(A/N: It's sad as to how FEW of you picked up as to what's going on with the fire dragon. Let's see how many of you that didn't get it feel like idiots as we continue).

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and Code Geass copyright their respective owners. Expies and shout outs of/to other series copyright their respective owners too


"The fear of dragons is as old and as powerful as the fear of death itself."
—Gildarts Clive


Summer, Year X772

Cornelia and her friends stared down the gaping, fanged maw of the giant, red, fire-breathing dragon in front of them.

"So, do we make the first move, or…"

"I have a move," Nonette stated. "Everyone touch my shoulders." The group shuffled closer to Nonette slowly and did so.

"Okay so what's the plan?" Luke asked.

Suddenly Nonette stopped time and shouted. "RUUUUUUUUUUUUN!"

The group dashed the way they came as fast as they possibly could. Five seconds were over way too soon as the gigantic dragon barreled forward after Nonette and the others who were circling around the hill pathway as the fire dragon knocked aside the mountain with its powerful claw and continued to give chase.

"Dammit! I should've never come with you guys!" Cornelia shouted.

"Hey we didn't exactly know we'd all turn into char-broiled lunch," Kyle returned.

"There's gotta be something we can do," Cornelia remarked.

"What do you want us to do?" Nonette asked. "None of us are dragon slayers."

"But you're S-class," Cornelia remarked.

"Yeah, maybe if that thing were half the size it was I could at the very least disorient it. I am not going near that monster!"

The dragon sucked in a huge breath and then exhaled powerful flames that followed the group.

"Shit!" Nonette and the others did their best to try and outrun the flame as the guildmaster turned around and extended her invisible giant hand, which at the very least gave the group some precious few seconds to keep running.

Kyle then took note of the river water alongside the group's right and scooped up Kendra in his arms. "Hey! Captain!" he declared.

"Yeah?"

"If we dive into the water we might be able to live to see another day."

"Works for me," Liz declared diving right in without hesitation followed by Sayoko.

"I guess it's our only option. Come on Nellie!" Nonette declared as she dove right in.

Please don't let there be any sharp stones in there, Cornelia thought as she held her nose and dove in the water. The drop was only a few feet, like jumping off a diving board. Given the hot summer air, the water was cool and refreshing. Cornelia felt heat pass over her from above, which she could only guess was the dragon breathing flame over the river trying to catch the last person to jump off.

The group surfaced, treading water. The flame dragon was about to take flight, but the group then saw a small boy run towards the dragon from the direction they had run away from.

"Where did that kid come from?" Luke questioned.

"Wherever he came from he's in danger!" Cornelia began to swim ashore, but Nonette grabbed her arm.

"Wait!" she exclaimed. "Look!"

The group couldn't see the young boy, who had to be around Euphie's age given his height. It was impossible to make out his features. The dragon seemed completely docile next to the boy and even appeared to nuzzle him a little.

"Hey!" the boy called. "You guys can come back to shore now. Dad and I are going to take off! We'll leave you some of the wolf so you guys can show proof that it's gone." The little kid then climbed up on the dragon's head, appearing as little more than a speck on its scaled cranium as the massive beast beat its wings and flew off. The group saw it fly away with Gattuso's corpse. They all swam ashore and pulled themselves out of the water one by one. Then, sopping wet, the trudged back to get what was left of Gattuso—the beast's head—and carried it back as a trophy to the city.

Since Nonette was not about to let it slip that a dragon could be lurking nearby, she and her guild took credit for the slaying of the beast. Besides, meeting a dragon and living to tell the tale was no small feat in and of itself. After the whole city praised them for their success, Nonette and the others went to the local pub, The Rusted Ogre, for drinks and cheer.

Things started off well with Cornelia talking to Nonette about what happened.

"So who was that boy?" Cornelia asked. "How did you know that dragon wouldn't attack him?"

Nonette looked towards the ceiling as she leaned against the bar table. "In this world, dragons have been known to take in humans as though they were their own children. That little boy referred to the dragon as his father, didn't he? I can only assume that dragon considers the same for his son."

"But then why attack us?"

"It might've thought we meant harm to the young boy, or perhaps it thought we meant to fight it, having noticed that it landed. However, my guess is that though the dragon has accepted the boy he is taking care of, the rest of humanity is another story entirely."

