All of us turned to see a familiar old man the size of a six year old child. Master Makarov walked closer to us, a grey eyebrow raised and a mischievous smirk on his face. "Mira told me you two were getting along extremely well for new friends, but this well? Makes a man curious."

I immediately knew what he was talking about, which made me very uncomfortable. It was one thing for Lucy to talk about that stuff, but when a guild master talked like that? I didn't like it at all. Gray was obviously uncomfortable as well; he was gritting his teeth and rubbing the back of his head.

We didn't get to say anything, though, before Buddy jumped up with joy. "Master! Hi Master! Is it time to go?"

Makarov chuckled, giving a little nod. "Yes, we're leaving now. We have no time to waste." He began walking to the train station without another word, the white coat he wore billowing out like a cape. I had to admit, despite his small size, he was still very impressive. He definitely carried himself like a true guild master would.

After that short moment, most of the trip was rather quiet. Of course we talked with each other, but it was mainly about what was expected of us. Apparently, we were going to be in the presence of extremely strong and important people in a Magic Council of sorts, and we had to be as professional as possible. Makarov seemed nervous about it for some reason, but I knew it would be easy to maintain a good impression. All I had to do was behave and I would be fine. I was confident about Gray, too; since it was just the two of us and none of the others, he should be able to keep himself in check. Besides that conversation and a short talk about where we were staying for the night, we were silent. It was a calming silence, perfect for thinking. My head was filled with many different thoughts, but I always gravitated back to the dream I had when I spent the night with Lucy. I didn't normally have dreams, so the fact that I had a nightmare was strange. I still shuttered when the memory of that man's eye came back.

"Tori?" I looked up when Gray shook my shoulder, meeting his worried gaze. "You okay? You seem worried about something."

I quickly shook my head. "No, it's nothing. Just a chill is all."

He lifted an eyebrow. "A chill? When you're wearing that coat? I don't think so." His disbelieving face was replaced with a concerned expression. "Besides, you've been shaking like that since you stopped talking."

"Rii wasn't answering Buddy, either," Buddy piped up, his eyes liquid-like with tears of worry. "He tapped and tapped and called and called her, but she wouldn't answer. He got worried."

I smiled at him, gliding my hand over his head and ears. "I'm sorry, Buddy. I was just lost in thought is all."

"What was Rii thinking about?"

I looked back out the window, resting my chin on the palm of my hand for support. "Oh, a dream I had a little while ago."

This time, it was Buddy who shivered. "Was it a nightmare? Ooh, Buddy hates nightmares! He always wakes up scared and thinking a bad cat will come to get 'im."

I chuckled, gently squishing his cheeks together. "Don't worry, Buddy! I'll keep the bad cats from getting you!"

"Yay!" Buddy cheered, his voice distorted somewhat because of his cheeks. "Buddy lofes bein' fhafe!"

Makarov chuckled. "Buddy, we can't understand you when your cheeks are like that."

The small cat wiggled his head out of my hands and repeated, "Buddy loves being safe! That's what he said."

I smiled at the happy cat as he went to talk with Makarov, now sitting in the seat beside him. I looked back out the window once again, watching as the world flew by. I tried not to think about anything and just focus on the scenery, but the outside resembled so much of the area I saw in my dream. It was almost like I was there again, watching the blur of the land buzz by. It wasn't entirely visible; everything was growing dark and red with the setting sun. When we passed by a large lake, it looked as if it was on fire. It looked like the buildings were on fire, too. My breath caught when the shade of orange began to turn a deep red. It was too similar. All that was missing was an eye...

"Tori!" My head whipped around when I heard Gray yelling again, my thoughts disappearing in an instant. "Damn, how deaf are you when you think?" he asked, his voice stern.

I blinked a couple of times, glancing out the window for a brief moment. Orange? So my mind made it look red? God, I hate nightmares. They mess with the brain too much. "I'm sorry," I replied, shaking my head of any thoughts. "It's just been a tiring few days for me."

The Ice mage stared at me, unsatisfied with my answer.

"Trust me, Fullbuster, I'm fine," I said, smiling convincingly at him.

He still didn't seem to believe me.

Makarov sighed, chuckling at Gray. "Quit being a worrywart, Gray. You're gonna annoy Tori."

Gray looked at his master with a look of denial. "Wha? I'm not being a worrywart!"

Buddy laughed. "Guray worries for Rii too much! Rii's gonna get mad!" He laughed a little more. "Guray's a worrywart!"

"I told you, I'm not a worrywart!"

Makarove piped up again, "You're comin' off as clingy. Loosen up a bit."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

I ended up chuckling a little bit at their behavior, all thoughts of my nightmare fading away. I didn't say anything; I just quietly laughed when Makarov would say something cunning and make Gray get mad. The rest of the ride was pretty much like that - entertaining and enjoyable. It was the twilight hour when we finally stopped at the train station. When we exited at the first stop of our mission, the first thing we wanted to do was get food. Makarov knew of a really amazing yet expensive restaurant that we decided to go to, making this feel more like a vacation rather than a mission. We were given outdoor seats, allowing us to eat through the remainder of the setting sun and into the night. I sat alone for a little while when everyone else disappeared, probably using the restroom. They left me to my thoughts yet again, for a second - or was it third? - time that day. I never did ask Makarov why he decided to take me on this job, but now that I had the chance to think about it, it really made me wonder. Of all the people to pick, why me? I'm definitely not one of the strong members of the guild, like Erza and Mirajane are, and I'm not entirely special in any way. Well, minus my hundred year time skip. So what did he see in the newbie?

"You seem really focused on playing with that cake," I looked up when Makarov returned, sitting in his seat across from me. "Are you sure something isn't bothering you? You haven't been the most talkative person today."

