CHAPTER 10: THE THIEF AND THE VOID PART 2

(Mathilda POV)

Foquet the Crumbling Dirt was an infamous thief who was well-known in her profession, and is able to steal whatever it is that she desires, no matter how well-guarded that item may be. She is cunning, cold, and if need be, she can be both cruel and ruthless, showing little or no mercy to anyone who attempts to capture her, to any who hinders her escape.

However, in truth, Foquet was only a mask. For deep down, Foquet was not Foquet the villainous criminal. She was actually Mathilda, Mathilda of Saxo-gotha, a kind-hearted person who cared for people, especially the poor, the defenceless and the innocent. And the person she loved most in the entire world, was her sister.

Tiffania Westwood, was the sister, or rather, half sister. of Mathilda. Due to certain events, which in summary, revolves around noble affairs, a certain nobleman fell in love, although Mathilda was sure it was lust, with two women, though of course she knew for a fact that it was more than two. It just so happened that said nobleman was rather fortunate, since he only ended up impregnating two. And since one of them was, in the terms of the word, the enemy, according to the faith they held, Tiffania was hated and discriminated upon, despite being a noble, the moment her hat literally fell of and her secret was discovered.

And it was for this reason that she, Mathilda, who loved Tiffania, decided to leave with her, and thus hid her precious sister from prying eyes, in an orphanage.

Yes, such things were normal among the nobility, who, despite being supposedly the role model of virtue and wisdom, normally abused the power and authority given to them, and had instead taken the position as examples of those who commit sin and folly, without getting punished for it.

And it was for this very reason that Mathilda had come to believe, no, know, that the Founder was no god, if the actions of his supposed chosen ones, the magical community, was testament. Well, if he is a sentient being, he was probably a demon, not a god, or else simply no longer had any influence or power left to guide or influence people to the right path.

Or perhaps, since six thousand years had passed, the beliefs and religion had been altered through time, that perhaps the teachings had been twisted. For if she remembered correctly, there was supposed to be a version which stated that the role of nobles are as protectors of the common folk, not abusers. Either way, it did not really matter much anymore, since arguments against it will probably lead to execution.

Still, if there was one thing which Mathilda hated above all else with their faith, it was the fact that a certain group of beings were feared, and considered monsters that should be destroyed, all in the name of the Founder. And this particular race, are called Elves. And according to their religion, Elves were evil.

"Where is Tiffania?"

And it was for this very reason, that Foquet the Crumbling Dirt, no, Mathilda of Saxo-gotha, was now trembling in fear and worry.

"Tiffania, who are you talking about?" the green-haired woman asked, keeping her voice as calm and innocent as possible, as she stared at the masked person's eyes.

"Your sister," the man replied.

?!

And as the man in bandages said these words, Mathilda of Saxo-Gotha, despite the fact that she had been exposed to the harsh realities of life, began losing her composure on the inside. Mathilda was actually quite glad that it was dark, for it meant that the uneasiness on her face would be hardly noticeable.

And as she quickly thought about what she should say next, she realized that there was only one way to go about things.

She decided to try and play it off.

"Sister?" she scoffed, as if she was spitting out something unpleasant. "I don't have a sister. Mother? Father? Friends? For your information, Zero, I don't have any family. Now, is there anything else you want to know?"

An eerie silence passed in the darkened room, as the man placed his hand up his chin, as if thinking of something.

"What a pity," the man said finally, sighing, sounding disappointed. "I really wish I knew where she went off to. For someone who formerly ran an orphanage, unlike other women, she really does give quite the service, and the best part is I was the first one to have her. I have never met anyone else like her. The taste of her flesh... she really is quite exquisite. Still, it was a shame she did not satisfy me enough for me to spare the place." He finished, with a longing tone in his voice.

As he said these words, the green-haired woman could not help but feel herself frozen, like a statue, as an unimaginable amount of chill ran through her veins. And the moment her mind registered the implication of his words...

Completely forgetting that she was outmatched, completely disregarding the fact that she could not perform magic, the enraged women, throwing all reason out of the window, launched herself at the masked figure, grabbing him by the collar, then slamming him to a nearby wall.