"Any one of those makes sense," Cornelia then pondered, "I wonder if one of Estellise's books could identify the dragon."

"It might," Nonette said as she swiped her mug from off the counter and downed her drink.

And then it became chaos.

Liz started having too many drinks and leapt up on one of the tables and began doing a strip tease for every patron in the bar. Luke, completely flabbergasted by her behavior, dragged Liz off the table, causing the nineteen-year-old nympho to land on him, almost stark naked—save her boots—and he had to quickly fend off the over muscled patrons quickly clamoring around him.

Kyle leapt in and punched one of the guys in the face with his bare fist.

Sayoko reached into her emergency bag and covered Liz's body with a blanket as the girl fell asleep on the floor.

Kyle then got into a fight with more than half the patrons. Tables were thrown, glasses were shattered, chairs were broken, and profanity was slung more in five minutes than one day on a sailor's ship.

Kendra whined as she sat by the wall next to one of the beer keg's, placing her paw over her eyes and whining as if to say: "I do not know this man. He is certainly not my master and I certainly do not sleep in a bed next to his."

"Aren't you going to do anything?" Cornelia asked, worried.

"Yup," Nonette said downed her drink. She then said to Luke who was trying to look for an opening of some kind in the chaos Kyle was causing to both help his friend out and put down the fight. "Kyle! I'm going to take Nellie home, okay?"

"WHAT? YOU'RE LEAVING THIS TO ME?!" Luke shouted over the noise.

"Oh, it'll be fine. Kyle looks like he's having a lot of fun."

"Good for him!" Luke exclaimed in astonishment of how much Nonette was missing the big issue.

"Sayoko, please look after Liz, mkay?"

"Of course, guildmaster," Sayoko bowed.

With a cheerful giggle and closed eyed smile Nonette then turned towards the door, "Come on Nellie," she beckoned over her shoulder.

"But…they're blocking the door."

"Oh that's not a problem," Nonette said grabbing Cornelia's hand and stopping time. She and Cornelia then slid past the bar patrons and exited out the bar and into the midnight air.

"I can't believe you made me spend the whole day in wet clothing," Cornelia said, looking down at her now dry, but wrinkled shirt.

"Oh, it'll come out in the wash, I'm sure if there's any mold," Nonette said. "Besides, you don't want to be treated like nobility you said, right? Getting down and dirty is part of that?"

"Dirt is one thing? But…" Cornelia was referring to the fact that her shirt had almost been see through when it was wet.

"Oh…right. Well nothing you can do about that. I'm here and you're underage so no need to worry. Come on, let's get you're things and I'll walk you home."


Heurassein Castle

Nonette brought Cornelia home through the sewer system that was used as an escape route for the Heurassein family in case of danger since the drawbridge was up once the moon was high in the sky.

Cornelia changed back into her dress inside the armory with Nonette watching the door and finally came outside looking regal again.

"Did you have fun?" Nonette asked her.

"Of course I did!" Cornelia exclaimed. "I always have fun when I'm with you guys! Why wouldn't I?"

Nonette placed a hand on Cornelia's cheek and looked at her with concern. "Nellie, I know I make light of a lot, but putting your life in mortal danger is never something I intend to do. That dragon could've easily killed all of us. I nearly got us killed today."

"Even if it was more powerful, you got us out just fine. No matter the danger, I always know I'm safe if I'm with you," Cornelia said to her friend.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that," Nonette said and then hugged Cornelia into her breasts, rubbing the back of her head. "You're growing up to be such a big girl, Nellie. I'm gonna miss you when you decide to leave."

"I don't understand, won't you come with Estelle, Euphie and me when we leave this island behind?" Cornelia asked.

"I'm contractually obligated to protect this castle, Nellie. Once you leave it, you and I will have to part ways. I'm a guildmaster. Meteor Wing is my first priority. We'll meet again though," Nonette said, rubbing Cornelia's head. "If I can make your life better, then that's all I need to do as your best friend." Cornelia smiled. Nonette let go of her and held up her index finger as she smiled. "It was pretty cool seeing a dragon up close. Too bad it was trying to eat us."

Cornelia sighed with a content look. Now there's the Nonette I know.

