Hey guys! I'm sorry this chapter was delayed, school and being sick did not help. This chapter also became something VERY different than I originally intended, therefore it is also VERY long. But I hope you enjoy!
The sound of rushing water arose Gajeel from his sleep. He sat up, looking around him, not remembering how he had gotten there. He must have passed out during his run, he thought. Gajeel looked to his left and noticed, on a small hill, sat a lone tree and a tall shadow. The sight of it sent a chill down his spine. Confused, Gajeel slowly stepped forward, wary of the figure. The figure turned, revealing a beautiful woman with rich, chocolate curls and a white flowing dress. He stopped in his tracks, blood vanishing from his face. The woman walked gracefully over, a look of distain on her face, causing Gajeel to fall on his knees.
"N-no…" Gajeel said, slightly shaking. "No." he placed his face in his hands.
"Coward." The woman's voice was cold and harsh, "You still refuse to face me, even after you failed me."
"I didn't… I didn't mean to-"
"But you did!" the voice boomed loudly, causing his ears to ring, "My death and blood are on your hands!"
He frantically shook his head looking up at the woman, her eyes full of hatred.
"All you bring is pain to those who dare try and become close to you." she spat.
Suddenly she started screaming, a look of horror covering her features. Gajeel stretched out his arm, yelling in agony as the woman began melting in front of his eyes.
"NO!"
Gajeel sat bolt up in his bed, sweat covering him completely. He placed a hand on his forehead, breathing deeply and frantically. He hadn't had that nightmare in almost a year, making him almost forget the horror of it. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face, groaning in annoyance.
He dragged himself up and headed into the bathroom, stepping into the shower and turning it on. Gajeel stood there for a while, letting the cold water wash away the rawness of the dream, but it still made his skin crawl. Flashes of the woman kept appearing in his mind, his stomach twisting when her face began to morph into Lillian's. He saw Lillian's beautiful blue eyes, full of happiness, contort into a look of pure loathing, directed towards him. Gajeel's eyes sprung open, wanting to end the image right then and there.
But the picture stayed.
His hands turned to fists as he imagined Lillian hating him. Again, the image twisted into her laying inside a coffin, her skin snow white and cheeks gaunt. He watched as everyone around turned towards him with the same look of hatred.
With a growl Gajeel shut off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist. He had just gotten dressed when there was a knock on his front door.
"Go away." he yelled, not wanting to deal with anyone.
"It's me!" Lillian's voice sounded from the other side.
Gajeel sighed, but went and opened the door anyway. Lillian was dressed in jeans and a red tank top, her silver hair in loose curls around her body.
"Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go get breakfast together or something." Lillian said smiling. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes and frowned, "You okay?"
"Peachy." Gajeel said, turning around and walking back inside, leaving the door open.
She took that as an invitation and walked inside after him, shutting the door behind her. Lillian looked around curiously, having never been inside his home before, despite meeting him there a few times. The place was much more sparse than she expected, only the bare minimals around. Gajeel walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of his fridge, taking a large swig of it.
"Isn't it kind of early for that?" Lillian asked jokingly as she leaned against the kitchen doorframe.
"Nope." was all Gajeel said, taking another drink.
She frowned again, crossing her arms, "Gajeel, seriously what's wrong. I'm worried."
He laughed darkly as he sat his drink down, "Nothing you need to worry yourself about Lillian."
"Well I do worry. You're my friend Gajeel, I care about you." Lillian said, pouting.
"Hmph. Well, maybe you shouldn't." he said, walking into his living room.
Lillian's face scrunched up as she followed, "Okay, what the fuck is going on with you?" she asked, exasperated. "I thought we were past the point of you being an aloof asshole towards me." She threw her arms up slightly, "Heck, if you asked me what was wrong, I would tell you what was bothering me. Because that's what friends do."
Suddenly Lillian was backed up against the wall as Gajeel towered over her, his face inches from hers, "Did it ever occur to you I never wanted to be your friend?" he asked, his eyes dark and intimidating.
"G-Gajeel…" Lillian said, trying to press further against the wall.
