Kyandi: And I have returned once more.
Rette: People are going to get tired of you at this rate.
Kyandi: I know. And to think, I four more chapters, after this, to upload for this story and then three chapters for other stories.
Rette: You have no life.
Kyandi:...I know!
Rette: No need to cry like an infant.
Kyandi: Could you at least pretend to have a heart.
Rette: Gee willikers, Kyandi-sama, I do so hope you recover from this realization that you're a social misfit.
Kyandi:...Okay, one...never say "gee willikers" again. Two...how is that remotely caring!? And three...you're a social misfit, too!
Rette: I am whatever you make of me, for, after all, I am but an imaginary character you came up with while sitting all alone in your room with no one to talk too.
Kyandi:...
Rette: Kyandi-sama?
Kyandi:...
Rette: Oh, well...she's face down on the couch. I believe I gave her an existential crisis. So, I shall finish this up. And if you get the existential crisis reference, Kyandi-sama and I will applaud you. Everyone please review and enjoy. Kyandi-sama does not own Fairy Tail.
Chapter 12 Heart Breaking
"Owww..."
Rette's thoughts exactly.
The explosion had rocked the building, rattling Rette's brain inside her skull. Natsu had grabbed a hold of her, protecting her from as much damage as possible, but they had both still gotten pretty banged up. At the moment, Natsu was hovering over Rette as she laid on the ground, rubbing her head. She had a couple of new cuts and bruises, but at least she was alive.
"What the hell's going on here?" Natsu asked.
"No idea. All I know is that I never want to go through it again." Rette replied, finally looking around them.
All around them, the walls had been replaced wtih blue-white crystals teeming with magical energy. Rette could feel it raising the hair on the back of her neck. The sheer amount was more than she had ever sensed in her whole life.
"Lacrima? The building turned into a giant lacrima." Rette said softly.
"What!? Really?" Natsu asked, helping Rette to her feet.
"I'm sure. I can feel the energy coursing throughout the whole building. This isn't good." Rette said.
"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.
"If this energy remains built up here then it'll become too much for even a lacrima of this size to contain." Rette replied.
Natsu gave her a blank look and Rette knew she was going to have to dumb this down for him to finally get it. Though it was pretty simple to begin with.
"If the energy remains built up like this...it'll explode. We're still in danger. We have to find Erza...quick." Rette told him.
Natsu nodded and lead the way. They moved as fast as they could, Rette and Natsu working together to reach the top of the tower. In Rette's opinion, they got there just in the knick of time. Ezra was being absorbed into the very crystal of the tower. Natsu rushed up to Erza, grabbing her to heave her out. Rette joined him, grabbing Erza around the waist as Natsu heaved her out. The two yanked Erza free of crystal and all three tumbled back when she suddenly came free.
"Now, that hurt." Rette remarked as Erza and Natsu landed on her.
Natsu grinned, turning that cocky, victorious grin on Jellal. Mean while, both he and Erza were sitting on Rette's back, hurting her already still aching ribs.
"Erza belongs to Fairy Tail. I won't hand her over to you!" Natsu told him.
"And as soon as I get out from under the two of you, I'm joining the fight, too." Rette remarked, trying to yank her way free and not succeeding.
She really needed to work out. She had no physical strength what so ever.
"Natsu...Rette..." Erza said softly, tears streaming from her left eye.
"What are you doing? We gotta get back and take some missions. Otherwise we won't make the rent!" Natsu told Erza as Rette finally pulled herself free and turned to face Erza too.
"I...I'm sorry. I can't move my body." Erza replied.
"Oh? Is that right? Then this is for all those times you beat me up. Take this!" Natsu declared, tickling Erza, making her gasp for breath as she laughed.
Rette shook her head at Natsu's childish, but she was glad to see that Erza was alive, if not beaten up. But how did Rette end up being the one to make it up to the top of the tower along side Natsu? What did she really think she could do against Jellal? The questions took a hit at her pride and confidence. What was she doing there?
"Natsu, Rette...you have to leave this place now." Erza told them, snapping Rette out of her thoughts.
"No way! If you can't handle that guy, then let me have a go!" Natsu replied.
"No. He's too dangerous. You don't understand him at all." Erza insisted.
"I can't win if I don't understand?" Natsu asked.
"Even I don't understand that." Rette added.
"Please...do as I say." Erza pleaded.
