101 reviews? Seriously? For an OC story that isn't even half decent? Am I dreaming or…?
No but seriously, I know I've been doing this a lot lately but thank you so much for supporting me these past few months. You guys don't know just how much this means to me. You know how certain things are certain people's lifelines? Well this is mine and really just thank you guys all for helping me improve along these past few months.
The poll will be open until maybe chapter 27- so keep voting for how you think Fool's Gold should end!
To say I wasn't expecting the fist that came flying into Krued's face would've definitely earned you a golden star.
Cause I definitely wasn't expecting it, not even in the farthest part of my mind did I expect it to play out that way- I mean...
Oh maybe I should backtrack a bit...
It was after the whole job was done; when we were helping the circus pack up their stuff. It was a long day of performances and Leotards was adamant on doubling the payment for putting up such an excellent show. An offer of which we all refused, claiming that it wasn't even an official job anyways and En had just wanted to feel the thrill of helping someone.
Not like he listened, saying something about kiwis and apples as he ordered everyone else to pack up, something we got looped into anyways by the oh so glorious blabbermouth.
"Didn't know you knew how to back flip," Krued stated randomly as he pulled a pole out of the ground with a simple yank, "last time you tried, you headbutted En."
"We do not speak of those days," I grumbled under my breath despite the smile that was still etched on my face from earlier. I was still struggling to yank another pole from its spot in the ground when I added, "thanks for covering for me."
All I got in return was a small breathy chuckle before I heard a popping noise and stared at the now deflated tent. Blinking as the cloth fell to reveal Auguston smiling at me with a long metal pole in his hand. The glare coming from the pointy end made my hand ghost over my stomach- my scar unconsciously. I didn't realize I had winced slightly until the white haired male came over and helped me pull the pole out of the ground.
My hand dropped immediately as I stepped out of his way. I still wasn't fully healed and what little magic power I had, had been used up to create the dead thought projection of Lily at the service. I was actually pretty lucky that it was Auguston who was dragged along with me and not someone else. Even if his face still had an appointment with my fist.
"Still can't believe they put you in a dress for Leotards' act," I grinned and it was now his time to scoff at me as he collected the poles. I was about to tease him further when he threw me a dirty glare and lifted one end of the striped cloth, I helped him fold the tent without another word.
The opening of the circus started almost an hour or two after the Games ended for the day; a little bit in the late evening was when Leotards had told En to start shooting the arrow bombs into the air. Little did he know that En had messed with them a bit, making him his own. So instead of confetti, out came fireworks. I didn't know whether or not to feel offended that he choose such a celebrationy thing to announce the opening of the circus or just ashamed I even knew the guy. Leotards seemed to like it though.
And apparently so did all the other mages who showed up out of curiosity.
I remember frowning as En shot his magic arrows into the atmosphere, thinking back to the service that morning. I always knew En was ignorant, but never did I actually realize it was this bad.
We just honored a not so dead girl this morning and you're shooting fireworks? I had thought in disbelief, feeling my anger rise, you stupid little-
Then Krued came to stop his fellow teammate, informing him that if he continued to shoot, he'd have to arrest him for violating noise and permit laws. A statement that made my sweat drop with a nervous laugh, asking myself why he didn't just do that in the first place.
"Lilian, about earlier..." He tried to start another conversation again as we moved onto to another small tent, yanking the fence from the ground in silence before he picked himself back up, "I was being serious..."
"Earlier?" I repeated dumbly, as I accidentally dragged my hand across the barb wires. I quickly wiped the blood onto the back of shirt before he noticed, "oooh! You mean when you tossed me the metal rod and told me that it was flaming hot and I didn't believe you? Ok, well I learnt my lesson, so you don't need to-"
"No, not that." He cut in quickly, "way earlier than that. About how we're always going to be here for you."
"Oh." The smile was no longer on my face unbenownst to Auguston as I casually retreated to the other side of the tent and started yanking out the fence, "yeah I understand."
"Do you?"
"Yeah, no matter what happens. We're all nakama right?" I said right off the bat, rehearsing what I happened to hear some people from Fairy Tail say to each other earlier that week. It didn't seem to faze Auguston any though cause he grunted almost disappointingly.
"Lilian, talk to me." He said from the other side of the tent, I couldn't see his face but I could've bet money that his eyebrows were curved with an obvious ring of water in his eyes. He was always a softie. If he didn't realize so himself.
"Hi," I replied meekly as I tugged the barbwire fence, careful not to prick myself.
"I'm being serious."
"So am I," I retorted with a roll of eyes, "I'm OK."
