. Not As It Seems .
Her burgundy eyes snapped open, a ragged gasp leaving her lips. She wheezed for air, choking and heaving as she rolled onto her stomach, retching violently as it surged. She could feel a sharp breeze on her back, chilling her to the bone as she tried to sort through all of her thoughts yet unable to come up with a single one.
She lay like that for a while. Hours, maybe more. She wasn't entirely sure. She knew the sun was passing over head, ticking by like the hands of a clock, but she couldn't bring herself to care, too exhausted and sick to do anything.
Finally, things began to click together, and Rhith Vila shakily pushed herself to her feet, her naked legs shaking beneath her body. She staggered for a few moments, silvery hair hanging in her eyes as she took in her surroundings.
"I'm...not...in here," she mumbled, and then corrected herself. "There. I'm not there. Where am I?" She spun around on her heel. Names flashed through her mind, filling in the missing spaces and blanks, and she made a face as one in particular locked into place.
Sting Eucliffe, the guildmaster of Sabertooth, was going to kill her.
And so was Rogue, because she knew that her disappearance would have upset Frosch.
Grumbling under her breath, Rhith hugged her arms across her naked chest, eyeing the empty area around her. It was silent, almost scarily so. But she couldn't hear any signs of civilization, so that would explain why. Taking a deep and shaky breath, tired, Rhith lifted a hand to her lips and blew into it.
A silver butterfly leaped into existence, fluttering its wings and flying away from her. She watched it go for a few moments before trudging forward, grateful that she'd mastered her magic enough to create the illusion that she was wearing clothes.
A thought suddenly entered her mind, and Rhith's gaze dropped to touch her stomach, where the Sabertooth emblem was supposed to be, stamped there by a kindly smiling Yukino Auguria, and she was - to her surprise - relieved to see that it was there.
Despite her original thoughts about anything in regards to the guilds...Rhith found herself rather fond of them. Particularly Sabertooth. She liked the way the guild was like a family, even if some people didn't like her still. She received uncomfortable looks from quite a few despite having been around them for days, but she liked the friendliness with which she was treated by other people.
Mainly the cats.
Heart twisting, Rhith continued onwards, making her way through the forest that she'd woken up in. She'd been walking for somewhat close to an hour before she felt a strange tickle in her chest that told her that someone had touched the illusion she'd created. The warmth told her just how gentle they'd been, reassuring her that it was someone who'd recognized the gesture.
Rhith's eyes narrowed as she finally began to hear the sounds of a nearby town.
Just how long had she been unconscious? Or whatever that had been...had it been what Jellal had described? Had she been dead and come back? She remembered the intense pain that the use of her magic in such a way had brought her, the way that her mouth had filled with blood…
She smacked her lips, making a face at the memory of the taste.
She didn't think that there was still blood on her face…
Rhith reached the outskirts of the town and squinted at the buildings, making sure to keep up the illusion that she was wearing clothes. She'd get some real clothes when she got back to where people were undoubtedly waiting on her.
Natsu better appreciate this, she thought as she finally just stepped onto a street, looking for any signs to tell her where she was. Her short legs managed to keep up a speedy walk as she searched, her arms hugged awkwardly across her chest. I technically died to get him what he wanted.
Suddenly, the entire situation caught her attention and she grunted in realization.
She had died for someone she hadn't even met. If what Jellal Fernandes had said was correct, anyways.
Of course, Rhith didn't regret it. She'd never regret giving up her however many lives for people who deserved it, and after what she'd seen with the Grand Magic Games, Lucy Heartfilia deserved it more than anyone else did.
Humming quietly as she finally found a decent main area of the town, she took no time at all to find a newspaper.
She scanned the front page, flashing a child that glanced her way in curiosity a smile, her burgundy eyes fierce with determination - until she realized where she was.
"Are you kidding me?" Rhith whimpered, ignoring a weird look that she received. "I'm - ugh, I don't even have money to get back…"
That explained the lovely smell of salt and fish on the air. Hargeon was a popular port town, known for its export of fish. And it was beautiful, she admitted, putting it away. She could hear the ocean, and she loved it. But it was a pain in the ass because she had no idea where Hargeon was after a year in another country.
