"Se-Sebastian," Lucy stammered.

"Lucy," he acknowledged her with a nod of his head. Even though she was not in the Heartfilia mansion and she was deemed a runaway, he still played along with the charade of being a good butler. Sebastian had been the one to betray her to Lord Geer. Back at the Heartfilia mansion, she would be prepping for her upcoming wedding, going through the tedious arrangements and process of courting him.

"You look quite different," he said coolly as if just a few hours ago he hadn't attacked her.

Whatever remnants of betrayal she'd kept stored in her for the past few months and night went to her hand and she could feel it aiming for Sebastian's face. The amount of tears she shed wouldn't have changed a thing. A slap to Sebastian's face wouldn't compare to the pain she'd felt when he'd started turning cold to her.

Now, she didn't know how she had considered him a friend. She realized that the understanding boy she knew was all just a façade to lure her into Lord Geer's master plan. To get her keys. The keys that'd once belonged to her mother and were the only things her father hadn't been able to get his hands on.

He snagged her wrist and smiled, "Not only do you look different but you act it as well."

"If given the chance I would do a lot worse to you after everything you've done to me," she admonished. Her tone was full of contempt.

"Out of all things I've pegged you for, I'd never think of you as close-minded," Sebastian said. "After all those times we shared I thought you would've figured it out."

What the heck is he talking about?

Then images started racing back at her, the times when Sebastian looked sickly and cold. Him opening his mouth as if he was going to tell her a forbidden secret but then closing it in the last possible second in fear of someone hearing. Or the sudden dismal of the topic of his parents.

"Shared? Everything you've ever told me was a lie. Everything!" she exclaimed, un-snagging her wrist. "You used me from the start, Sebastian, you were never a friend. You were always with him. And I told you everything like a fool!"

"I can't deny you that, I'm sorry, Lucy. There's a lot more to what you know, Lord Geer is my true master, one that I'm sworn to for all eternity," he explained. "He told me to befriend you, study you and find out if you possessed the keys that the Lady had. Then when I got promoted to butler by your father, everything worked out in my favor. You were separated from everyone under my watch. If I don't do what he says then I break my oath."

Lucy processed what he was saying. But she shook her head. How did she know that what he was saying was not part of the plan to capture her? How did she know this was not Lord Geer's orders? Sebastian was a user of dark magic, servant or not.

Sebastian was more than qualified to be a user of dark spells. It didn't matter that he was here confronting Lucy about Lord Geer, he was still a threat to her. One that couldn't easily be reckoned with.

"How can I be sure what you're telling me is not lies?"

"Take a look for yourself," Sebastian raised his sleeve. Lucy's eyes widened when she saw a dark orb-like mark etched into his skin that was slowly creeping its way up his arm. "Every time I'm not around Master Geer, I'm drawing from my own magical source, which has limits."

From her view Lucy could see black ink circulating around the orb, outlining his veins. And although Sebastian tried to hide it, Lucy could see the slightest discomfort sign of discomfort in his eyes. She didn't know if she could truly believe him.

All this time he's been a puppet just like...

Lucy stopped herself at that thought. Sebastian was not like her in the slightest way. He was a dark magic user and could end her life any minute now. Or he could compel her to go back to Heartfilia mansion and marry Lord Geer. The thoughts that she deemed foreboding were treading on a thin string.

There was something about the look in his eyes or the fact that he could kill her or compel her at any time he choose to that made him dangerous. As much as she didn't like to admit it, she and Sebastian shared one genuine thing in common; they were both indeed puppets. He to Lord Geer and she to her father.

"Still don't believe me?" Sebastian queried.

"I... I don't know!" Lucy cried. "You tell me that you were sent to spy on me for my keys and now you're trying to help me and not to mention you attacked me!"

He lowered his head slightly as if he were ashamed of his behavior. "I had to be sure."

"You could've killed me!"

"But I didn't. The attack I used was going to send you into a comatose state."

"Why does he want my keys?"

"My lord has his own reasons, even reasons he won't tell his most trusted servants," Sebastian replied. He slightly emphasized 'most trusted servants.' Lucy seemed to notice this but didn't say anything in response. She and Sebastian looked at each other in silence, both of their eyes scanning each other for any sudden change in expression. The black ink was now on his left arm having sketched rune symbols onto his face.

"If I said I believed you, how can I be assured that you aren't tricking me?"

"When you reach Ismitch town, it will be filled with guards hunting you down and the borders of the forest to the southeast are filled with monsters that your father put. The only way out of the forest is through Diablo," he explained while handing her a black amulet shaped like a Yucan canine in hurried manner.

"What?" Lucy croaked in disbelief.

Diablo? And the townspeople, Father will do such a horrid thing?

"I don't have much time left but he'll help you, and this to," Sebastian said handing her backpack that was notably full and motioning his head to look behind her. She did and across the stream Diablo appeared. Her black steed greeting her with a nod of his massive head.

"Be safe," she heard Sebastian tell her before looking back to the trunk of a tree

There's no time, Lucy, his magic may have thrown Natsu and Levy and the flying cat off but they can still be nearby.

She took a deep breath and decided that she would have to trust Sebastian's words, as much as she hated to, but he was her only hope of getting away from the grasps of the Fairy Tail mages, the monsters and her father. Lucy crossed over the stream. The current made it hard for her to find her balance. With much difficulty she made it across and got on Diablo with soaked feet.

He neighed and took off. He went through the woods just merely passing dangling branches and uneven roots. Sebastian was still ringing through Lucy's mind; his words and him being a puppet. She was certain that she had to be on her guard and would consult with Capricorn as soon as she got out of the woods. It was best for her celestial spirits not to be summoned. Their summoning would act as a beacon to the Fairy Tail mages and her father and give them her location.

She had no definite plan as to what she was going to do when she was out of their hands but before leaving she had to at least sneak into Mr. Bero's grave and pay her respects to him. Her father would never have allowed her to something like that, despite him having been her celestial magic teacher for the past two years.

The idea had come to her when she'd been riding Diablo. The key that was now safely nestled into the depth of her back pack and she believed it was the next step to finding the location of the other golden key. It was almost as if Mr. Bero was rewarding her for finally running away from that horrible mansion. Despite Sebastian's words and the mages that were after her, she couldn't run away without saying a final goodbye to her teacher.

She was almost to the edge of the forest, a cut out that lead to a shack. She eyed her surrounding noting how desolate the place seemed. She went to the clothing line and pulled on the worn cloak, pulling it over herself. In its place, she left a golden coin Sebastian had placed in her bag.

"Come on, boy," she said as she got onto him and she rode towards the town.

Thank you for reading. :)