"No, you're not." I heard footsteps and suddenly I was face to face with the silver haired acting lieutenant colonel. His persistence was starting to tick me off all over again but the solemn and pleading expression written on his face made me pause and wait for what he had to say.
I don't know if I liked what he had to say.
"You're still in love," he blurted in an almost angry growl, "with that Sabertooth brat."
"I am not in love." I retorted back childishly before kicking a post down in frustration, "I. am. not. in. love. with. Sting."
"You still have feelings for him then," it sounded more like a question than a statement. And I decided not to answer this time in favor for winding up the barbwire whilst trying to not give myself too many cuts. "Lilian, this needs to stop. He didn't care for you when you were-"
"No, you need to stop, ok?!" I found myself screaming. Throwing the circle of barbwire I was winding up onto the ground out of frustration, "you don't know me anymore! I'm not the same Lilian Evan Orelohr you knew! And it's not your business to tell me how I should sort my feelings!"
I glared at him with wet eyes, staring at him in disbelief as the circus performers scurried past us awkwardly. What did he know? He was just Auguston Krued. He was the stupid one. He was the serious one. He was the awkward one. He was the one who would succeed Master Apollon when he retired. He didn't know a thing about girls- so what was he trying to dictate my life when I wasn't even technically in L'arc Sibyl anymore.
I was a nobody. What was he trying to boss around a nobody?
And even if it was true, that he didn't even care- he didn't need to put that way. Cause I know, I knew. Him saying it out loud just made the blow worse.
"No, Lilian. Let me explain," I watched wordlessly as he scratched his head, "I know. ok? I know."
A flash of blond caught my eye then, bobbing up and down behind Auguston's head and getting bigger as if the owner was walking towards us. But I tried to ignore it, crossing my arms and staring indifferently at him.
"You know what?"
"Why Lady Azalia did it."
My hands dropped and I almost laughed at the serious look Auguston Krued was giving me.
"Cut the crap," I cracked a grin, combing my bangs through with my fingers. "Don't lie to me, Krued."
Neither of us moved an inch for a moment; Auguston kept staring at me with those hard eyes of his while I just stood there and played him off as a fool. I mean- she wouldn't tell him of all people right? She didn't even know him- he was just another soldier working alongside her husband...
"Lily." I felt my breath get stuck at the back of my throat as Auguston tried to convince me otherwise, "Lily, I-"
"Dont," I tugged at his vest hard, glaring up at him as I bought him down to my level, "don't ever call me that."
His pupils dilated then- sharpening into those cat-like eyes of his; just like how so many other mages I knew would when their anger flared. I froze, shaking despite myself when he forced my hands off his vest and grabbed my shoulders angrily. He looked like he was about to yell at me when it happened.
One moment he was grabbing my shoulders, the next he was flying into a tent Leotards and Snakey were beginning to put away.
And I could only stare shocked as a muscled frame stepped in front of me, growling angrily under his breath as his magic became almost solid in the air around him.
"What do you think you're doing?" I found myself asking, almost growling just like him when I finally got over my initial shock, "do you want to be published in a tabloid?"
"I've always been a scandalist, remember?" The smirk he was flashing me with almost didn't even fit on his smug face.
I scoffed as I heard Auguston laughing, still lying down in the mess of striped cloth.
"Are you happy now, Lily?" I heard him ask, staring from behind Sting's back as his head lolled to the side, "I'm so done with you."
His voice croaked a bit, but I was too far to even realize a tear was now sliding down his eye when Sting grabbed my wrist and dragged me away.
He was still flaring with magic when he finally stopped, whether he noticed it or not. By the way his hand wrapped around my wrist, one could only guess that he was still fuming. And that was me being sarcastic.
I, on the other hand, was mad for a whole other reason.
"Sting Eucliffe," I whispered harshly, almost having to run and catch up with his pace as I tried to scream quietly in his ear. "Did you forget all about your whole game of I-don't-know-you-you-don't-know-me already?"
Then he stopped, and suddenly I found myself being thrown into an alleyway. His eyes glinting with a mischievous light as he pushed me against a wall. His finger ghosting against my cheek.
I felt like screaming in realization as he flashed me his signature snobby smirk.
Except it wasn't his.
"Found out already, Lily?" He murmured against my ear and I froze once again but this time for another reason.
I wish my face wasn't as red as it was when I lifted my knee and aimed for his guts.
"What the hell do you want, Rufus?"
Rufus-Sting smirked at me as if he wasn't just hit in his delicate spot. I kept my glare with his as he quickly recovered and placed a hand on the wall beside my head.
