Two chapters in one week? What foolish trickery is this?

An apology to anyone who was really wanting more updates. But holy crap a lot more people are actually enjoying this than I thought. So thank you all for that.

There's a bit of a treat in this chapter, can you guess what it is?

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It's plot. Just kidding, its more back story than anything. Because absolutely EVERYONE must have been wondering who the mysterious Damien is.

And this is actually no help at all. Sorry 'bout that.

Also, I don't own Fairy Tail. Oh, the things I would do if I did...

When I got back to the infirmary, I flung myself on the nearest cot and stared at the ceiling.

Everything was happening all at once.

…

"Wait, you seriously want me to join your guild?"

I looked at the short Guild Master with complete shock. Lucy next to me didn't seem all that surprised. In fact she was smiling. Was she in on this too?

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked me. "You've proven to me and to the rest of my guild that you are willing to help others at the expense of your own health. Not to mention your magical stamina is one to be marvelled at. I don't think even a master could use their magic in the way you have for as long as you have."

His flattery was falling upon deaf ears. I could only think about Damien. No doubt he was already well on his way here, ready to drag me back by the scruff of my neck. I shivered internally.

I barely noticed the crowd that gathered but I did notice The Dragon Slayers with their usual group. They all gave me encouraging smiles. I looked away from them quickly and turned my gaze toward Makarov. He looked so sure that he didn't regret his decision.

"I…," I broke and put a hand to my head. "Normally I would assume that this is cut and dry conversation. But right now, I'm not really in a position to give you a direct answer."

I looked around at all of the hopeful faces around me and felt myself sink. "I'm sorry, but I don't know."

A few reactions from the crowd occurred. Shock, disbelief, thoughtful nods, and slight disappointment. Makarov however, did not looked fazed. He just gave me a slight smile.

"That's completely fair," he said. "Some people do have trouble making a decision on the spot. My offer still stands so by all means, if you need to think about it please do."

…

I groaned as I flipped myself onto my stomach and buried my face in the soft pillow. I had absolutely no right to make this decision after everything I had done to come here. I lied to my closest friend and left everyone who had ever cared for me, all to carry out a selfish wish to go and find Galaxus.

But who doesn't want to find their dad after he disappears? I used to think that I was the only one who cared about Galaxus enough to go out and find him. But when I got older, I realized it was killing Damien almost as much as it was killing me.

I never understood why though. Damien honestly just appeared out of the blue a week after Galaxus vanished and then suddenly pledges to protect me from harm. I knew Galaxus had something to do with it but I haven't the slightest clue as to why he would do it in the first place.

Rolling onto my back again, someone opened the door to the infirmary.

To my surprise, it was Natsu, looking a bit angry.

"Here to yell at me for not joining the guild immediately?" I ask him as I cross my legs and put my hands behind my head. "Because you can spare me the lecture."

"Master doesn't ask for people to join often," his voice was tinged with anger. "Why don't you want to join?"

"I have my reasons," I said as I looked at my nails nonchalantly. "Reasons that you don't need to know. As for not wanting to join, I never said I didn't want to join. I would love to join Fairy Tail."

He blinked at me with surprise. "Then why aren't you joining?" The anger was gone, replaced by exasperation.

"I told," I sighed, sitting up. "Reasons."

"Why are you so secretive about everything you do?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?"

We stared at each other for a moment before I broke away to raise my knees to my chest. "My life is mine and mine alone," I told him in the most serious tone I could muster. "I don't know if you would understand that, but there are things in my past that people don't need to know. It might even be helpful if I could forget about it myself but I'm not that lucky."

He looked at me confused. "What do you mean?"

I closed my eyes and shook my head. I've always managed to do this. I've always managed to get attached to a place I've barely been and grow to be too empathetic to people I barely know. I truth, I felt bad knowing that I could probably tell no one my past but Damien, who might not even know the whole story, depending on what Galaxus told him. But I felt worse knowing that I opened up this tiny little bit of myself and suddenly the door I only opened a crack to let the light in now held a tantalizing mystery to everyone who wanted to know me.

"Forget it," I told him swiftly. "Let's just say that I'm not just making this decision for myself. I have other people in my life I need to worry about. The choices I make will affect others who are important to me."