"Have a good night, Nellie," Nonette told her. "I'll come back to the castle and crash soon. I just gotta make sure Kyle doesn't get us permanently banned from the pub."

Cornelia laughed. "He always has trouble properly picking his fights, doesn't he?"

Nonette laughed and then, without another word, headed off.

Cornelia entered the interior of the castle through one of the massive double doors scattered about the facility. She made it to the third floor in the main hallway as she walked down the green painted walls and red carpeted floors towards her bedroom.

"Aren't you up a little late, Lady Cornelia?"

Cornelia turned her head around to see her second least favorite—least favorite being Geki—in the world. Behind her was a man wearing a tall, cylindrical black hat with a mustache and goatee, gray in color. The man wore red rimmed bifocals and his teeth were losing their white color. He was wearing a long, black robe with a feathery crest along the back collar like the tail of a peacock. The man was her father's advisor and the magistrate of the other lesser settlements on the island: Regae Capula.

"Regae," Cornelia glared.

"Again with such animosity," Regae said strolling towards Cornelia as she turned to face him. "What have I done to upset you," he said and then with a smile added, "besides the obvious?"

"Just the obvious, do I need more of a reason?" While Cornelia's parents had the ultimate final say in all actions pertaining to Sylvas and its subsidiaries, Regae made the initial decisions involving taxes, laws, and since Duke and Aria never ventured beyond the castle walls had to take Regae's word for it that their people were being treated fairly.

So, Regae abused this fact and taxed the poor to the point of property for his own personal greed. He made laws that were unfair and rather cruel, a few of which Cornelia had brought to her father's attention and even revoked on her own, having a bit more higher power than Regae under the right circumstances and, worst of all, he seemed to be in cahoots in whatever horrid ideas Geki seemed to be cooking up.

"Then you had best head to bed. You wouldn't want me to make it so that you could no longer see that Nonette woman would you?"

This was usually the point when Cornelia would scoff off a threat towards Nonette since the woman was nigh invincible, but Regae was also a mage, and a really powerful one at that. He had gravity magic, which even Nonette's time stop and knives would have a hard time maneuvering around. She took this threat without any salt to it.

"I intend to see if my sister is still awake," Cornelia remarked. "And I might go to the study, but I intend to stay indoors."

"That's a well behaved girl then. Very well, have a good night, Lady Cornelia."

Cornelia had a right mind to shoot the fucker while his back was turned or at the very least pistol whip him, but she'd be in more trouble than if she gave a whack to Geki's bonce. Doing what she said she would do, Cornelia slowly opened Estelle's door. She found her older sister in bed, reading.

"Oh Cornelia, you're finally home," Estelle said with gleeful enthusiasm as she put a bookmark in the novel she was reading. "Is something the matter?"

"Estellise, do you happen to have any books on dragons."

"Oh, plenty. Why were you thinking of borrowing one?" Estelle asked.

"Sort of," Cornelia said, going over to Estelle's bookshelf on the other side of the room midway from Estelle's bed and the opposite wall to Cornelia's right. "I'll tell you, if you promise to keep it a secret."

Estelle laughed cheerfully. "What are sister's for?"

Cornelia smiled as she plucked a book on dragon mythology off the shelf and flipped for the index to look up fire dragons. "Nonette, Meteor Wing and I ran into a fire dragon this afternoon."

Estelle gasped. "Goodness! Are you all right?"

"Well I'm in one piece and I'm breathing," Cornelia said, looking up from a book with a smile.

"I guess so," Estelle giggled.

"No," Cornelia said, looking back down at the book, "Nonette got us away from imminent danger, thankfully. I can always count on her."

"So what are you doing then? Trying to identify the dragon?"

"Exactly," Cornelia responded.

"I've read all the books on dragons at least a few times. What did it look like, maybe I can tell you," Estelle offered extending her arm out in request for the book.

Cornelia handed it to her. "Well, it was really big."

"Uh-huh," Estelle said as though that narrowed it down.

"It had red scales."

"Yeah."

"And it breathed fire."

"How big was it exactly? Like was it just normal big, or was it like really, really big?"

"Estelle this thing could have fit all of Meteor Wing in its jaw with one bite and still had room."

Estelle began flipping pages. "I think I know the dragon you're talking about," Estelle said as she held up a two-page spread. "Was this it?"