Frustrated and uncertain of what to do, Rhith licked her lips and cursed herself for not having any money. And she knew without a doubt that no one would give her the map she needed because she was herself and there was not a single person who wasn't in a guild that liked her.
It was while she was awkwardly glaring at her bare feet that a voice caught her attention, a loud bellowing voice. It was laughing and loud, and she found herself looking over to discover an excited group of children gathered around a man in a cloak. He was tall, and she could hear the faint creaking of metallic limbs as he moved, kneeling to playfully poke at a child in the stomach.
Rhith paused. And then her lips curved into a massive grin, excitement making her clasp her hands in front of her. Hopefully the man wasn't going to treat her like an enemy if she approached… Taking a breath, she scampered forward, smiling faintly when the children scattered, uncertain of her.
Gildarts Clive looked immediately to her, curious about why the children were going away now. Parents glared hatefully over their shoulders at her as she greeted in a formal tone, "Hello! I'm Rhith Vila, newest member of Sabertooth because it's the only way the Council would leave me alone, and you happen to be Gildarts Clive if I remember correctly, one of the most powerful mages of Fairy Tail?"
He blinked slowly, confused. "...yes?" he said finally. "I guess. I'm Gildarts of Fairy Tail for sure."
"Good. I need you to help me get back to Magnolia if you don't mind." Rhith gave a sheepish and uncertain smile. "I know it's weird to ask that...but things have been happening." Nerves made her ramble as she continued to speak. "There's some fairies that are probably going to try and kill us all - that's apparently my fault - and Lucy Heartfilia is kind of running around who the hell knows where, had to make some illusions to get to her, and yeah."
Gildarts stared blankly at her before cracking a grin, laughing to himself. "I believe you," he reassured when she frowned. "Fairy Tail has its own way of doing things."
"Of course they do," she uttered, and then pleaded, "Could you help me get back to Magnolia? I think I might have died." This earned another completely blank stare and she flushed, admitting, "We think I'm not completely human, it's a long story. Dragon slayers are rather annoying, honestly. I don't have money. I can't get there by train or anything without money."
Realization flashed through Gildarts' eyes, and he chuckled. "Sure. Not like I'm gonna use all of it. Just gotta pay taxes." He shoved a hand into a bag that he had slung over his shoulder, and then offered a rather large stack of money. "Give the rest to Cana," he instructed. "When you get what you need. Late birthday gift. Tell her not to spend it all on alcohol."
"Thank you," Rhith said softly, beyond grateful. She paused. "You're not going to return?"
"I will. After I finish up my job," he replied. "They survived without me, you know. Through a lot of things. Grand Magic Games, dragons, you name it. They don't need me. This old man's heading for the mountains." He winked, and planted a hand on her head, ruffling her wild silver hair. She winced. "I like you. You give off a strange feeling that makes me want to go away, but I like you."
"Thanks. I think?" Rhith paused, and then gave a faintly grateful look. "But seriously. Thank you, Clive-san-"
"Gildarts." He shook his head. "No one in Fairy Tail is into that kind of respect."
"I've noticed," she mused, and then bowed her head. "Anyways. Excuse me, I have to get going. Our war will be starting shortly now that we got Lucy-san back. Goodbye, Gildarts. I hope we meet again someday."
"Same goes here, Rhith." He winked again. "I'll have to buy you a drink next time."
Sighing at the fact that yet another person was flirting, Rhith said drily, "You'll have to fight Eucliffe-san then, because the weird guy has decided to latch on like some kind of fungus." This made Gildarts outright laugh, and she gave a wave before turning and bolting, glancing at the clock.
Nearly noon.
Just enough time to purchase some real clothes and then get on a train that left at half past, she thought. She could do this. Rhith could buy clothes and be back in Magnolia by the afternoon.
So, she took off at a speedy walk, determined to get back to the town of mages as soon as she could.