"YOU BASTARD! WHAT DID YOU DO TO TIFFA?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE CHILDREN?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?!" She roared in fury, as she started moving her other hand towards the man's neck.

"?!"

Only for her to lose all of her strength at that precise moment, as she fell to her knees on the floor, which she knew for certain was the effect of a spell that had been cast on her.

"The Founder be damned," cursed Mathilda to herself, as she realized her helplessness. If she was the one who got hurt, if she was the one who was abused, she would not have minded it too much. Now, however, upon hearing about what happened, she felt even worse, much worse, than before.

For while it is true that like any person, she had at least a little concern her own well-being, it was nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to the fear and worry that she felt for her loved ones.

And before she knew it, tears started flowing in endless streams from her eyes, as she bagan sobbing and crying her heart out.

"Tiffa, I'm sorry. I couldn't...I never should have...I should have been there to protect you."

For she had failed. Failed to protect the children at the orphanage. Failed to protect her sister. Failed to protect the ones she loved. Still...

"LET ME GO!"

If what the bastard was saying was true, then her sister, her precious little sister, was still alive, and perhaps, the children were too. And with what happened, she, they, would need someone to support them. And she knew, that she was the only who will be able to help them.

With this thought in mind, Mathilda of Saxo-Gotha, overcome with worry, gritting her teeth in determination, putting aside her sorrow and her rage at what happened, focused her mind and body on what she had to do.

"LET ME GO, YOU BASTARD! LET ME GO! THEY NEED ME! SHE NEEDS ME! "

She knew it was useless, yet she knew she had to try to escape, and she fought tooth and nail against the masked person who was able to subdue her with little effort, thanks to whatever spell it was that he cast, tying her hands against her back, before throwing her to the bed, as he moved himself on top of her. Judging from his actions, it was obvious to Mathilda what was going on in his head.

"So what now?" she asked in a mocking tone. "You're going to do to me what you did to my sister?"

The man remained silent for a while, as looked at her straight in the eyes, while the green-haired woman stared back defiantly at him.

"You really seem to care a lot about them," the man whispered.

"Of course I do," she replied, as she glared defiantly at the person in bandages. "They're my family. I would gladly give up my life for them."

"I see," Zero said in a monotonous tone."I suspected as much."

To Mathilda's surprise, the masked person, instead of pouncing on her like she expected, began untying her.

"Here."

And if that was not enough, the man had actually placed something on her hand. He gave her back his wand.

"You're free to go."

The green-haired woman could not feel but feel shocked, confused, at what was happening. Having been given back her weapon, part of her was telling her to kill him, and since her wand was literally pointed at him in point blank range. Another part of her, the part of her, however, was telling her otherwise.

And that part of her prevailed, for she had seen the look the man wore in his eyes, which, as she now realized, did not have any malice in them.

"What in the Founder's name are you talking about?!"

"Like I said you're free to go."

"But why?" she asked, feeling very confused, unable to believe what was happening.

At this, the man sighed, before looking at her straight in the eyes. "It's because you're not a bad person." He stated honestly.

"What do you.." Mathilda began, but Zero cut her off.

"You may be a thief, Foquet the Crumbling Dirt, but the reason behind it is commendable. You steal, you rob, you pillage, but you have done so for the sake of the people you care for. You are not some evil criminal who commits such acts for personal gain. All you truly want is for your loved ones to be safe and happy. I just couldn't find it in my heart to turn in someone like you." He finished.

As he said these words, the female thief could not help but gasp, amazed, at how accurately the man had read her. Still...

"What do you want in exchange for letting me go?" she snarled.

"I suppose there is one thing you could do for me," the man stated finally after a while.

I thought so, muttered the thief to herself in her mind. Despite everything she had heard, it would not be easy to make someone like her believe him. Given the circumstances, there was no doubt that he would want something in return.

"Don't die."

"What? Is that all?"

At this, Zero merely nodded in response.