On the spread was the image of a gigantic dragon with dark-red scales and glowing yellow eyes, smoke emitting from its mouth as it was presently making a small forest its bed.

"That's the one!" Cornelia exclaimed. She grabbed the page and looked at the sophisticatedly written name in the top right hand corner. "Igneel, the Flame Dragon King." Her eyes went wide. "I am so glad Nonette got us out of there."

"Hmm, if it really was Igneel, then maybe he just recently mated and his egg hatched," Estelle said.

"What makes you say that?" Cornelia asked.

"Igneel is only supposed to be hostile when he feels that a threatening presence lingers to him or someone he cares about. Was there a baby dragon with him?"

"No," Cornelia said only to remember the little boy, "But there was a little boy who he was rearing."

"Ohhhh!" Estelle exclaimed, "Yeah, if he was rearing a dragon slayer that does make sense. Igneel is a very protective father. He must've seen you all armed to the teeth and assumed the worst. He probably wanted you away from his surrogate child."

"He nearly torched us alive," Cornelia said sternly.

"I don't think so, given what you're telling me," Estelle argued, "If Igneel wanted to kill you he would've done so. He's so powerful that not even the Ten Saint Wizards are supposed to be able to do much to him," Estelle looked down, shivering somewhat, "or any of the other dragon kings."

Cornelia sighed in content, "Well it's good to know we would've lived at least. I guess I'll head to bed then."

"I see, have a good night," Estelle said with a smile.

"You too," Cornelia said exiting her sister's bedroom. She continued down the hall towards her own bedroom, but first made a stop in front of the room directly adjacent to her own and peeked in. Inside was a snoring, sound asleep Euphemia Heurassein all curled up in her bed with the family cat, Arthur, snuggled up against her. Cornelia simply smiled and closed the door so as not to further disturb her younger sister. She then got into her own room and changed into her night gown before settling down in bed, turning off the lamp on her night stand and going to sleep.


The Next Morning

Several hours after the sun rose, the rays of the sun's light penetrated their way past Cornelia's blinders. The middle Heurassein siblings woke up feeling sore, more than likely due everything that had gone on the day before. She was also groggy, which she put the blame on staying up late. The first thing she did was strip her bed. The sheets smelled of sea water, as did her body. She then stepped into the shower and cleansed herself for the day, putting on another one of her ballroom dresses—cream violet this time. She stepped out into the hallway once she was presentable and headed for the dining hall for breakfast. Estelle was already eating with Euphie sitting in between Estelle and their mother. Cornelia ate her breakfast relatively quickly.

Cornelia's mother, Aria Heurassein had the same hair color as her two siblings. It was long and flowing. Like the rest of the family, Aria was a powerful mage. She specialized in powerful light, fire, lightning, and ice magic, the first of which had become Estelle's specialty as well as the ability to trace magic staves and wands.

"Cornelia, sit up straight," her mother told her, "You're a lady of the court." Cornelia begrudgingly did so. "Honestly I don't know what that Nonette woman teaches you, but you're picking up bad habits."

Cornelia said nothing. She knew better than to fight battles with her mother and get into an argument, especially in front of Euphie.

"Speaking of which," Duke said in his deep baritone, sitting at the head of the table, his long white hair coming down towards his chest, sitting in his regal, silk dark red and goldenrod robe, shirt and pants, "Cornelia I heard about your little stint yesterday. Would you please stop sneaking out of the castle? One of these times you're going to wind up dead."

"I'll be fine as long as I'm with Nonette. If she wasn't strong you wouldn't have hired her."

"That does not give you the excuse to go prancing about outside the castle. You don't see your sister doing that, do you?"

"Perhaps if you took a step outside the castle you'd see how fuuu…" Cornelia stopped remembering that Euphie was at the table and changed her word choice, "How messed up the island you say you control is."

"So you keep saying. If the people had any quarrel they would take it to my chambers."

"Only if the guards permit them entry past the gates. Your system doesn't work father."

"Then maybe Geki will—"

Cornelia stood up and slammed the table knocking over her glass and shouted, "HE WILL NOT!"

A maid hurriedly rushed over to clean up the spilled juice as Cornelia stood staring angrily at her father. Things were so quiet you could hear dust falling. Duke simply picked up his chalice and took a sip, gazing at his daughter, enticing her to continue.