Natsu looked up at Rette. Rette met his gaze and the two stared at each other as if in that simple look, a whole conversation flew between them. Then they both nodded. With Rette's help, Natsu heaved Erza up, half draping Erza over both of their shoulders. Rette stood at his side, holding her head high as she and Natsu faced Jellal.
"What...what are you two doing?" Erza asked.
"Erza, I don't get you at all." Natsu said.
"I don't think I ever did." Rette added, hooking an arm under one of Erza's to half support her weight.
Erza opened her mouth to ask what they were talking about when Natsu hit her hard in the gut. Rette took on her weight, supporting her as Natsu let her go and Erza sagged forward.
"But I can win." Natsu declared. "Rette, take care of Erza."
Rette nodded, sinking down to the ground, holding onto Erza tightly. Rette held her firmly in her lap, stroking her hair as she did. There had been tears in Erza's eyes. Tears that Rette had never thought to see but had seen more of in the last few hours than she had in the time she had known Erza. It made her heart hurt.
"You're even more irrational than I've heard. Did you enjoy striking one of your own friends, who couldn't even move?" Jellal asked Natsu.
"Erza...she was crying." Natsu said, his fist curling at his side. "And saying depressing things with a shaky voice. I've never seen Erza like that. Erza should be strong, mean, and scary. When she wakes up, I hope she'll be the Erza I knew. That's what I'll fight for!"
"Interesting. Then let me see the power of a Dragon Slayer." Jellal provoked.
"Natsu."
Natsu turned to look at Rette when she called his name. Rette met his gaze, her eyes sharp where her expression wasn't anything but bored.
"Knock him once for me." she told him.
Natsu's lips curled into a big grin and he gave her a nod before turning back to face Jellal, the grin vanishing in the face of his anger. Jellal dodged Natsu's first punch, but that had simply been a feint and Natsu quickly followed that up with a kick to the face that Jellal hadn't seen coming. Punch after punch followed in quick succession, Natsu's anger fueling each new attack. Rette tried to follow it, but all she caught was a fury of feiry attacks.
But none of them did more than burn the clothes off Jellal, leaving him in a weird body suit.
"Is that the limit of your ability?" Jellal asked.
Natsu grit his teeth, growling low in his throat and Rette's arms tightened around Erza unconsciously. Jellal simply dusted off his suit as if Natsu's attacks had been nothing more than someone throwing dust on him.
"To think, before I destroyed you, I had wanted to see the destructive power of a Dragon Slayer. But this level of magic was really nothing special." Jellal mocked.
"What'd you say!?" Natsu growled rushing towards Jellal again.
"You had the nerve to interrupt my ceremony. I'm going to crush you with my heavenly magic." Jellal said.
His next spell moved him so fast it looked just like a meteor in the sky. He hit Natsu hard from behind and then vanished once more, only to attack from the front by slamming his knee into Natsu's jaw. Just as Natsu had unleashed a storm of hits on Jellal, their positions were reversed and Jellal showered hit after hit on Natsu, moving so fast that Natsu was having a hard time keeping up with him.
"Damn it, he's too fast! I can't rely on my eyes right now. Smell, sound, touch. I gotta predict his movements...and focus!" Natsu said, closing his eyes.
He focused on the area around him. He could hear the even, deep breathing of Erza and the equally calm breathing of Rette. Under that he could hear the rapid beating of Rette's heart. Though her breathing was normal and she appeared calm, her heartbeat gave away her concern and nervousness. Then he found Jellal and turned on him with a flaming fist...only to miss as Jellal changed course at the last second. Natsu tried, but Jellal only seemed to get faster and landed a hard kick to Natsu's gut, making him spit up blood.
"Natsu!" Rette called in concern.
"It's over. Time for you to have a glimpse, of real destructive power." Jellal said, hitting Natsu with one of his strongest attacks.
Natsu hit the ground in a cloud of smoke and Jellal chuckled.
"This magic is comparable in power to an actual meteor. I'm impressed that you're still in one piece." Jellal remarked to Natsu's seemingly unconscious body. "On the other hand, it looks like I went a little too far. Further damage to the R System would be troublesome. The magic is already starting to leak out. We'll have to hurry. Right, Erz-"
Jellal cut off as he turned to look at Erza cushioned in Rette's lap. Rette's hands were raised before her, an emerald green magic circle before her. Shards of dancing, crystallized light started raining around him as he met Rette's firm, but indifferent stare.
"Unison magic." Rette said softly, the rain of crystal becoming thicker around Jellal. "Two layer magic circle...Purgatory Raze."