"You see this here?" Gajeel asked, his skin turning to iron and his eyes glowing, "I'm a monster. I'm not one you wanna be around." He grinned menacingly, his sharp canines flashing.
Lillian's stomach tightened, her eyes large as she looked at the man in front of her. He stared back, his look of anger unwavering as guilt punched him in the gut.
He pushed off the wall and turned away from her, "Go."
Lillian just stood there, "Why are you pushing me away all of a sudden?" she asked, her voice small, "Cause I thought we… I just wanna know why."
Instead of an answer Gajeel strode into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
Lillian rubbed at her eyes before they could produce tears and left Gajeel's house. Once he knew she was gone Gajeel let out a roar of anger, ramming his iron fist into the wall, making a hole.
"Hey, I've been looking everywhere for you."
Lillian tilted her head back to see an upside-down Simon, his arms crossed over his chest. It was later in the evening and, upon no one having seen his sister, he went looking for her. Eventually he came to the workout area to find her working herself extremely hard.
"I've been here most of the day." She replied, resuming to bench press.
Simon raised an eyebrow, "You know, you really should have a spotter."
"Well, no one was around." She said in between presses.
"What about Gajeel?"
Lillian hooked the bar and sat up, stretching her arms, "We're not really talking."
"What? Why not?" he asked, looking her over.
"Look it's not that big of a deal." She said standing up, "I thought we were close but we aren't, that's it."
Lillian wrapped a towel around the back of her neck as she took a swig of her water. Simon narrowed his eyes, unconvinced that that was indeed the full story.
"Lillian I'm serious." He said, grabbing her elbow as she tried to walk away, "If he did something to you I need to know.
"He didn't do anything to me alright?" she said, trying to shake off his hold, "Now just drop it please."
Simon tightened his grip, making Lillian look him in the eye. She stared back, her eyes hard. Ever so slightly her lip wobbled and, had it been anyone else they wouldn't have noticed, but this was her brother. He clenched his jaw and let go of her arm before turning and walking away. Lillian let out an annoyed breath as she watched Simon walk away, too physically spent to bother going after him.
She gathered her things and left the gym tired and eager to relax back in her room. Levy had highly praised a book the day before and Lillian grew excited just thinking about it, her spirits lifting at the thought of curling up with it. She made the short trek up to her place, waving at the girls who lived in the building as well, and went into her room. Once inside she dropped all her things, instantly heading into the bathroom and hopping into the shower. Not wanting to be left with her own thoughts for too long she cleaned herself quickly.
She dried herself and put on soft night pants and a tank top, heading into her kitchen and putting on a pot to make hot chocolate. She didn't care that it was the middle of summer, hot chocolate always gave her a happy, warm belly. She filled her favorite cute-penguin-mug, grabbed her headphones, and sat in the windowsill. Once she was all curled up and comfy, Lillian put in her headphones, picked up Levy's book, and started reading. She became engrossed with it instantly as it followed the story of a female assassin having to hide her identity as she tried to overthrow the king.
Despite the music, Lillian's ears perked up at a sloshing sound coming from inside her room. Slowly she sat down her book and took out her headphones, the noise becoming louder. She stood up and carefully walked towards the kitchen, covering her nose with her hand when she caught a whiff of something foul. There, in the middle of the kitchen, was a towering pile of what looked like tar and muck. As Lillian took another step she accidently kicked the side of the counter. Quickly the conglomeration sprang towards her, pinning her against the wall. She started screaming, hoping someone in the building would hear her. Her screams stopped short when the gunk slithered up her body and wrapped around her neck, cutting off her air.
"W-wh…" Lillian sputtered.
She tried shooting out an attack but the muck kept her arms stuck at her sides. Slowly the stuff around her began to morph into a closed hand, the body it was attached to taking shape. Lillian's eyes widened as the face of Mezun smirked back at her.
"Hello again." He said, voice laced with venom, "Miss me?"
She struggled harder against his hold, tears forming in her eyes as the pain in her body grew from lack of air.
"Oh, where are my manners?" Mezun said, letting go of her neck, causing her to fall to the floor coughing.