Cornelia glared and continued to speak. "If you let that…that…" she thought how to soften her language, "scoundrel rule this island you will send it into ruin. Your entire estate, which you've worked towards since you were younger than me—as you like to brag—will crumble before you in the name of Bosco and be used as a backdoor to invade the rest of Fiore!"

"Cornelia you have no evidence to suggest such a thing would—"

"DAMN IT THINK ABOUT ESTELLE! THINK ABOUT HER FEELINGS AND WHAT SHE WANTS!" Cornelia shouted.

"Watch your mouth when you're sister is at the table," Aria scolded, covering Euphie's ears.

"Cornelia. It's okay, really," Estelle said, trying to quell the argument.

"It is not okay!" Cornelia continued to shout. She ran to leave the dining hall in tears. "I hate you!" she directed the statement at her father. She turned to face her family as she shouted angrily. "I'm leaving and I probably will never come back!" she slammed the door to the dining hall and raced outside to the armory so she could meet Nonette at the gates.

Duke sighed. He didn't understand what made Cornelia like this. He had thought that Meteor Wing was the cause, but be that as it may he needed them to protect Sylvas from danger. They were the only mages in his guard and powerful ones at that. He couldn't possibly find mages of the same caliber that would accept what he was paying them to protect his castle and especially ones so well respected by the council, not to mention to take permanent guard status given Meteor Wing had no guildhouse.

"Dear, maybe we should listen to Cornelia for once. I've never seen her so upset," Aria remarked.

"Cornelia is just a child, Aria," Duke told her. "She doesn't have the life experience or the emotional intellect to understand what it means to govern."

"I agree with mother," Estelle said, glancing down at her plate, "I've never seen Cornelia so angry. I mean…I've heard her yell, but she really sounded hurt."

"What she sounded was irrational," Duke remarked.

"Estelle, honey," Aria spoke up, "If you were unhappy you would tell us, right?"

"W-well…a-actually. I…"

"Estelle will do what is best for this estate and its people, isn't that right?"

"Y-yes father," Estelle said sadly.

It seemed to Aria that Estelle was submitting to Duke to avoid argument. Aria wanted to say something, but she didn't want to argue either. She just sat at the table in silence, hoping that Cornelia didn't really mean that she would never return home.


Western Sylvas Forest

Cornelia was once again on a monster hunt with Nonette and the others. They were hunting for a unique monster known as Bruccus, yet another large beast with an appetite for the Sylvas citizens. Bruccus had two demonic horns, the body like that of a horse with brown feathers like a chicken, head like a crocodile, wings like a dragon, saurian feet, and a long, reptilian tail. The large creature was wanted in several locations on Earthland given that it was a fast flyer and skilled runner.

The beast had been seen on the southeastern isle of Fiore where Sylvas resided so Meteor Wing took this for not only guild business, but on behalf of the Heurassein family. If things worked out this could make the whole guild incredibly wealthy.

"I still can't believe you ran away from home, Nellie. You sure that was smart?" Kyle asked her.

"Kyle's right, Cornelia. I know things aren't the best at home, but it's still your family."

"Just drop it all right," Cornelia said, brooding. "I don't wish to talk about it."

"You shouldn't be mad at your parents, Cornelia," Liz told her, "It's not exactly their fault."

"She said to drop it Liz," Nonette said as she pushed a branch aside. Everyone was silent.

The group continued to walk along until Kyle asked, "So where is this Bruccus anyway? Aren't we sort of searching for a needle in a haystack and we are way of the path."

"We have to be," Nonette stated, "According to what I've heard and researched, Bruccus, as the prefix in his name might suggest is a brutish beast. People all across Earthland even came up with a little statement on how to track him."

"Oh, do tell," Liz encouraged.

"You can tell when it's coming when you hear the distant thunder. You can tell where it's been when you see the path of broken trees."

"Niiiice," Kyle said sarcastically. He sighed. "I should've stayed in bed." Kendra barked agreeably.

"Don't say that. We need you here," Liz stated. "It's not Meteor Wing without all of us assembled." Kendra howled.

"Looks like Kendra's turned against you, Kyle," Luke teased. Kendra barked and growled.

"Ouch, harsh Kendra," Kyle said, pretending to be hurt.