Now she was even more confused. Before she could respond, however, the masked person began talking.

"I may not know everything about you, Ms. Longuevile, but I can tell, that whoever these people are, they are precious to you, and you would probably not mind giving up your own life to save them. And this why I am asking you this. Never see your own life as worthless, Foquet of the Crumbling Dirt, for if you threw away your life needlessly, the people you leave behind, the people who loved you, they will grieve, and a part of them dies along with you. Live for their sake, not die for them."

As he said these words, the infamous thief could not help but fall silent. For she realized, deep in her heart, that he was right.

"So right now you have plenty of options available to you. You can stay here at the Academy, but I assure you if you try and steal that again I will hinder you every single time. Or, you can go and visit your sister Tiffania and the children at the orphanage, wherever that is."

But still, pondered Mathilda in her thoughts.

"So you're really not going to turn me in?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"No." The man replied casually.

"Then what about what you were saying just a while ago about my sister? What about the orphanage?"

"That was a lie," the man replied, his voice sounding sheepish and guilty, as he scratched his head. "To be honest with you, I don't even know where it is."

At the moment in time, it would have been possible for anyone to hear a needle falling on the floor, as the green-haired woman stood frozen, feeling as if she had just been sucker-punched...

"I see," she said finally. "In that case...:"

Crash

"?!" The masked person barely had time to dodge, as a floating book nearly hit him square in the face.

"Now, now, Ms. Longuevile, is that how..."

Clang

"Please, take a moment to..."

Crash

"Why don't you first lis..." the man pleaded, only for his request to be met by a table levitated towards him.

"You wouldn't want to alert the entire castle now, would..."

"LIKE HELL I CARE, YOU PERVERTED BASTARD!" she shouted, enraged, as she made an arm made out of stone appear from the floor, and sent it forward to grab its target.

BOOM

Only for it to be blown into smithereens.

"I see you are no longer in the mood to negotiate," sighed the man, as an aura emanated from him. "In that case, I'll just come back when you're calm enough to talk."

And before she could do anything, the man disappeared in a flash of light.

Yes, it was true that she believed hm. For some reason, there was something about Zero that Mathilda could not quite explain, that she could not help but trust words. And aside from that, she could not help but feel that the man was not as cruel or ruthless as she initially thought. He was certainly not the typical noble.

However, even though it was the case, even though it was true that she was feeling relieved, and her fear and worry had now begun to subside...

She could not help but feel enraged, furious, irritated, at the fact that she, the great Foquet the Crumbling, master of thievery and deception extraordinaire, had been fooled, played, manipulated, and the worse part was the way that it happened. Even though he did not seem to be an enemy, after all he had done. For there was one thing, one very irritating fact, which she was positive of.

"Pervert," grumbled Mathilda to herself, as took one look at her room, sighing, taking a deep breath, before starting to repair the damages which she herself had caused.

-BREAK-

(Louise POV)

"Ms. Val-Meredy, could I borrow some of your shampoo?"

"Here," I replied, as I handed a bottle over to Ella, one of my fellow maids, before I went back to attend to my own business, which is taking a bath.

It had not been easy for me not to glare at my colleagues, thanks to a certain rumour about me being a noble that circulated. Still, it was not really their fault, not after everything that happened, and I was actually happy that they were now beginning to return to treating me normally, although there were some occasional-well, constant slips, which I must confess irked.

Still, my annoyance because of it was nothing, compared to the irritation which I felt, at the fact that I was once again having a really lousy day.

First, I almost had, well, I actually had an emotional breakdown, all thanks to the fact that I had been careless. My sister, Cattleya, managed to piece things together from whatever little slips I made, whatever they were, since I was sure that I managed to act out perfectly, though of course she had proven me wrong. Still, at least it ended nicely enough, and at least I now have another person around who I can be completely open to. I have not told her yet about my 'Zero' business, but intend to do so, since I'd rather not lie to her.

On the other hand, she probably already knew about it. After all, it was 'Zero,' who gave her the medicine to her ailment, speaking of which was, contrary to her little drama episode, was actually working well. In fact, Madam Emily, who was an expert medic, was impressed with it, and, just my luck, yet another person who may have had me figured out.