Lillian glared up at him as she rubbed her neck, "What are you doing here?"
He chuckled, kneeling down to her height, "Oh, sweet Lillian," he reached out taking a hold of her chin, "I'm here for you of course."
With his other arm he quickly punched her in the face, sending her back against the wall, unconscious.
Lillian blinked her eyes, groaning at the throbbing pain at the back of her head. She touched it gently, hissing at the sharp pain it sent through her skull. Memories hit her quickly and she looked around, terror flooding her when she couldn't see anything. She panicked for a moment, feeling the floor and wondering if she'd gone blind, when light poured in from a door being open. Lillian backed herself against the wall, trying not to be seen.
"Oh good, you're awake." A male voice said as a figure appeared in the doorway.
"Who're you?" Lillian asked, standing up.
The man grinned, licking his lips as he walked forward, "The person who's going to break you."
She narrowed her eyes, flinging her arms forward with an attack. He easily dodged it, coming around to snap two iron cuffs onto her wrists. Lillian growled as they seemed to burn her skin. She swung around quickly, stunned when her magic refused to respond to her. The man laughed darkly as he watched her struggle against the bonds. She glared at him turning back to punch him square in the jaw, sending him back a few yards.
"I don't need magic to kick your ass." Lillian said.
She ran towards him and swung her leg around behind his feet, causing him to fall flat on his back.
"Stupid bitch." He snarled as he shot a fire ball towards her face.
She dropped down, dodging the attack before sprinting towards the open door. Sliding out into the hall she looked down either side, deciding to run up the north side, hoping to find some kind of exit or even a window. Lillian rushed ahead, wishing she was in better running attire when she screamed, having suddenly been pulled against the wall wrists first. She struggled against the pull, realizing the wall must be magnetic. She pulled and pulled, he wrists becoming raw as the metal rubbed her skin.
The sound of slow clapping snapped Lillian to attention as she looked down the hall. Mezun stood there, a smug look on his face as he walked towards her.
"Very well done. I dare say you would've escaped had it not been for those cuffs." He gestured to her upheld wrists. "But alas, you weren't clever enough to avoid those."
Mezun stood close to her, smiling down at the scowl on her own face, "Come now, you should be excited." His grin enlarged, "You are the lucky subject who gets to be the center of my tests."
Lillian flung her foot forward, successfully connecting with his stomach. He let out an oof, the grin now gone from his face.
"That's enough games." Mezun said.
He walked over and pressed himself against her so that she couldn't move her legs, as well as grabbing her head and tilting it to the side.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Lillian asked, panic in her voice.
He didn't answer as he withdrew a syringe from his pocket, pressing the needle into her neck and pushing down. She tried struggling more, but quickly her brain seemed to start to function in slow motion. She looked up at Mezun to see his face cold, before everything went black.
When he awoke, Gajeel knew something was very, very wrong. It was just after three a.m. and his magic felt like it was burning under his skin, urging him to get up. Something in his gut told him it was about Lillian, but he didn't want to believe it. He rushed out of his home and ran to Fairy Hills, his stomach dropping even further when there was a crowd gathered outside. The first person to notice him was Levy, tears streaming down her face. He didn't have to ask, he knew his gut had been correct.
"She's gone. He took her." Levy said, her voice wobbly.
"What do you mean 'he'?" Gajeel asked, practically growling.
"I-I don't know, some man." She stammered, "I head Lillian screaming from her room so I went to go look. When I unlocked the door, there was a guy standing there over her body. When he saw me he smirked then… vanished." She shivered at the memory.
Gajeel pushed past her to quickly run up to Lillian's room, her scent instantly filling his nose once inside. He walked over to the window, where her scent was the strongest, and he saw the little nest she had made herself, smiling to himself slightly at the sight of her mug. He noticed her music was still playing and he flipped it off, suddenly getting the smell of something nasty. He made his way to the kitchen where the smell resonated, almost choking on the potency of it. Gajeel looked down to see a slight dent in the wall and a red substance lining the crack.
He growled loudly when he realized it was Lillian's blood.