"What did she say?" Sayoko asked.

"She said, 'Just because I live with Kyle doesn't mean I always have to agree with him. I don't exactly need him to survive'. I'll remember that next time I go to the market and they're running a sale on barbecue ribs." Kendra whined.

"Aww, you hurt her feelings, Kyle," Liz teased.

"As long as she doesn't—" Kyle said only for Kendra to give him the sad puppy eyes. He sighed. "I'm sorry."

Kendra barked.

"Wow if you're that easy to manipulate maybe I should pout sometime," Liz chuckled. This made Cornelia laugh.

"It's nice to hear you laugh, Lady Cornelia," Sayoko told her.

"It's just…being with all of you always feels so natural. I always feel," she said, tilting her palm towards the treetops, "That this was the way I was meant to live my life."

The group seemed to smile all around hearing Cornelia say that. However, before anyone could comment the ground began to tremor.

"There's that distant thunder I was talking about," Nonette stated. "It's coming." Everyone got their gear ready as the sound of falling trees could be heard as distant trees fell and a dust cloud began to form.

"Oh yeah this looks like it's gonna be awesome," Kyle stated.

Cornelia focused her eyesight into the distance. "Hmm," she said detracing her weapons and holding them out as she traced a sniper rifle. "Could you guys give me a little room?"

"What are you going to do with that? You sure your arm can handle the kickback of a weapon that large?" Kyle questioned.

"Trace magic can keep recoil low," Cornelia noted. She saw the massive beast in her crosshairs and took aim at the leg. She fired forward the bullet went tearing towards Bruccus and penetrated right through the leg bone. "Got him! Direct hit!"

"Good work, Nellie!" Nonette praised. "Charge!"

The group charged into the forest to encounter Bruccus where upon the injured beast met them straight up. Nonette hung back for team coordination given that Bruccus was beneath her skill level. "Kyle! Luke! Take point!"

Luke enchanted his sword and struck with ferocity to strike at Bruccus' chest, cutting off the feathers and finding harder scales beneath.

"Don't worry, I got this!" Kyle shouted charging forward, "Ghost Wolf!" Disappearing for one instant and reappearing on the other side Kyle cut wide across Bruccus' flank.

"Sayoko! Disorient!"

"Yes, guildmaster!" Sayoko whipped out a plethora of Kunais and scattered them about Bruccus' general area to disorient the large, 12 foot tall beast. The creature let out a neighing roar as it charged forward on its broken leg towards Cornelia, but she ran out of the way. He swung out wide with his tail, but Liz was right there with her spear to block the incoming strike.

"How's this?" she asked and jumped up and above the beasts head. "Moonbeam!" She swung down with her spear, emitting a blue beam from it that then exploded with lunar energy as it came in contact with Bruccus' back, nearly splitting its back open. However the creature, even with its injuries remained firm and took to the skies off its injured limbs.

"Damn, now what?" Nonette grunted. They couldn't let the beast get away to lick its wounds.

Kendra knew what to do. She ran up a tree and pounced off the treetops and hurled herself like a pinball at Bruccus latching onto his side and biting fiercely as she clawed her way towards his back. Bruccus tried to throw the cotton candy colored wolf off him, but Kendra had him stalled long enough for Cornelia to take aim and shoot off one of the massive beasts' horns.

"Liz you're the only one who can reach him at this point!" Cornelia shouted.

"But I can't jump that high," Liz stated.

"Neither can I," Kyle noted.

Kendra was thrown from Bruccus and landed on the ground with a harsh thud. She shook off her disorientation as Luke cast some healing magic on her.

"Well how are we going to get it down, we don't have that kind of equipment."

"Leave it to me," Nonette said, "Kyle!" she called as she dashed forward, "Give me a boost!"

Kyle crouched down with his hand ready to propel Nonette upward as she took to the sky. "ZA WARUDO!"

Time immediately stopped as she began making knives to create temporary footholds beneath her feet as she danced around Bruccus and prepared a flurry of knives to attack both his wings before landing on a high rising tree branch. She then snapped her fingers to let time resume. The knives ripped through Bruccus' wings and dropped him hard to the ground.

However, the wounded beast was still plenty dangerous and dashed towards his enemies, scattering the team.

