said.

Lucy stared back at the locket staring at the photos confused with a head full of questions all of a sudden Gajeel came from the shadows. "If want answers, then we better hurry if you want to ask him." Lucy narrowed on Gajeel and Pantherlilly. "What do you mean?"