Two magic circles, matching hers in their shade of green appeared. One below Jellal and one above him. Jellal's wide eyes landed back on Rette. He had heard, briefly, of a mage who could use a form of magic officially called Nexus magic Though rumors said the mage, herself, called it Unison magic. Rumors had told him of the Unison Raid-like magic, but he had never thought that mage resided in Fairy Tail and that it was this little girl.
The spell activated then and, as if they were caught in a blender sat on puree, the shards of crystallized light started pinging around inside the tight space mapped out by the magic circles. They moved faster and faster, soon forming a storm of glittering light, even managing to slice through the crystal of the the tower's lacrima.
The spell was one of her stronger spells, the tiny shards of crystal being sharp enough to shred through steel. That being that, the spell burned up quite a bit of her magic energy. She knew, though, before the smoke even cleared, that she hadn't managed to do a thing to Jellal. As if to prove her point, Jellal was suddenly in front of her. His hand snapped out, seizing Rette by her throat and yanking her up. Erza fell to the ground and Rette was pulled off her feet.
She instantly latched onto his wrist, trying to pry his fingers away from her throat. Jellal's grip didn't loosen in the least. He smirked as he looked up at her, giving her a shake as if to show that, to him, she was nothing, in strength or weight. Rette feared that any tighter and he would cut off her air supply completely.
"So you're the Nexus magic user I heard about. Oh, but that's right. You call it Unison magic, don't you?" Jellal asked.
Rette couldn't get a word out with how tight his grip was. Just getting a breath in was difficult. She could feel her head getting light and knew if he didn't release her soon, she would pass out from the lack of proper air.
"A mage who preforms a Unison Raid by herself. How interesting. Too bad you got in my way. Now I have to kill you, too." Jellal said, tightening his grip even more.
Rette struggled as her air was cut completely off. She panicked, couldn't think straight, and simply clawed at his hand, trying, feebly, to peel his fingers away. Jellal smirked, amused by her struggle, but was distracted when a pebble broken off from the tower, went flying past his foot. He turned, finding Natsu trying to force himself back to his feet. He was picking up fist sized chucks of the tower, throwing them at Jellal. The first couple missed Jellal, until one bounced off his chest.
"Hehehe...I hit you...with my attack." Natsu said, pushing himself up. "This tower, is made of crystal right? If it were damaged, it would lose its power huh? Then that's too bad for you!"
Natsu slammed a fist into the crystal under him with enough power to crush the crystal under his fist. Jellal grit his teeth and, unconsciously, his already tight grip on Rette's throat, tightened. Rette increased her struggle, trying to drag in a breath.
"Mages of Fairy Tail specialize in property damage! I'm still in the mood for fighting. Never felt better in my life. So let go of Rette." Natsu told Jellal, a grin on his face.
"You little punk. I'm going to finish you in an instant. You're going to regret getting up again. I'll send you to hell. And then I'll send this to join you." Jellal said, throwing Rette down hard.
Rette gasped both in pain and in an attempt to drag air into her lungs. She curled in on herself, coughing as she tried pulling air past her damaged throat. It hurt, but she knew she would live.
"Rette?" Natsu called.
"I-I'll be fine." Rette called back, her voice cracking.
Natsu grinned as she started pushing herself back up. Already, Rette was gaining the stubbornness common in Fairy Tail mages. He faced Jellal, that grin still in place.
"I've got confidence in my own stubbornness. Come get me if you can." Natsu told him.
Rette crawled her way back over to Erza, trying to avoid getting caught in Jellal and Natsu's fight by staying low to the ground. She sat down next to Erza and reached up to rub her throat. She was probably going to have bruises for a while, but as long as she could breath, she didn't care. What was having a few bruises when compared to possibly losing her life?
Nothing.
So she was fine with a few bruises. She watched the fight, amazed all over again, by Natsu. It was almost as if Jellal's previous attacks had only energized Natsu, making him excited. She watched him take hit after hit and just keep grinning in Jellal's face. She couldn't even hit Jellal with an attack.
Boy was she weak.
"What'sa matter? Are you holding back 'cause you're afraid to damage your precious tower? Your attack had no effect on me at all." Natsu mocked, despite panting for breath.
"Don't get too cocky you little punk!" Jellal retorted.
With Jellal's next attack, Rette jolted as Erza suddenly pushed herself up, calling out to Natsu. Rette hadn't even noticed her awaking up. The building shook then as Natsu turned his attack on the tower. Much to Jellal's annoyance.
"He's...the tower..." Erza said in surprise.