As he turned to leave he almost ran smack into Simon, who had the same look of anger and determination on his face. The two men nodded in mutual understanding before running out of the building.
"Where to?" Simon asked, keeping in step with Gajeel.
"I've no idea." He said angrily, "Go around until we come across a scent."
Simon nodded, the pair heading out into the town, eyes peering for anything suspicious. An hour went by with no leads being found, when suddenly Gajeel stopped and looked around.
"What is it?" Simon asked, reaching back to rest his hand on his hilt.
Gajeel's eyebrows scrunched as he a looked around, "I thought I recognized…" his eyes widened as he took off running.
Simon followed without question. Gajeel slowed to stop when he came to an old looking shop front. It seemed to be a second-hand store, selling rusted looking metal and worn clothing. The two walked inside, glancing around at the odd arrangements. There seemed to be nobody inside of the shop, giving the two guild members a feeling of unease. Simon quietly walked to the back end of the shop, slipping behind a loose curtain hanging from the ceiling. Gajeel followed suit, unsatisfied when it seemed to be an ordinary, dusty storage area. Simon motioned towards the ground where a rug lay, the only non-dust covered surface. Pushing it aside revealed a hidden, wooden door which Gajeel promptly pulled up and open.
Cold air rushed up to meet them, low light visible enough to light the spiral staircase the wound down. Simon took the lead and starting descending first, his arms reaching back to unsheathe his swords. He would never forgive himself if something happened to his sister. He should've stayed with her, Simon thought to himself. He should've been there to protect her. He ground his teeth together, shaking himself mentally. Gajeel placed his hand onto Simon's shoulder and the two locked eyes before nodding and then proceeding forward, even death shuddering at the looks on their faces.
Lillian woke to the feeling of cold metal on her back and bright lights in her face. She tried to bring her hand up to shield her eyes, but her arms didn't respond. Her eyes opened fully and looked down to see that she was strapped down onto a table with belt like bands.
"Don't bother struggling," a cold voice said, "it'll just tire you out quicker."
Lillian's eyes darted towards the source of the voice, landing on Mezun standing next to a table covered in medical objects. He was dressed in a lab coat, a plain t-shirt visible underneath, and a pair of glasses in front of his eyes. From this close he seemed very… tired, and much older than he was supposed to be.
"What happened to you?" Lillian couldn't help but ask. "And why did you attack that village on Cherchu?" She figured she was going to face death, might as well try to get some answers first.
Mezun chuckled lightly and glanced over at her, "Still as verbal as ever." He shook his head and picked up a syringe, a dark liquid sloshing inside. Lillian physically recoiled and he laughed again, "Knowledge, by dear Lillian. That is what happened to me." A dark, malicious look passed over his features, "Knowledge leads to many great things."
He came over to her left side and grabbed the tube that came from her arm and inserted the syringe into it. Lillian watched as the liquid made its way down into her arm, making her shiver.
"Wh-what is this?!" she asked, voice higher than usual.
"It's a quite powerful numbing agent." He said, pressing the last of the liquid in. "It makes my experiments much easier to perform when my subjects aren't thrashing about."
"W-why would I be thrashing about?" Lillian asked, scared of the answer.
Mezun just smiled as he seemed to start organizing his supplies, "For now, all you need to know is that I have devoted my life to studying magic and the limits that it possesses."
Lillian shook her head, fear gripping her as she began to lose feeling in her fingers, "What does that even mean?"
He sighed, "Everything has its' limits, even our magic. You get so much of it at a time, and if you use all of it up your body reacts negatively." He came over to her right and sat down in a chair. "However, there are some special individuals who can tap into their magic in a way that makes it seem as if they have an unlimited amount."
"My studies have yielded a few different results when one is pushed to the limits: an individual with either completely deplete their magical resources and pass out, or their body fights and finds some way to receive more power." Mezun adjusted his glasses on his face, "I have only ever come across one person who was able to achieve this." he glanced over at Lillian, "Myself."
Lillian's eyes widened, "You? How?" she asked, but instantly thought back to how he had stolen Simon's powers.
