The sun shined upon the village as its inhabitants could see the large amounts of smoke off in the distance from the events that occurred last night. As they all mumbled to themselves, wondering what had happened Lucy walked through the crowd with her head down as she carried her bags. The events that had transpired last night would play over and over again in her head. How malicious and evil Flint was after burning away a family's life work, the sheer terror in Jack's eyes, how angry Karen got when all Lucy wanted to do was help. Even the weird emblem of a snake wrapped around a flaming sword that was on the members of the dark guild was engraved in the mage's head. But what peeked her curiosity the most, was Haruo.

At first he seemed alright. Just a quiet man who's mysterious nature called out to Lucy as if it was begging for her attention. But in battle she could see just how animalistic he was. His growls reminded her of a predator on the prowl and his eyes...those god damn eyes. So dull and black, but at night they seemed to shine in the star and moonlight. And what the hell is that beast dog he keeps as for a pet?

Lucy would snap back to reality when she heard the shutting of a door. She would look up and see Haruo in front of her, Cerberus the dog beast behind him, growling at her. He was in front of a shappy and broken down looking building, the word Hotel was faintly plastered above the door as if it was washed away. Haruo had a backpack hung over his shoulder and a suitcase next to him. Seems like he too was skipping town.

Lucy wanted to walk past him, no point in talking to an animalistic killer. But she was reminded of last night. He covered for her. Why? She had to know. Lucy had to know everything there was to know about this man and she had no idea why.

She could've asked him anything. Why did you Kill Flint? What's your connection to Karen? Who are you? What is Cerberus? Why did you defend me?

But she didn't say any of that. For some reason seeing Haruo just freezes her and she never knows what to say.

"H-hey..." Lucy said as she stood awkwardly in front of him.

"Hey." He said back, his voice as soft and firm as ever.

"How are you holdin' up?" The black haired man asked.

Lucy didn't answer, all she could do was look down as she was reminded of something else that happened last night. She forgot her keys. Her spirits. Her friends. Ever since he passed she's never pulled them out, not even to fight. How could she forget about them? How could she forget about her friends?

Haruo looks down at the bags Lucy was carrying.

"You leavin'?"

Lucy nodded.

"Y-yeah."

Haruo looked back up at her, his eyes still cold but they softened only slightly when he looked at her.

"Me too."

Lucy continued to look down at her feet in total embarrassment and sadness.

"There's a train station not far from here, just thought I'd let you know."

Haruo was about to walk away with Cerberus before Lucy stopped him.

"W-wait!"

Lucy called out, her arm stretched out towards him as if she was reaching for him.

Haruo stopped, his back faced her for a moment before he lets out a sigh and turns to her. Looking into her brown eyes with his cold lifeless black ones.

"Yeah?"

Lucy pulls her hand away from him and looked down to her brown boots.

"Why...why did you cover for me...?"

Haruo looked down to Cerberus and they both shared a slightly confused look before they both simultaneously looked back to her.

"Because you're a good person...admittably I believe you should've stayed in the goddamn house like you where told but someone had to stand up to those fucks eventually."

Lucy looked up at Haruo questionably, a little taken back by him calling her a 'good person'.

"Weren't you standing up to them?"

Haruo shook his head.

"No, I was more of a thorn in their side. They just got on my nerves."

"Oh..."

Lucy's eyes trailed downwards.

"If that's all you're gonna ask then I have no reason to waste my time anymore."

Haruo was about to turn around when he feels something grab his arm.

"Hm?"

He looked over at her. She was looking down, obviously still shaken by last night. Haruo would sigh as he took pity upon the blonde mage.

"What are you gonna do now?" He asked as he stared down at her.

"I-I'm..." She gulps before she lets go of his arm and steps back. "I'm gonna continue my search...for aquarius' key..."

Haruo cocked his head like a curious dog as he looked at her. "You don't seem completely confident in your efforts to find this key."

Lucy was taken back by his statement. Aquarius was one of her greatest friends, why wouldn't she be confident in the search to bring her back?

"Look, if you sit still and wallow in self pity you'll accomplish jack shit." Haruo said as he turned his back towards the blonde. "I don't know what happened to you and frankly I don't give a damn, but if you want to find what you're looking for you need to be strong in the face of loss."

Lucy's eyes widened as he told her this. Haruo was right. Ever since she lost him she's just been wallowing in self pity and sadness. Because of her wallowing Lucy has put aside her closest friends and the only family she had left.

"You have a fire in you Lucy," Haruo said as he begun to walk away from her. "You just need to light it."

Lucy looked up at Haruo as she saw him leaving her. She couldn't let him leave her. She didn't know why but she just couldn't. There's still so much she hasn't learned about him. She just has grown this buring desire to discover everything there is to know about this mysterious man.

"C-come with me!" She said frankly as she reached her hand out to Haruo.

Haruo stopped dead in his tracks. She did not just ask him to join her on this ridiculous quest didn't she?

Lucy's eyes widened once she realized what she just asked. She would put her hand down as she just stared at Haruo before realizing something else. She then looked at him sadly at the realization.

"You're alone...aren't you?"

Haruo's face darkened as she said this. He would then look down to the dirt on the ground.

"I've been alone for a very long time."

Lucy would stand tall and walk over to him. Haruo, hearing the sound of her making his way over to him, turned to her and sees how her posture has changed. Once she was sulking in self pity, now she was standing confidently in determination.

"Come with me." She said as she looked stern into his eyes. "You don't have to be alone."

Cerberus tilted his head in confusion before looking up at his master.

"No." Haruo said coldly as he looked back into her eyes. "Don't you remember? I'm a monster."

"Maybe. But what's wrong with that?" Lucy gave him a small smile.

This takes Haruo back before he feels her take his hand and begin to drag him off.

"Hey, the fuck you doin'?" Haruo asked as he looked at her, confused as Cerberus follows close behind.

Lucy turns to him and smiles brightly at him. "If we're gonna be alone, mine as well be alone together." She would give him a wink.

Haruo would narrow his eyes at her before looking away at her with a growl.

"Fine." He muttered.

Lucy squeaks with excitement as she carries a bright big smile on her face.

"This is the start of a new adventure!"