And more recently, just an hour after it all happened, I was once again compelled to immerse myself in business which I would rather not be attending to, had it not been for the pressing reasons, which of course involved the safety of people in general. After all, the Staff of Destruction, if the rumours about it were true, which they likely were, if it gets into the wrong hands, things could turn out nasty. Still, for some reason, it reminded me of one of the constructs that was created by a certain ice mage.

And indeed, it was difficult. The person who had stolen it was the infamous thief, known as Foquet the Crumbling Dirt, and indeed he was quite the opponent, for not only was he a skilled mage, he was also good at stealth. Fortunately for me though, I did not have to track him, and all I had to do was follow the ones who were sent to haul him in and retrieve the artefact he stole.

Yes, he was a powerful mage, of that there was no doubt, and he actually surprised me a lot. For he was powerful indeed, that if I were to hazard a guess, he was probably already at square rank. And aside from that, his battle tactics somehow reminded me of a certain potato head who also uses earth as his main element.

Still, if I were to compare the two, matching up Foquet with a member of the Ten Wizard Saints, there was just no comparison. After all, I did fight him before and well, while I did literally bite the dust when I did, at least I got a lot of experience from it. I'm not really sure where I stand now, but at the time, he was just too powerful for me, and he managed to take me down in less than a minute, despite the fact that I was using the same magic as my teacher.

However, another huge problem arose after I managed to defeat the thief.

In truth, I originally intended to accompany Tabitha and the Zerbst back to the Academy, with the Staff of Destruction and the one who stole it in tow, before leaving. After all, it would be best to let them do the talking, since allowing them to take all the credit for it would make me less conspicuous, though I have to admit, it was a waste of money. But then...

...

"No matter what... I will... protect... Tiffania..."

...

I have to admit, I was taken completely by surprise, the moment she launched a surprise attack on us when we weren't looking, and if it wasn't for my quick reflexes, Foquet's earth spikes would have probably skewered us.

What got to me the most of all, though, was not the fact that Foquet was a powerful mage. No, the real reason why I felt greatly disturbed was something else.

All the while that we have been fighting, I had never stared him in the eyes. While I did look at my opponent in the face to try and predict his movements, I had never been able to meet his eyes directly. The moment I did, however, I could not help but have second thoughts about turning him in.

The look he had in his eyes, was not some who wanted to hurt people, nor was it that of someone who was evil, or only cared about self interest.

No, the look in his eyes, was not one which belonged to a murderer.

It belonged to a protector, one who would do everything in his power to defend his family.

As I listened to her random, incessant ramblings in her barely conscious state, I could not help but feel pity, yet at the same time, respect for the person in front of me. Even when he was barely conscious, even when he barely knew what he was doing, he was set, not on stealing things for his own benefit, but for the sake of his loved ones. And perhaps, the reason why it turned out like this, was because he was barely conscious in the first place, as it is in this point in time that a person's true nature is normally seen in the open.

Which was why I decided to test him. I know that I am only human, and thus, I could have made a mistake in my judgment, as I have before. Besides, all the evidence pointed out that Foquet was nothing but scum. However, my heart, not my mind, was telling me, not to believe the rumours, telling me, to try and found out more, to confirm it for myself.

And that was exactly what I did. Instead of handing him over to the authorities, I decided to ask him/her for myself. For the moment his chest hit my back, I noticed that his chest was too soft, and when I took off his mask, it was revealed to me that Foquet the Crumbling Dirt was actually Ms. Longueville, Osmond's secretary. Having been in the school for quite some time, it was no surprise that she managed to find out the vault's weakness.

And thus I questioned her, using an unorthodox way, which I got from all the times which I spent with my nakama, though a large portion of what I used, especially the choice of words, was from what I learned from a certain womanizer.

And while I did not exactly like it, it was the only way I could think of to get her to open up.