Mezun nodded, as if knowing what she was thinking. "Yes, because I have been able to acquire more power than usual, it is as if I cannot run out of magic."
She opened her mouth to argue how he stole that power, but her mouth wouldn't open. Her tongue suddenly felt like cotton inside her mouth.
"Ah, good. It seems the drug as finally taken full effect." Mezun stood up, beginning to gather up supplies.
Lillian, filled with fear, willed her body to move, realizing she couldn't feel anything at all. Her arms move slightly, but she couldn't feel the movement she was producing. He came over and tightened her restraints, hindering any future movements. He grabbed a large needle with a tube attached, similar to the ones they use to draw blood, and pressed it into her arm. However, no blood came out, just a slightly shimmering liquid. Unable to ask questions, Lillian watched as this liquid steadily poured out of her, filling a bag on the table beside her.
Mezun watched carefully, taking periodic notes as he did, nodding as if everything was going according to plan. Slowly Lillian noticed a ringing begin to build in her ears as she started feeling very exhausted. Her eyes fell on Mezun who just stood there, watching, like he was waiting for something to happen. The ringing intensified as her eye lids became heavy and hard to keep open. Even though she couldn't feel her body, she could feel a sudden sharp pain in her gut. Lillian wanted to cry out, wanted to beg him to stop, but she couldn't. Realization hit her as she noticed she's felt this type of pain before. It only ever came when she used up too much magic energy.
Her eyes widened and she glanced over at the bag on the table, knowing now what was filling it. Her magic.
"Go! I'll hold them off, you go find Lillian!" Simon yelled as multiple guards began to surround him.
Gajeel nodded and ran down the hall until he rounded a corner where two guards stood. He could hear them laughing to each other, talking about some girl with silver…
His blood began to boil, and with a roar Gajeel ran forward, shooting an attack right into one of the men's faces, instantly rendering him unconscious.
"Where is she!?" he yelled, running to the other man and grabbing him by the collar.
The man narrowed his eyes and slipped a knife from out of his sleeve, shooting it up aiming for Gajeel's heart. Gajeel moved quick enough that the knife just barely cut his palm, swiftly turning and punching the man in the face.
His ears perked up at the sound of a high-pitched scream, laced with pain. He ran towards the sound, coming to a halt when a figure came out of a room, locking the door behind them. They turned and, upon noticing Gajeel standing there, their mouth curled into an evil smile. He took a fighting stance, taking a deep breath before sending webs of darkness towards Gajeel's limbs. Gajeel quickly turned his arm into a sharp blade of iron, slicing it through the snares curling around his legs. Quicker than he could cut, the webs had rendered Gajeel immobile and stuck to the floor. The figure laughed darkly and walked towards him, leaning down to sneer into his face.
Gajeel growled, "You."
Mezun laughed again grabbing at Gajeel's chin, "So perceptive, and I tried so hard to hide my identity." He shrugged, turning around and putting his arms behind his back, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to attend to."
"Like hell you do." Gajeel said, "Iron Dragon's Roar!" he yelled, the attack sending Mezun flying down the hall.
His restraints disappeared and Gajeel sprang forward, quickly rushing towards the room Mezun had originally come from. He easily torn through the iron door and going inside. At first glance it seemed like just an empty room, save for a small figure shivering uncontrollably in the corner. Lillian sat there, her skin was covered in cuts and bruises, her silver hair matted and dirty. Gajeel slowly walked over and kneeled down in front of her, lightly touching her arm. She jumped and tried to retreat further into the corner, making Gajeel wish he had ripped Mezun's head off when he had the chance.
"Hey," Gajeel said quietly, "it's me."
Slowly Lillian tilted her face up, staring at him for a few moments before her eyes widened in recognition.
"G-Gajeel?" she asked, her voice horse and raspy.
He smiled and nodded, cupping her cheek in his hand. Her eyes filled with tears as a sob escaped her throat. He pulled her against himself as he patted her hair softly. He looked down at her wrists and frowned, leaning down and biting both iron cuffs off. He palms hand open wounds from where she tried clawing at the wall. Gajeel took off his cloak and wrapped it around Lillian, gently picking her up bridal style.