Natsu looked bored and heaved a great sigh as he flopped down on a bed to my left. "What a pain in the ass," he grumbled. "You should just be making that decision for yourself. Your life isn't about pleasing everyone around you, its about making choices that will benefit you and your happiness. If these 'people' you're talking about really care for you as much as you care for them, they should understand."

Now I blinked at the pink-haired guy with surprise. "I didn't expect you to say something so…, thoughtful. I guess I can't underestimate you, Salamander."

"I get that a lot." He triumphantly put his hands behind his head and kicked a leg up on his pointed knee.

I snorted. "I'm sure you do."

…

After Natsu left the Infirmary, I lay down on the bed I was sitting in. It was so difficult to talk to people who didn't know me. I was so used to talking to Damien, it was hard to remember that not everyone knew me like he did. Damien was my only friend, even if he was really only ever my bodyguard.

It was difficult to socialize with anyone in my old village. All anyone would ever do was talk amongst themselves. They took care of me because they knew I was an orphan. They took care of me because they knew my parents. But I knew the truth. They were scared of me. Scared of my power, my cold demeanor, my past. I tried as best as I could to be friendly with everyone but it was lost on them. The villagers never trusted me and that distrust would never be swayed. I was the black sheep.

And Damien was the unfortunate shepard.

I met him right after Galaxus disappeared. I was going through a phase of hating everything and everyone when it finally settled in that I was completely alone. The forest where the village was situated was where I spent most of my time. Galaxus and I had lived farther away from everyone. After all, if they had seen him, they would have tried to kill him for sure. And would have failed miserably too but you have to give humans some credit for their bravery.

I wandered around, going nowhere in particular. At times I would just blindly stumble through the woods. Out of nowhere, random bursts of rage would flare up. I'd summon a galaxy blade and start slashing at trees, screaming like a banshee as I had swung madly at ancient trunks. I blamed everything for everything ever at that time and any unfortunate person or thing that was in my path got the extent of my anger. At the end of my temper tantrum, giant trees would lay mangled on the forest floor, probably cursing my existence for needlessly cutting them down. I would be on my hands and knees panting. Then, after a moment of slowing my heart rate and lulling my fury, I would start to cry. The kind of crying you do when you make these awful screeches at the top of your lungs while your tears are like waterfalls cascading down your cheeks. And when the worst of it was over, I would lay there in the middle of the forest, hiccuping and falling asleep over all the emotional energy drained from me.

Then I'd wake up and start the cycle all over again. I'd take a minute to find food every now and then but eventually I found that it was wasted on me. I felt like I wanted to die.

But in the middle of one of my outbursts, Damien wandered in. I noticed his presence and tried to ignore it. My rage increased as I started to notice he was watching me swing at the trees. I swung even faster, with even more strength until I was slicing trees apart with one swing. Eventually I was facing a rock wall and started slashing at that until my arms felt numb and my hands were bleeding. My magic power whittled away as the celestial blade I had summoned vanished from my grasp and I stumbled forward, placing my hands against the rock face for support.

I wasn't really sure what had gotten into me. I was exhausted, magically drained, and fairly injured. I had spent at least 3 hours hacking away at the rock and yet I still felt so much hatred and agony. My heart felt like it was twisting in sickening ways as I tried to find a way to accept the fact that the only being in my life up until then that cared for me was now gone.

Just gone.

I started feebly punching the stone before I slid to the dirty ground and pounded my head halfheartedly against the hard surface while I began to cry. By this time, Damien had been creeping slowly forward until now, he reached out to me and held me as I cried.

I was 5 years old at the time.

Damien was 8.

Thinking back on it now, he was always a very serious guy. Even when he was young and started looking after me, he was completely independent and mature. I was out of it for a few days as he took care of me in a cottage he had been living in on his own in the forest. He was the best person to take care of me because after moping around in bed for about a week, he slapped me and shouted that I got my act together.

I smirked quietly to myself as I snuggled deeper and deeper into the soft bed. I shimmied into the covers and rested my head against the pillow, becoming aware of the tear that had found its way down my cheek. I wiped it away briskly, and slowly felt myself being overtaken by sleep.

Aaaaaaaand I just realized that I never described what Damien looks like. Way to go me.

Next chapter, I swear.

I'll try to update on Fridays and I really hope that works out because my science teacher is being mean so know I have a final. Yay.

Adieu my friends, until next we meet...

(By the way, happy holidays for people who have winter holidays early in December. I hope it was swell.)