Kyle grabbed a hold of Highlander with both hands. He crouched. "Liz! Luke! Keep him busy for a few seconds"

"Got it!"
"On it!" Liz and Luke both exclaimed.

"Lunar tempest," Covering her body in a windy aura, Liz barreled forward like a pinball up and towards the sky smacking Bruccus underneath the jaw.

"Sword Rain!" Luke declared jabbing Bruccus a few times in the side with his sword. "Alpaha Extension!" A shockwave ripped forth from Luke's blade and knocked Bruccus off balance a little bit.

Kyle watched the massive beast with his eyes studying its composition and its build, its movement, its breath, everything that made Bruccus to be Bruccus.

Sayoko then used a bomb full of mustard and gun powder to cause Bruccus' head to whip towards the side.

All right, I think I got it, Kyle declared. "This ends now," He said rushing forward and sliced Bruccus with a brilliant, white energy arc trailing behind him. "O brilliant blade of coldest steel," Kyle declared as he began turning on his heels, moving faster and faster as he swerved in and out and away from Bruccus' body, appearing at various angles, moving so fast that it almost seemed like he was teleporting, "Rend the infinite darkness," he continued to cut, each movement so swift that his teammates couldn't even follow his movements, "And crush my enemies to nothing!" Cut after cut after cut after cut was delivered in a blink or you'll miss it fashion until no less than thirty-six lacerations had been produced. "SAVAGE WOLF FURY!" With one final strike going from lip to tail Kyle shouted the technique's name at the top of his lungs, three more followed instantaneously as Bruccus then exploded into a pool of blood.

"Nice work, Kyle," Nonette said as she continued to get down from the tree and got to her feet.

"You still got it," Liz chuckled happily. Kendra let out a victory howl.

"Sooo," Kyle then said looking at the pool of blood, "What are we going to do about evidence?" Kendra dashed into the blood pool and bit down on something, pulling out what appeared to be some kind of organ. Cornelia had the urge to vomit.

Kendra placed it in Kyle's hand and barked. "Well I…guess that works."

"What is that?" Luke asked.

"It looks like the liver…or maybe it's a piece of the small intestine. I can't really tell."

"Maybe it's a kidney stone," Nonette remarked.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Cornelia gagged.

"Well whatever it is it makes any good a trophy as ever."

"That it certainly does," Liz agreed, "Though it won't preserve well."

Sayoko pulled out a small container and shoved the object into it. "That should suffice, I think."

Nonette nodded. "Good then, let's go back to town and turn that in. We should mark the pathway so the officials can know how to get back here." The others agreed with this.

That evening, as the group spent their time sitting out around the town square fountain, Nonette and Cornelia sat on a bench together, eating ice cream.

"Are you really not going back to the castle, Nellie?" Nonette asked.

"No," Cornelia answered, taking a lick. "I'm not going home."

"Well where do you intend to stay?"

"Can't I stay with you guys?" Cornelia asked.

"We're…kind of short on beds."

"No room in yours?" Cornelia asked taking a mouthful of her dessert.

"Well…no…but…" Nonette wasn't completely against the idea, but the fact remained as there would be a lot of questions of having an underage girl sleep with her, especially given her sexuality. Nonette was one-hundred percent lesbian. She liked Cornelia-liked her a lot actually—as somewhat as more than a friend, but she wanted to wait until Cornelia was older before saying anything. She could keep her hands off her, sure, but if word got out not about Nonette's preferences, but of her and Cornelia sharing a bed there could be a lot of hot water to be bubbling in within the near future. Still, Cornelia really did have nowhere to sleep. Liz and Kyle often shared beds of which Nonette was convinced they also did more than just share. Sayoko's room wasn't big enough for a guest—the woman preferred to live small and while Luke was a viable option he'd just as soon as tell Cornelia to make things up with her parents and go home.

"Please, Nonette," Cornelia pleaded. "You're my best friend."

Nonette sighed with a contented smile. She couldn't say no to a declaration like that. "All right, you've convinced me," she said. She called to the others. "Hey guys, Nellie's gonna be staying with us until she's ready to go home. She's sharing my room with me."

"Alright, fine with me," Kyle stated. Everyone seemed to nod their heads in acceptance.

"Lady Cornelia, are you sure? You really should try and talk things out with your parents."