And I succeeded. True, I could've tried delving in deeper, but I was not the kind of person who would like to snoop into other people's pains and privacy, unless it was really relevant, but even without these details, it was fine by me. For I got the answers I wanted.

Foquet simply wanted to protect her loved ones.

And in that sense, she was just like me.

"KYAAAA! I'M SO SORRY!" shouted a black-haired female, looking embarrassed, her face turning red as a tomato, and before I could say a word to her, she had stormed out of the bathhouse.

"What was that about?" inquired a female voice, belonging to Claudia, one of my fellow maids, who was wearing a puzzled expression on her face.

"No idea," I replied casually, although in truth, I was actually lying. Even though I don't want to accept it, I know exactly what it was about.

Yes, I already know, that Siesta loved reading novels, as proven by the fact that she always had two or three in her room. True, she never bought any, since she always saved up her money to send to her family, but she was in good terms with the school librarian, who allowed her to borrow them indefinitely. True, it was a school of magic, but not all of the subjects taught were about it.

However, just a few hours back, I chanced upon one of the stories she was reading.

...the maid let out a moan, as her mistress engaged her in a passionate kiss, while one of her hands slowly slithered its ways downward, towards the delicate part between her thighs...

And I have to say, it was disturbing, very disturbing. For while I knew that she did read such erotic literature, her choice had suddenly turned into one which I have to admit, made me shudder with fear, yet at the same time, tremble with excitement and anticipa...

?!

What the hell am I thinking?!

"Damn you, old man," I muttered under my breath, as I wiped myself with a towel.

Yes, this was most certainly his fault. True, I did learn a lot from the old man, especially when it comes to magic, but because of him, because of the exposures I had which were all his doing.

I admit, thanks to my travels with him, my ability at coaxing information out of people had improved,. However, because of it, I had been twisted, corrupted, and instead of being a normal sixteen year old who should be attracted to the opposite sex. It was a miracle that no one noticed that the occasional nosebleed I had when we took a bath was not because of the heat but due to the fact that... Brimir be damned, I'm a girl! What the hell is wrong with me?!

And if it wasn't enough, while my interrogation of Foquet was in general, a success, basically ended in disaster, and now, there is another person, and it doesn't matter if she is a thief or not, who has branded me as a pervert!

Still, at least Ms. Longuevile thinks I'm a guy, thank goodness for that.

At least she doesn't know the truth that I'm actually a girl.

(Meanwhile, somewhere in Fiore, a man with a prosthetic arm and leg was having the time of his life. Having just saved an entire village from the attack of an army of wyvern, he found himself being praised to the heavens by the people, and if that was not enough, he found himself being fawned over by four beautiful women. Unfortunately, for some reason, without any warning, his nose itched, and, unable to control himself, the man sneezed so hard, that he lost control of his magic for a moment. Fortunately, he managed to regain control in time before he could too much damage.

Unfortunately, the clothing of the girls that surrounded him were blown away, and while the women would not have minded it if they were behind closed doors, they did mind having their bodies exposed in public. And so, guilty and without an excuse, the man, who was being praised as a hero just moments before, was now branded as a pervert and criminal, and the people of the village began pummeling him, the women who had been fawning over him previously the worst of them all, before he was finally thrown out of said village.)

-BREAK-

(Multi-person POV)

"THREE WEEKS?! WE HAVE TO WAIT THREE MORE WEEKS?!" a young man with pink, spiky hair, was ranting. "CAN'T YOU MAKE IT EARLIER GRAMPS?!"

"I'm sorry, Natsu, but I'm afraid that is not possible," the short, balding old man replied, as he sat down in a crossed-position. "Travelling through dimensions is not as easy as you think. And while we may have the correct coordinates, it requires the use of a massive amount of magical energy..."

"Then what about me? What about the guild?" the young man demanded. "We have plenty of powerful wizards in the guild, why can't we just combine all our powers and be done with it?"

"It's not as simple as you think, Natsu," a female voice, belonging to a silver-haired individual, interjected. "While it is true that we may basically have enough magical energy to do exactly that, the relic that we have which opens portals can only be activated using God Slayer Magic. Orga and Shiela had agreed to help us out."