By the time she'd finished shopping for decent clothes, Rhith was satisfied and hoped to keep the outfit for quite some time. It was a violet dress, with a jean jacket that buttoned just beneath her breasts thrown over. Her feet were clad in black heeled sandals, a black headband in her hair to help keep her bangs out of her face and her "wings" out of her face.
She paused to purchase train tickets, and then swung onto the train with a determined look. Only a few hours, and then she'd be back among friends, she told herself as people moved away.
No one sat anywhere around her when she finally found a seat she liked.
She hugged her arms, leaning back in her seat. She'd forgotten just how lonely it got when you didn't have friends to ride with. She would have preferred even the nuisance that was Sting Eucliffe at this point. At least then someone would have been fending off the nasty looks that were being sent her way.
Rhith chewed on her lip as the train lurched forward after a while, impatience filling her. She began to create an illusion, playing with the butterfly that appeared before her eyes. She solidified it in color, her eyes thoughtful as she played.
It let her think, focus on matters that needed to be thought about.
They only had a matter of days, she knew. Only days before the fairies kept their promise and came looking for them. With Lucy freed, it would only piss them off more and she doubted they'd be escaping a war that was surely coming. Her lips pressed together at the thought.
They wanted her dead, that much was clear. She'd fight with them, but if it came down to it…
She'd let them kill her. It wasn't like she wouldn't come back.
Of course, if her magic was ripped from her, that was a bit different, but she didn't want to focus on such things anymore.
It was while she was chewing her nail, considering what to do about any of this, that someone slid into the seat across from her. She was so surprised that when she looked up, it took her a moment to recognize the ticks.
An illusion, if the jerky blinking was anything to go by.
She stiffened. "What do you want?" Rhith gritted out, the butterfly disappearing and dissolving into glowing white orbs that floated into the air. She fisted her hands in the skirt of her dress.
The illusion giggled. Its form was that of a young teen, a girl, with sharp green eyes and long brunette hair that flowed heavily over her shoulders. "To deliver a warning," it purred. "You've taken Lucy Heartfilia. We applaud you for figuring out where we were keeping her."
"I don't want your praise," Rhith spat irritably.
It only laughed. "We don't need to be here in person to take your magic, you know." Suddenly, its body was over hers, its clawed fingers resting over her heart. Rhith glared up at it without fear as it dug in, claws sinking through the fabric of her clothes and ripping at her flesh. "We could take it here and now."
"Then do it," Rhith challenged.
But the illusion sat back, smug. "Did you know," it said to her, "that when a fairy dies, they are reborn? They are recreated because their magic is so pure, it refuses to accept death." A pause, and then a giggle. "Oh, wait, you already knew that. Did you know that when a fairy dies and its magic has been ripped from it, it's trapped in an endless blackness? That's what we think, anyways."
Rhith chose to ignore that, her lips pressed together unhappily.
"Anyways, our warning." The illusion studied its bloodied talons. "Tomorrow. You have until tomorrow to kill yourself permanently, or we're coming. And mages won't be the only ones we target. Magnolia is a large place, is it not?"
"Leave the residents alone." Rhith took a deep breath, and then crossed her arms tightly. "I'll go. If you show up tomorrow evening, I'll leave. I don't want anyone hurt because of me. But...can you at least let me kill me for real? I don't want to live without my magic, the idea hurts…"
It cackled. "Stupid girl. What do you think our purpose is? To make you suffer. So live you shall." The illusion suddenly tilted its head, a purr escaping its throat like that of a cat. "Do you truly want to know why so many hate you? Why the kindness Fairy Tail and Sabertooth and anyone has shown you is a lie?"
Rhith couldn't help but look up at it with an expectant look. It grinned maliciously. "Your mother was killed," it taunted mockingly, "For her relationship with a mortal man. But she hid you from us. She couldn't hide you forever, of course. We killed your father the second we found him. And then we found you with those horrible people that you called your parents, thought were your birth parents...who would want you, Rhith-chan? All of that excitement you feel because you think you finally have friends…? Lies. They will turn on you the second they learn of your heritage."
"Mm, let me think on that...yeah, no." Rhith smirked. "We already figured I had fairy blood, or something close. I mean, I saw Mavis-sama even with the emblem of Sabertooth on my body. So you think that they'll turn on me for such a thing? Like hell."