"Just want to talk," he whispered in Sting's voice. I tried my best to hide the shiver that ran up my spine then and closed my eyes shut.
"I'm not talking to you until you dispel the illusion." I muttered and stayed there, locked in place awkwardly. I could hear him chuckling over me.
"Now that wouldn't be fun, would it?"
"Gemma sent you."
"Hmm..." I felt his hand leaving its spot beside my head and was about to run away when a sudden gust of wind caught me by surprise. Flickering my eyes open as I stared at the now furious look on Rufus-Sting's face.
"To trick the strongest guild in Fiore is a terrible offense, Lilian Evan Orelohr." He growled threatening and my shoulders tensed at the sound of his harsh threat.
"The old master knew. So did Gemma." If only it didn't come out sounding as much of an excuse than a fact like it did...
His eyes flickered again, and I panicked. He's going to hurt me, I realized and I found myself shutting my eyes once again. He's going to break my mind, he's not going to have mercy on me just because I used to be his guild mate.
Here in Sabertooth, there was no such thing as nakama.
"How did you find out," I took a deep breath and opened my eyes, staring at him and surrendered, knowing he was the stronger one.
I was pretty sure we all did a pretty good job hiding the fact that Lily Harvard wasn't actually dead though... so.. how?
"As I recall..." I swallowed nervously as his fingers lightly pressed against my head, "your eyes were always a dead giveaway."
His eyes flickered and dilated then, his mouth parted to rehearse the memory make spell and I felt my mind blank as I let out a high pitch scream, breaking into a run before he had a chance to recover.
I'm such a coward.
A smirk ran across the male's face as he felt a familiar magic signature dash its way towards him. He stood up casually against a store as he stared at the direction the magic signature was running from.
He almost groaned in irritation at the sight.
What the hell did he think he was doing? He growled, balling up his fists beside him. Watching as the blond curved around people skillfully as the bard- and he knew it was goddamn fucking Rufus because he was right here- chased after her angrily.
Lector, who noticed that his partner wasn't paying attention anymore, looked in the direction Sting was staring at and noticed immediately what took the white dragon slayer's attention away. "What's Rufus doing?"
"Like I would know," Sting scoffed immediately. He did know though, but he wouldn't tell his exceed that.
He was about to step in on the mad goose chase when he felt a hand grasp his shoulder, pulling him back violently. He snapped his head back to stare at the angry eyes of the shadow dragon slayer.
"What are you doing." Rogue muttered.
"I don't know, what are you doing," he retorted childishly, earning a scowl from the darker male. He could hear scuffles and murmurs coming from behind him and just knew that they would be dashing past them soon. He had to move.
Rogue turned his attention to the scene behind Sting and sighed,
"Are you going to stop him or-"
"I was going to until you stopped me."
"are you going to stop Rufus from hurting a civilian." Rogue continued on as if Sting had never interrupted him and stared at him for his answer. Both of them knew what he meant by civilian.
Sting didn't even pause to think of his response as he smirked at his dragon slayer partner and turned to leave. It was obvious, he was Sting freaking Eucliffe. Of course he was going to-
"Sympathy is for the weak, Sting."
He stopped dead in his spot just as Lilian and Rufus dashed past him. Their eyes never leaving from the other's even when a familiar whisper of 'Memory Make: Torture' filled the air and a shrill scream came not too soon after.
He didn't dare move as Rogue stared at him indifferently, daring him to say otherwise. A bead of sweat rolled down his brow when the realization finally kicked in.
He was right.
I don't know how to write Lector, so I don't really try...
reply time! Oh and poll is still open so um yeah, keep voting for how Fool's Gold should end! Remember to review!
tori20444: I actually like that better than what I actually wrote. If you don't mind, I'll edit that one sentence to that. I'm glad it made you laugh for that long.
Tenshi and Akuma: I'm a very un-funny person. Sob. But I'll try my best to write the best non cliche ending just to please you. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review my story by the way. I know I'm not the best writer, so I really appreciate it that you take the time to point out my flaws. I'll try my best to balance out the canon characters with the OC characters from now on.
HurtingHeart: AND I LOVE YOU, RANDOM ANON!
CelestialxXxAngel: A lot of people have voted for the happy ending in the poll, actually. Though I can see why.
Guest: Remember to vote in the poll!
Raging Akuma D: Thanks for always reading and reviewing my fic. It always seems like you're the first one to read it and honestly I appreciate that you never fail to review every chapter. I'm glad you liked the circus act, I had a little trouble writing it- I was thinking of writing the actual performance but changed my mind against it hahah...