"He's destroying the tower." Rette croaked, making Erza glance at her.
Erza noticed the bruising already forming in a perfect ring around the front half of her throat, but Rette wasn't even paying attention. Jellal lost his temper. The next spell he cast, kicked up horrible winds. Rette pressed herself low to the ground, trying to keep from being blown clear off the tower.
"What is this magic? Feels so awful..." Natsu exclaimed.
"So thick...this energy is making me feel sick." Rette muttered.
"The shadow's extending towards the light? This spell is..." Ezra cut off.
Rette tried to stop Erza as she shot to her feet and ran forward, throwing herself between Natsu and Jellal. She managed to stop Jellal.
"Are you going to kill me? Zeref's revival requires a sacrificial body right?" Erza shouted.
"That's true...the conditions roughly requires the body of a mage on par with one of the Holy Ten Great Mages. But at this point, it makes no difference with or without you." Jellal said, shocking Erza. "At this point, I could use that girl there. She's not as strong as you, but her magic is great."
Rette's eyes went wide as he turned a cold glare on her over his shoulder. A shiver ran down her spine. She doubted Jellal really would try to use her. She was, as he said, no where near Erza's level. It was simply that her magic was unusual.
"The two of you, however, are going to be smashed to bits!" Jellal declared, his spell creating a dark ball in the air above his head.
If he let that loose, it wouldn't just be Erza and Natsu smashed to bits. Rette had no doubt that a spell of that size and power, could possibly take her out with them.
"Erza! Natsu!" Rette yelled, her voice cracking.
"Erza! Get away!" Natsu yelled.
But Erza didn't move. Rette tried scrambling forward, but tripped and fell. Erza smiled at the two, looking confident, even in the face of her death.
"Don't you worry...I'll protect you." Erza said.
Rette felt her heart and stomach drop as Jellal unleashed his attack. All she could do was cover her head and pray for the best. The blast sent Rette sliding a few feet across the ground, but then it died off. Rette raised her head, and stared in shock when the smoke cleared to show that Simon, who had showed up just in time, had taken the blast for Erza.
"Simon..." Erza breathed in shock.
"Er...za..."
Simon dropped to the ground, her name barely making it off his lips. Erza ran to his side, but Jellal just snorted and called Simon a bug, crawling around. Rette scrambled over to them as Erza lift Simon into her arms.
"What are you doing here? Why didn't you escape?" Erza asked.
"Oh good...I was wondering when I would...be some...help." Simon said, between coughs.
"I got it! Don't speak anymore!" Erza told him.
"You...were always...so gentle. So...gentle." Simon said lowly.
Rette knew the moment Simon passed on, but he had the most content smile on his face as his last look at the world around him, was of Erza. Erza threw her head back and cried her grief to the skies. Rette stared at them, watching as Erza's heart broke for her old friend. It made Rette's eyes grow hot and burn, though no tears came to them. Rette had lost her ability to cry long ago. The tears just no longer came.
"Pathetic! How utterly foolish! Now that's called "dying in vain"!" Jellal mocked, laughing at Erza's grief and Simon's sacrifice.
Rette felt her blood boil. She pushed herself to her feet, her fist clenching at her sides. How dare he mock this. How dare he say Simon died in vain when he had died to save someone he had cared for deeply. Rette only wished she had had someone like that when she was younger. Maybe she would have turned out differently.
"The situation hasn't changed one bit! No one can leave this tower alive!" Jellal declared.
"Shut yer trap/Shut the hell up!" Natsu and Rette yelled, both of them aiming a punch for Jellal.
To Rette's complete shock, her fist actually connected with Jellal's jaw. With their combined power, though Rette swore it was more Natsu's power than hers, they sent Jellal flying back. Rette stared down at her fist, her eyes wide. The knuckles were red from where they had hit Jellal.
"I...actually hit him..." Rette remarked lowly.
And then the pain throbbed through her hand.
"Oh holy...! That hurts!" Rette said, shaking her hand as if that would actually ease the pain.
Erza looked up at the two, tears dripping from her left eye only. Rette wondered why it was only the left eye, but then she recalled Erza's story and how she had told them that her right eye had been injured before escaping the tower and was now replaced with an artificially made eye.
Natsu suddenly biting into something, made Rette stop shaking her hand and turn to look at him. Natsu had a piece of the tower's lacrima and was biting into it, eating the magical power contained within. The mere sight shocked Rette.
"What...what are you..." Erza asked.
"Natsu, that's not flames. You can't eat that." Rette told him.