"I don't have parents," Cornelia said with blunt stubbornness. The others looked at one another with varying degrees of worry. None of them were against Cornelia staying out of the house, but that was a little extreme. They didn't want to think of what might happen if she never went home.

"Nellie you shouldn't say things like that," Nonette told her. Cornelia simply huffed. Nonette kind of shrugged, but she'd talk to Cornelia about this when she wasn't being so obstinate.


The White Rabbit Inn

As Nonette made the bed, she looked at Cornelia who was sitting by the window looking at the castle and the flags waving across the rooftops. She walked over to her younger friend and stood behind her.

"Reconsidering?" she asked.

"No, I…I was thinking about Estelle and how I wish she could see the outside of the castle."

Nonette massaged Cornelia's shoulder. "Estelle will get out of the castle one way or the other. Your dream with her will come true. You and I will see to that," Nonette crossed her fingers in front of her as she held her hand by her shoulder, "guildmaster's honor."

Cornelia smiled, stood up, stretched and yawned as she and Nonette went over to the large bed and snuggled down together with Nonette on one side of the bed and Cornelia on the other.

"Good night, Nonette."

"Good night, Nellie," Nonette told her. The two of them then fell asleep together.

Meanwhile, at the castle, Euphie refused to go to bed. Aria had given up trying to convince her so now Estelle was trying her best. Euphie was currently in her room, sitting in Estelle's lap, in her bed, as Estelle finished reading her yet another children's story.

"Estellise, when's Cornelia coming home? Isn't she home yet?" Euphie asked.

"No she's not," Estelle stated, "Now will you please go to sleep?" she requested of her younger sister. "I'm sure that wherever Cornelia is that she's already long since gone to bed."

"But how can she sleep if she's not home?"

"People sleep outside the castle all the time, Euphemia," Estelle told her.

"But people sleep where they're home don't they?" Euphie's mind held an innocence only a child could possess.

Estelle said nothing. "Even so, you really need to go to sleep, Euphemia. You need to sleep at your age. Protesting won't make Cornelia come home any sooner."

A scratching noise could be heard outside the door. Euphie crawled aside and Estelle opened the door as Arthur ran in and jumped on the bed.

"Mroooooow," he meowed.

"See, even Arthur wants you to go to bed," Estelle stated.

"But Cornelia—"

"Is a big girl and can look after herself and she's more than likely with Nonette. You know Nonette would never let anything happen to her, right?"

"I guess so," Euphie pouted.

Estelle walked over to her sister, sat down, kissed Euphie's forehead and rubbed it as she put her arm around her little sister. "Don't worry, Cornelia will be home soon."

"But she's not home now," Cornelia complained.

Estelle let out a deep sigh. "Would you go to sleep if I let you sleep with me for tonight?" Estelle asked.

"You'd let me?" Euphie asked.

"Just this once, at least until the day Cornelia comes home."

"Okay," Euphie seemed approving the idea.

Finally, Estelle thought with a joyful smile.

The lights eventually went off and Arthur made himself comfortable at the foot of the bed. Euphie and Estelle lay curled up together in the latter's bed. Euphie had settled down easily enough in Estelle's bed and fell asleep almost immediately, but she sniveled and sobbed in her eldest sister's arms.

Cornelia, please come home. You've upset the whole house and I know you'd never intend to do that.

"Cornelia, big sis," Euphie sniffed in her sleep. Estelle hugged her closer together and Euphie clutched tighter to her sister's shoulder, like a baby monkey holding tighter to its mother.

Estelle's eyes gazed forward and then hardened. I've made up my mind, tomorrow…tomorrow I'm leaving the castle!

"Danger is relative only to what's around it."
—Lelouch Lamperouge

To be continued...


(A/N: I would'v extended this chapter for much longer, but I want to take time and properly flesh out this arc. In my last story, Soul Chess, I jumped around too much and blew past things too quickly. This time I'm just going to build tension and keep you guys guessing as to what's going to happen and how. I mean we all know Estelle dies at the end and that for some reason Cornelia blames herself. Is this the reason? Or is it just a Red Herring? Also if you did or didn't call that dragon being Igneel, please say so in your review. Anyway, I have some things I need to take care of and starting tomorrow updates aren't going to be as frequent sadly. I'll be busy having fun with my new games :D. Ja ne!)