I shook my head. "It isn't bothering me, but I do wonder about it." I pushed the cherry off of the cheesecake I had ordered. "Out of all the mages you could have chosen to take on this mission, why me?"

He sighed, grabbing his flask of beer and chugging the rest of the contents down. "Why did I think you wouldn't ask that question? No matter. I chose you because you're strong."

I shook my head. "I'm nothing compared to your S-Class mages. If you wanted someone strong, you should have picked one of-"

"I didn't say pure strength," he interrupted. "I'm talking about your strong sense of being. Your judgement of people. Your obedience, even. I can tell you to do something for me and you will do it, no questions asked. You can look at a person and tell whether or not we should trust them or not. You never give up on people. If someone was to be put in danger, you would do everything to get them out of it. And if someone is out of your reach or has been defeated, you will avenge them without going completely overboard. These qualities are what I find intriguing about you, and why I chose you to come with me."

I studied his face closely when he said these words before saying, "Convincing excuse, I'll admit. But I want the real reason."

Makarov chuckled. "You can see past even me, huh? Mira said you were good." He grabbed the bottle of red wine on the table, filling his flask up. "I like that reason better than the real one, though."

"I still want to hear it." I replied with a smirk.

He sighed again, spinning the wine around in his cup. "Well... To be honest, you've made me curious about a lot of different things. Just looking at you makes me rethink everything I know. I don't understand why, though."

"Oh?" I lifted my own glass of wine, an eyebrow raised. "What are the things you reconsider?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Magic limitations, history, things like that. You know a lot about magic, but from what I know, you haven't been around a mage in your life."

I swallowed my wine and lowered the glass back to the table. "Not true. My best friends were mages."

"Oh really?"

I nodded, lifting my fork again and cutting off a small bite of cake. "I learned a lot about different types of magic from them. I also happen to read a lot, so I tend to learn a lot more about other areas of expertise from the books I get."

He stared at me for a long while, his eyes narrowed as he focused. I stared back at him, blinking my eyes at him. He finally scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "I don't get it. I can't read you like I read everyone else."

I tilted my head. "Read?"

"Yeah," Makarov rested his chin on the palm of his hand as he spoke, resting his flask of wine on the table. "Read. Normally I can look at a person and learn about them. Their past, their knowledge, their power. If I should trust them or not. That kind of thing. Take uh... Erza for example. When a normal person looks at her, they see a pretty girl in armor that fights for Fairy Tail. When I look at her, I see someone struggling with her emotions about her past and her present. She struggles with looking strong in front of everyone else, and with the stress that's been put on her for this past year, I can't really blame her for wanting to cry sometimes."

I blinked. "Stress from the past year? What's happened?"

He sighed, shaking his head and waving his hand. "Oh, just a bunch of stuff that's happened. Their were two different threats of two different demons, the guild was destroyed in a war, she got stuck in a giant slab of lacrima, she took two hundred lacrima orbs worth of electricity into herself, she-"

"Okay, okay," I interrupted. "I get it. It's been hard for her."

"The point I'm trying to make is that I could tell she's stressed out even if no one else can," Makarov concluded. "But with you, it's like you're a book with no words. Just the pages. I don't know who in the world you are, and it annoys me."

I chuckled, taking yet another bite of my cake. "Well, maybe I'm not a book without words. Because believe me, there's definitely a long story to tell." I closed my eyes. "No, I'm just a book built with a lock. It's going to take a key to open me up. Find the key then you can learn my story."

"Okay, so what's the key?"

I opened one eye, making it look like I was winking at him. A smirked formed on my face, making my mischievous look intensify slightly. "I don't know. Try and find it."

Makarov groaned, pressing his face into the table. "Even your words confuse me! Speak normal, please. My old brain can't keep up."

I laughed slightly. "Oh, there are people even older than you that have better minds. You just need to learn how to make your mind do what you want it to do."

"You're talking as if it controls itself."

"In a way, it does."

He made a noise that sounded somewhat like a whimper. "Tori, you're talking like an old lady!"

I grinned sheepishly. "I'm as confusing and wise as an old person! How interesting!"

Makarov leaned back again, looking up at the sky. It was silent for a long while before he lowered his gaze to me once more. "Can you at least give me a slight hint, Tori? I can't think about anything with this fuzzy of a brain."

"Then don't drink."

"Don't make me laugh."

I shook my head with a chuckle. I then sighed, leaning back in my own chair. "Let's see... How can I tell you a hint without giving me away? Hm... Well, I am a girl seeking peace in the land where she was born in. I am a girl who wants to live a happy life, then join her fallen comrades in the afterlife. And finally, I am a girl that wants to rest easy." I lifted my wine glass to my mouth. "There's your hint. Learn from there, Master Makarov."

He stared at me with furrowing eyebrows for a long while, complete confusion in his face. What confused him? I thought I made it perfectly clear about what I wanted to do with my time. Do what I can to be happy for the remaining days I have, then see my friends in the place where all dead souls go, wherever that was. Maybe he wanted to know more about why my friends died? Well, that would have to wait.

Suddenly, a little brown fur ball came hurdling into my lap. "Master!" Buddy sat up and looked at Makarov with a look I couldn't comprehend. It was filled with excitement, but also worry and uncertainty. "Someone wants to talk to Master!"

Makarov's eyebrow lifted, but he didn't seem too intrigued. "Oh? Interesting. Do you know who it is?"

"A girl with green hair." Buddy looked at the rest of the diner, pointing his paw towards who he was talking about. "There she is! She's following Guray!"

I looked through the diner doors and easily found Gray. It was when I saw the girl that my eyes grew wide and a lump caught in my throat.

Lilia?!