Natsu ignored her, gobbling down the Aetherion crystal. His power exploded from him then, a roar of anger and pain leaving his lips. Rette backed up, knowing this wasn't going to end well. Dragon Slayers could only eat their element, she knew. Fire Dragon Slayers ate fire, Iron Dragon Slayers ate iron. Just as any other type of Dragon Slayers would eat their element. Only a Crystal Dragon Slayer could possibly eat the crystallized Aetherion and not pay a great price for it.
And that was not Natsu.
The power contained in the crystals was obvious hurting Natsu. Despite that, he continued to shove the stuff into his mouth, ignoring anything Rette and Erza said to stop him.
"What does he think he's playing at!? An Aetherion is composed of a number of different properties, not just fire!" Erza exclaimed.
Natsu seemed to be choking on the Aetherion crystal, grabbing his throat as he fought to take it in. Then, as if he finally got it somewhat under control, flames exploded from him, taking the form of a dragon as it rose around him. Rette stared in a mix of shock and horror as Natsu attacked Jellal with renewed power. Just what the hell was Natsu? Even as a Dragon Slayer, he shouldn't have been able to swallow that stuff. Add in the amount of power he hit Jellal with and Rette couldn't even think past her shock.
"It's all your fault! You're the one that made Erza cry!" Natsu snapped as he attacked. "I made a promise...I made a promise!"
Jellal tried to fight back, only to be knocked back once more. The sheer determination in the two was unbelievable. Rette had never felt such determination that she had been willing to put herself through the pain Natsu had when he had swallowed the Aetherion.
"I cannot be defeated! I will create a land of freedom. Zeref called to me softly, through the pain and the fear! He asked me if I wanted true freedom! That's right...I am the only one who can sense Zeref's presence! I am the chosen one! Together with Zeref, I will create a nation of true freedom!" Jellal declared.
"Like hell you can do that by stealing people's freedom!" Natsu snapped back.
"The will to change the world...that alone is enough to turn the wheels of history! Why can you fools not understand that!?" Jellal asked.
Rette knew the next magic circle Jellal drew in the air. She had seen it once already and just very recently.
"Abyss Break." Rette said softly.
"Are you trying to take down the whole tower!?" Erza called out.
"Just give me another eight years...no, this time I'll build it in five years. Zeref...just wait a little longer." Jellal said.
He really would cast it...if he could. With a pop-like noise, the magic circle faded. Jellal was left unable to cast it and he knew why. Erza had hit him earlier with her sword. He knew that was the cause for his inability to cast the Abyss Break now.
"You're never gonna find freedom! There's no freedom for a guy tied down by some stupid ghost! Release yourself from this!" Natsu yelled.
One last hit, was all she wrote. The tower begin to crumble under the force of Natsu's attack. Rette dived for Erza, grabbing her and using her crystallization magic to somewhat stabilize the floor under them. Just enough to keep them from tumbling into the sea below. She was so tired though, exhausted physically, mentally, and magically. It was all she could do to stabilize the floor somewhat. Erza caught Natsu as he collapsed from his exhaustion.
"You are absolutely incredible. You really are." Erza told Natsu softly.
"Erza...I can't hold it...magic...running out. Too...exhausted." Rette told Erza before she could handle her spell no longer and the crystal under them began to crumble once more.
Rette fell forward, barely catching herself on shaky arms. Neither she nor Erza or Natsu, were in any shape to move quickly. To make things worse...the power of the Aetherion began to go wild, lighting up the sky with shots of bright power.
"Rette, can you stand?" Erza asked, heaving Natsu up onto her back.
"I'll have to." Rette said, forcing herself to her feet.
She wobbled, but she didn't fall. Moving as fast as they could, Erza and Rette worked their way through the crumbling crystal. But the increasing instability of the power was deforming the very lacrima holding it, sending Rette and Erza sprawling across the ground. Rette didn't think she could get back up and she couldn't cast her Sun Wings spell either. Not that it mattered. At that point, even if they escaped the tower, itself, they would never escape the explosion that was sure to come.
"Damn it all! Is this it!?" Erza hissed, slamming a fist into the ground.
She looked at Natsu, laying unconscious on the ground and then at Rette, who was panting from her exhaustion, her eyes closed. The two had come after her, had come to her rescue, when it wasn't even their fight. No...Erza was not going to let it end like that. Not for Rette, and sure as hell, not for Natsu. She forced herself to her feet, vowing she would save them. Rette looked up at her.