"Well, they're not doing it fast eno...OW! HEY WHAT WAS THAT FOR, STRIPPER?!" the angered dragon slayer growled, angered at the large block of ice that was placed over his head.

"THAT WAS FOR ACTING LIKE AN UNGRATEFUL IDIOT, FLAME BRAIN!"

"What did you..."

"ENOUGH!" shouted the guild master Makarov, as he enlarged his hands, capturing and separating both would be combatants. "Gray is right Natsu. We should be thankful they are lending us our aid."

"That's only because they're..." the dragon sleyer began grumbling.

"Without pay," another voice joined in the conversation, belonging to the guild's lightning dragon slayer. Even though he had proven himself superior to the god slayer in battle despite being inferior in magic, he was actually upset at the fact that his own was useless in this situation. "Honestly, I thought you were a better judge of character than this, Natsu."

At this, the fire dragon slayer stopped struggling, as the Master finally released him.

"I'm sorry," the pink-haired mage muttered. "It's just that..."

"We know, Natsu," a female voice, belonging to a woman with long blond hair stated. "Don't forget though, you're not the only one who's worried about her. We all are."

"Thank you, Lucy," the dragon slayer replied, as he got back up his feet, but the look of impatience was still evident in his face. "BUT WHAT THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO IN THE MEANTIME?!"

"Oh, I think I have the perfect idea for that."

"Levy?"

The blue-haired girl smirked in response, as she held a pile of books in her hands. "Well, since you guys are planning to go, I think it would be better if you first learned their language."

"That's a great idea!" the blonde-haired celestial mage exclaimed, as the other girl started handing out Gale-Force Reading Glasses to the people in the vicinity.

"Ugh, I think I'll pass," began the fire dragon slayer, who was wearing a strange expression on his face, as he started walking towards the door.

Crash

Only to find himself slammed back into the hall, as strange writings appeared in the air, blocking his path.

"Communication is one of the most vital abilities a person must have," the man with long green hair stated. "And it only through words that they can be conveyed."

"Why you," the dragon slayer growled. "Hey, HAPPY!"

"Aye, aye, Captain," the blue cat said with a salute, as he started carrying his partner towards the window.

CRASH

Only to be once again sent flying back to hall, as someone burst through it from the other side.

"Kihihi, and where do you think, you're going, salamander?" sneered a tall, spiky-haired iron dragon slayer.

"You see, Natsu?" said the celestial mage in a gentle tone. "Even Gajeel and Laxus are..."

"And what exactly are you implying?"

"Wanna play, girlie?"

"Kyaaa! I'm sorry!"

Normally, such a scene would have made the fire dragon slayer laugh. After all, seeing Gajeel and Laxus wearing ridiculous glasses was a rare sight. Before his brain could even have time to process the thought, however...

"Don't worry," stated a stern voice, belonging to a red-haired female. "Since he does not want cooperate with you, I will be the one to teach him."

At that precise moment, the fire dragon slayer, completely forgetting everything else, could not help but cower in fear, as he recalled the 'wonderful,' times when that particular person had taught him how to read.

And as the day dragged on, screams of terror could be heard echoing throughout the guild hall, coming from of the rooms, where the fire dragon slayer was being taught and 'motivated' by his 'language instructor.'


AUTHOR'S NOTES

Alright, another chapter out.

Now, first off, I would like to thank all the readers who think that my work is good, I really appreciate it, as well as the reviewers for their incites. Yeah, I know, I'm not perfect, but I guess that's just how things are. I'll try and improve my work based on your suggestions if I have time, but if I fail, then sorry about that.

Yeah, I'm glad that Gray is alive , although I'm not happy with fact that Ultear died, since she's become one of my favourites.

Honestly speaking though, I would probably be more pissed off if she somehow survives in the later chapters. Well, if it is revealed she is alive immediately after the dragon arc I won't, but if she is dead for at least a hundred chapters then poof! comes back, that's a different story.

But enough about that...

And like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Later then, people...