"And what makes you think they're not relieved you're not there?" it snapped, losing its smirk. "They're celebrating your death right now."
Rhith giggled. "Oh, I doubt it. Eucliffe-san was rather insistent on a goodbye kiss, you know, and Fro-kun loses his mind with worry if I get too close to the edge of Magnolia's canals. You're crazy, all of you."
She blinked.
When her eyes opened again, the illusion was gone, and a hiss echoed in her ear.
"Ní bheidh muid ag stopadh fiach duit. Is spraoi. Ní féidir liom fanacht a cuimilt an draíocht ó d'anam agus é ag breathnú mar a wither tú ar shiúl i rud ar bith."
We will never stop hunting you. It's fun. We can't wait to tear the magic from your soul and watch as it withers away into nothing.
Rhith threw herself from the train the second it pulled into the station, already looking. Her burgundy eyes found no one that she needed to see, however, and she scowled before darting forward. She wasn't familiar with the town, but it wasn't hard to find the guildhall she needed to get to.
It was, after all, the biggest building in Magnolia.
Exhaustion swept through her, the need to sleep filling her as she began to trudge towards Fairy Tail. Her booted feet slapped harshly against the cobblestoned ground. Her lips parted as she panted for breath, swearing quietly as she suddenly realized that she was so tired, she could barely move.
Her legs gave out and she viciously smacked a thigh in frustration.
What the hell!?
What was wrong with her?
She scampered out of the way of people and simply rested in an alleyway, her heart pounding painfully in her chest as she tried to calm down. She gave a soft sigh of impatience. She didn't have time for this, damn it-
"Rhith-sama?"
Her head snapped up, burgundy eyes locking with those of Frosch. The cat looked a little upset, and it took her no time to realize that he'd gotten himself lost. Again. She smiled faintly and then caught him in a tight hug when he leaped at her. "Rhith-sama!" he cheered. "You're back!"
"Hey, Fro-kun," she giggled, kissing his head. She closed her eyes, resting her head back. She could sleep...for hours, honestly…
He purred loudly against her. "Rogue will be happy," Frosch told her honestly. "And Sting and Lector-kun, too! And Natsu-san, and Erza-san, and Lucy-san…" He began to rant on and on about who would be happy to see her, and Rhith felt her heart swell with adoration for the Exceed.
"We need to get back to the guildhall," she realized suddenly, forcing her eyes open. She shakily moved him away so that she could stand up, leaning heavily on the wall. "To Fairy Tail's anyway. I got some interesting information...Fro-kun, here, let me carry you so you don't get lost again?" She scooped him into her arms, and then laughed when he purred loudly against her, excited.
"Okay!" he cheered.
Rhith began to calculate, her eyes darting this way and that as she shuffled forward, a sound of irritation escaping her when someone shoved past her. Someone had to be out looking for Frosch, even if it was just Rogue. If they were lucky, they'd come across him.
Not that it mattered, they'd all end up in the same location anyways-
"Frosch-kun!" she heard a few minutes later, and she paused in walking, recognizing the voice. "Frosch-kun, where are you?!"
"Wendy-chan," Rhith muttered, and then smiled at Frosch when he cheered back, "Over here, Wendy-san, Fro found Rhith-sama!"
The sky dragon slayer came hurtling around a corner a few moments later, trailed by a couple other Exceeds, and Rhith hid back a snort at the sight. Happy was cheerfully hovering behind her, closer to Charle and giving Lector several irritable looks. Lector ignored him, instead shouting, "Rhith-sama!" and throwing himself into her arms with Frosch.
"Rhith-san!" Wendy exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together. "We thought you'd come back! At least, we hoped...Jellal-san wasn't too certain…" She flushed.
"Well, I'm back. Just...exhausted," Rhith admitted with a sigh, glancing around. "Did you find Lucy-san?"
Wendy's eyes softened. "Yeah. Someone found her by accident. They were looking for some wild berries out in the forest and stumbled over her. They recognized her and carried her back. She woke up when she got close to the guildhall, and Master made sure to pay the man nicely for the work he did for us. He was given a gift, too, a favor from Fairy Tail. That'll pay off in the end."