"Erza?" she called.
Erza bent over, giving Rette a smile. She reached out and stroked Rette's messed up hair. Her smile grew when Rette, for a brief moment, leaned into the touch, almost like a person starved for physical contact with another.
"Just rest, Rette. I'll figure out a way to get us out of here." Erza promised her.
Rette looked like she was about to protest, but Erza stood up again, looking around as she tried to figure out what to do. Then something Jellal had said came to mind. He had wanted to fuse her body with the Aetherion to make Zeref's new body. If she fused with it now, could she control it? Erza didn't know, but it was her only chance. She walked up to the nearest surface and pushed her hand into it. The pain was fierce, but Erza knew she had to do it.
"Erza! Don't!" Rette croaked, half pushing herself up.
Natsu chose then to wake up and he looked up at Erza in confusion.
"Wh...What are you doing? Sticking your body...into the crystal..." Natsu asked.
"This is our only chance of stopping the Aetherion." Erza told him.
"Stopping the Aetherion?" Natsu questioned.
"The Aetherion energy within the tower has gone wild...it's about to cause a gigantic explosion. But if I can fuse with the Aetherion, and seize control of that power-" Erza explained, but was cut off.
"You idiot! If you do that, you'll-"
Natsu, himself, was cut off as the crystal began to suck Erza in. Rette scrambled up, trying to push herself up to her feet, only for her knees to refuse to support her.
"Erza!" she and Natsu cried out together.
"You don't have to worry about a thing...I'll stop it for sure..." Erza assured them.
"Stop this! Stop it, Erza!" Natsu yelled, trying to get to her, despite his legs not wanting to work anymore than Rette's.
Natsu and Rette both reached out, grabbing Erza's hand, stopping the crystal from completely pulling her in. Erza gave them a smile.
"I cannot live without Fairy Tail. I can't even imagine a world without my friends. That's just how much...all of you mean to me. Even you, Rette." Erza told them.
"Erza..." Rette breathed, her heart aching in her chest.
"If doing this can save all of you...then I have no regrets. This one measly body...take it!" Erza said, the crystal swallowing her whole. "Natsu...I leave the others to you. I'll always be there, right beside you all."
"Erza!" Natsu yelled.
Rette jumped for Natsu, grabbing him. She mustered up her last bit of magical energy and surrounded them in crystal. Tears were in Natsu's eyes as the power exploded, shooting straight into the sky. Rette, dry eyed, her chest aching with an unknown emotion she had only felt twice before in her life, stared up at the night sky as it lit up with the light of the explosion.
Erza was a guild mate. She was not flesh and blood, she was not someone Rette had known for a long time. By all reasonable logic, Erza shouldn't mean much to her yet. If so...
Then why did her heart feel like it was ripping in two?
-0-0-0-0-
Looking back on it all now...Rette couldn't began to tell anyone what had happened. One moment Erza was gone, and Rette's heart felt like it was breaking. The pain was one that Rette didn't understand. No tears had come to her eyes, those had dried up years ago, but it had hurt. The next moment, the light died away, the crystal she had formed around her and Natsu, cracked and shatter, and then...
She was just there.
Erza, unconscious, just laying there.
The following events blurred by for Rette. She and Natsu made it back to main land, Natsu carrying Erza the whole way. The others found them, all excited and happy to see Erza alive and well. Natsu told Erza that, just as she couldn't live without Fairy Tail, they couldn't live without her. Rette watched from a distance, Thyme flying straight for her and hitting her hard in the chest.
"Hey, Thyme. Say...do me a favor...never try to die for me. Okay?" Rette told the cat, her eyes fixed on Erza's smiling face as she reunited with the others.
Thyme followed her eyes to Erza, understanding what Rette was feeling. She nodded her agreement to the request. Rette stroked Thyme's head, grateful that she understood. The heartache she had felt at the possible loss of Erza had been enough for her. Rette never wanted to feel it again.
Was this what it was like to care for family?
Rette was starting to realize that while she had always seen family, connections, bonds, as weaknesses, they could also be strengths. While she like the idea of the strength...
She didn't think her heart could take the pain.
END
Kyandi: When I read and watched that scene with Erza, it made me cry.
Rette: At least one of us has tears.
Kyandi: Give it time. I'm sure you'll cry like a baby, one day.
Rette: Highly doubtful.
Kyandi: We shall see.
Rette:...maybe...
Kyandi: Well, everyone, enjoy and review.
Rette: We shall return shortly.
Kyandi: Bye-bye!