"I'm getting you out of here, don't worry." he said.
Lillian clung to him, like she was making sure he was real, when Simon ran into the doorway.
"Lil!" he said, rushing over to look at his sister.
She smiled slightly at him, though it came across more as a grimace.
He touched her hair and sighed, "I'm so glad we found you." He kissed her forehead before looking up at Gajeel. "You're in charge of making sure she gets out of here. I'll take care of him." He gestured back towards the hall.
Lillian's eyes widened and she reached out, gripping Simon's sleeve, "No. Don't fight him alone." she pleaded, "There's nothing human left in him. He drained my magic. He'll kill you."
He squeezed her hand, detaching it from himself, "Not if I kill him first."
Simon turned and left the room, unsheathing his swords from his back. He walked down the hall, unsure where Mezun had gone, his swords at the ready.
"Alright c'mon." Gajeel said as he began walking the opposite way of Simon.
"No!" Lillian said, gripping him tightly. "Please, we can't leave him behind. Please."
He shook his head, "No, I'm getting you out of here."
She pleaded further, "Please! He's my brother, we have to help."
Gajeel let out a breath, "Fine, but we're waiting here. If we hear something wrong, we'll head towards him."
Lillian, seeming content with that, nodded.
Simon crept down the hallway, confused that Mezun had not already showed up, when a pressure hit his chest, sending him sprawling on his back. He jumped up in time to deflect an attack with his swords, looking forward to see Mezun standing there, a scowl on his face. Simon ran forward and punched him right in the jaw before climbing on top of him.
Simon stood over him, his eyes alight with hatred, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't spill your blood right here." He growled, pressing his sword against his neck.
Mezun spit to the side, his saliva filled with blood, "If I'm gone, you'll never get your powers back."
Simon froze, narrowing his eyes as he bent down into his face, "Seeing you take your last breath is more than worth it." He raised his sword, ready to strike.
Simon's eyes widened in horror when his arms stopped responding to him. His swords fell out of his hands, clanking to the floor as he was forced to take a step back.
Mezun laughed maniacally, "Did you really think it would be that easy?" he asked, flicking his wrist down, causing Simon to fall to his knees.
He glared up at the demon before him as he strained against his hold. Simon's arm shook as it reached down and grabbed one of his swords against his will.
Simon grunted, trying to fight against it. "N-no…" He positioned his sword so that it was pointing at his own neck, Mezun laughing even more.
Unbeknownst to them, Gajeel and Lillian had turned the corner as this was happening. Lillian scrambled out of Gajeel's hold, gripping his hand to keep her upright as she watched in horror as her brother was being forced to try and kill himself.
Right as Simon's sword began to press against his neck, Lillian's voice rang out loudly, "NO!"
Her arm flung forward at a feeble attempt at an attack, but Gajeel gasped as he felt his magic being pulled from him and into Lillian. Mezun was suddenly thrown back against the wall from an intense barrage of water. The attack seemed to be never ending as it assaulted him, quickly filling his lungs and beginning to drown him. Gajeel's knees trembled as a large portion of magic left him. Eventually the water stopped and Simon dropped his sword, breathing deeply as he looked up at his sister who was now also on her hands and knees. Gajeel, looking dazed, bent down towards Lillian before she quickly moved towards Simon, and he her, as they then embraced tightly.
Lillian trembled as she hugged him, "I thought I'd lost you…"
Simon shushed her, shaking his head, "But you saved me." He looked back at Gajeel before pulling back from her. "What exactly did you do?"
Lillian looked over at Gajeel, "Mezun told me about a very rare bond where two individuals can use each other's magical energy." She shook her head slightly, "I thought he was just spewing nonsense." Lillian stood and walked over to Gajeel, taking his hand, their open wounds mixing "You're my carranam."
If anyone as read the Throne of Glass series, you'll notice I took an idea from there.
"carranam"– a pair of compatible wizards that form a bond that allows them to share magic. Carranam is derived from the Gaelic "mo anam cara" which translates to "soulmate."