"Good." Rhith gave a relieved smile. She dropped to the ground suddenly, grunting as she hit it. Lector and Frosch echoed her name anxiously, and she laughed breathlessly. "Sorry, I'm tired. I need to get some sleep...I think whatever I did sucked up a large quantity of my magic."
"Oh!" Wendy hurried closer. "Here, I'll-"
"Nonsense!" her Exceed cut in. Charle glared furiously at her. "You'll do no such thing. I'll go find Gajeel. He'll carry her back and we'll let her rest back at the guildhall. You must save your strength."
Wendy shook her head. "Gajeel-san's not a good idea. Levy-san said that it might be better to keep him away, Charle." She glanced anxiously at the exhausted illusion mage. "But Rogue is out, I'll see if I can find him...can you guys help? Lector-kun?"
"Sure, Fro-kun can stay with Rhith-sama," he told her and then hopped from Rhith's embrace and into the air. Within seconds, they were all sprinting and flying in opposite directions, Happy pausing to give Rhith a heart-felt word of gratitude before doing his part.
"Fro is happy you're back, Rhith-sama," Frosch told Rhith with a kind look.
Rhith tightened her grip around him. "Same," she agreed quietly, and then silently began to calculate what everyone's next move should be.
It seemed like only minutes when in reality, it was near an hour, that Wendy came jogging back into view, an extended shadow trailing behind her. Rogue appeared out of it without hesitation, a relieved look on his face. "Fro," he muttered as the Exceed cheered. "Rhith."
"Hello, Rogue-san," Rhith said faintly. "Glad to see you again."
He merely smiled slightly and said, "Wendy said you needed help?"
Wendy watched anxiously as Rhith agreed and Rogue carefully scooped her up, holding her small frame with ease. She grumbled under her breath about having to be carried, but accepted that there wasn't much else that could be done about the matter.
As they began the short trek back to Fairy Tail's guildhall, the other Exceeds soon floating around them with Wendy trotting at Rogue's side, keeping up with his long strides, Wendy explained what had happened and that Rhith had, in all honesty, been gone for nearly a week. Rhith apologized, but neither dragon slayer was willing to accept her apology.
"Lucy-san's only woken up twice," Wendy explained, "But there's nothing we can do. She's simply exhausted her magic supply that much in trying not to actually die. Natsu-san hasn't left her side for even a second, and he's been rather impatient, but he's happy. Sting-san's running himself ragged trying to help the others figure out where the fairies will come from, and Rogue-san's been doing sweeps with Gajeel and I to look out for them."
"Good job," Rhith praised. "But you don't have to anymore. They'll be coming tomorrow. That's what I was told. An illusion approached me...I think I'll wait to continue until everyone else can hear though. If you don't mind."
"You were approached?" Wendy trilled her alarm, making them all wince, which she sheepishly apologized for.
When they reached the guildhall, Wendy opened the door for them, and then hurried in after, calling for Sting and Makarov. Her voice was gentle, as if she was worried about waking the blonde that rested upstairs.
Spots dotted Rhith's vision as Makarov questioned what was the matter before stating Rhith's name in surprise, as if he was shocked to see her. Gajeel growled from his corner; Wendy beamed.
Sting came darting into view with the biggest smile of everyone, demanding that Rogue hand her to him, his excitement that she was back clear in his excited eyes.
And then she saw darkness, her eyes fluttering shut as exhaustion took over.
Finally.
Safe.
And now you know for sure what happens when Rhith disappears/dies for a short time! I'd like to point out that this is only because of the fairy blood within her, which is tied to her magic. ;)
We got to see Gildarts for a bit. You won't see him again in NAIS. XD
Thanks to reviewers (Ancient Glory, Otaku-neesan, Kauia, The 0bservanc3, NaLu and InuKag, LePengwen, Aqua King, CrystalVixen93, PinkFireandGoldenStars, sassykitten1701, summercharizard, ashinsky, and MaybeALittleBroken!) as well as those who favorited and followed!