Whoo! I got to put up more than one chapter today! Thank goodness it's just the first week of school. I may be able to finish this story before it gets into full swing.
Souls Melt Together
Pearl felt a tear slide from her frozen face when she saw Adamine's soul cringe. The aura around her was getting darker and darker. It didn't look like Zeref was going to stop until he had killed the girl. Why? Why did he want her dead?
"I don't," Zeref explained. He could hear her thoughts? "Of course, I can. I created you. Remember? But, you're wrong. I don't want Adamine dead. I just want control over her body. You see, Firmalione sealed her soul inside of this girl when Igneel demanded the dragons to depart from all humans. She just couldn't leave the girl alone. After I found that out, I wanted control over her dragon, so I hunted her down. The issue is that I can't keep control over her because of her pesky dragon. If I completely absorb Adamine's soul, I can get her to lead me to Firmalione's body. She is the only one who can break the seal on the dragon's cave where the dragon's body is. After that, I will dispose of Adamine, but only once her usefulness is up."
"Well, it's a damned shame that isn't gunna work out for you," Bickslow announced as he appeared from the forest. With him were five green shapes that floated like orbs around his body. Since he couldn't get the totems inside of Adamine's body, the souls must have been able to free float in space. Could he fight with them like that?
Zeref cast a snarl and looked to the girl laying along the dragon's side. He couldn't deal with this right now. Taking Adamine's soul required his complete focus. If he fought the Seith Mage then he would have to risk the dragon repairing her soul. Damn it all. He would have to continue this later. The mark was still on Adamine's face. He could still locate her, and he'd just put his own seal on her third eye. He could come back inside her soul at any time. He audibly cursed. With a snap of his fingers, the man disappeared.
Pearl fell on her hands. They were super cute paws instead of humanoid hands. After living so long in her Mortality Soul, it was odd to see her Heaven traits. When she heard Bickslow approaching her, she half expected the man to deliver the beating he had promised. Instead, Bickslow picked Pearl up by her vest and walked with her over to Adamine.
"So, that bastard's just gunna run off like that?" Bickslow growled even as he checked Adamine's soul over. His voice made have sounded hostile, but his eyes were full of concern. Pearl felt guilty for being so jealous of Adamine's new friends. The girl deserved to make better friends than her.
Pearl touched Adamine's soul and breathed a sigh of relief. "That bastard's name is Zeref. He's the Guardian of Hell and isn't supposed to be in this dimension. My dad was the jailor of his soul, but someone woke him up seven years ago. He possessed Kalin and started looking for Adamine."
"Why?" Bickslow had turned his attention fully on Pearl. Adamine was fine. He could afford to look at someone else for now.
"Zeref… thinks that Adamine is the key to finding her dragon, Firmalione. Apparently, she didn't leave all humans on 777. He said something weird, something about Firmalione putting her soul inside of Adamine's body." Pearl shoved her thumb towards the dragon. "I had always known that a dragon lived in Mina, but I didn't realize they could put their souls into other creatures."
Bickslow sat there for a moment. He had his knees drawn up and rested an arm on each leg. For once in his life, he was tired of hearing about possession. He loved ghosts. He loved haunted houses. He loved his dolls, but he honestly thought he'd pass up capturing another if he saw it strolling around right now. Only today though!
"What was he going to get out of it by sucking the life out of Mina?"
"He was going to steal her soul and use it to find Firmalione's body. He talked like the dragon was dead."
"She pretty much is without a soul. You know that. Right?"
Wow. Pearl was actually having a casual conversation with a former enemy. She had thought that he would at least hate her a little more than this… Pearl deserved it. After feeling a twisting sensation in her chest, Pearl replied, "Yeah. I know. The host withers then the soul drifts unless it finishes its calling. Have you ever heard of the Rift? Most Seith Mages have." He shook his head. "Seith Mages are the offspring of the Mortality Soul. The magic was sent here by angels to collect wandering souls of once living creatures. After the souls complete their purpose, they are transferred to the Rift. Neutral souls are mortals. Evil souls are hell souls. Pure souls are heaven souls. How do you not know this? Most Seith Mages do."
He shrugged, apparently done with this serious conversation, and when Pearl looked at Adamine, she realized why. The girl's soul was completely healed. She was starting to wake up. That meant one thing.
Pearl looked at her body. It was starting to dissolve. Their work was done, and it was time to go back. She looked to Bickslow. He was fading too.
"What's going on?" he asked, feeling his body as it rippled in the air.
"Adamine's healed, and the Flames of Heaven are dying out. I have to make a quick getaway before my demon eats your friends. You have a few more seconds if you want to stay." Pearl inwardly grinned. She had added that last part cause she saw the way the man was looking at Mina. He llllllllliked her as Makarov had said.
Bickslow didn't look like he was going to give a verbal response, but his body betrayed him. He was looking at Adamine from the corner of his eye. Light, light blush was suffusing his tan skin. If he had been as pale as Mina, it would have been obvious. Good thing Pearl had been looking for it.
After a shake of her head, Black Pearl let her Heaven Soul's angel wing come out of her right half. Since she was Hell dominant, she could only conjure one angel wing, but her bat wing was a constant. She gave Bickslow a wave he didn't see because he was pretending to not be looking at Adamine waking up and lifted off to the sky. Her body came to the clouds then faded away like white rose petals in the wind.
Adamine's arms went up over her head, and she flopped out the legs that had been tucked under her. Tch. Bickslow should have guessed she wouldn't be an elegant woman first thing in the morning. As a matter of fact, she wiped sleep drool off the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand before cracking her eyes open.
"Mina?" Bickslow wondered to the soul in front of him. The woman opened her eyes up and gave a laugh that seemed to stroke his insides. Graceless woman, sexy laugh. He dug it. He only had so much time to speak to her.
"Bickslow! Figures I'd be dreaming about you." She leaped over to tackle him to the ground, her usual form of greeting. She wasn't gentle in the slightest. Like a dog whose owner had been gone for hours, she nuzzled her face against his neck. "You smell good in my dream too." Sweet Mavis the woman was completely ignorant to how most guys would take this kind of greeting. She did it to everyone she liked.
"Why would you be dreaming about me?" he asked, tilting his head. "Is it 'cause you find me so damned attractive?"
"'Course I think you're good looking. Everyone in the Raijinshuu is and so is Laxus." She sat back on her haunches, but Bix just didn't feel ready to let go of her. She had given him a scare.
So, instead of letting her get away, he tightened his arms around her and pulled her closer. Even her soul smelt good. Her pale skin tempted him to taste it. She thought this was just a dream. Why not? "You scared the ever living Hell out of me, Mina. I swear, if you ever make me think you're going to die again, I'm going to find your soul and haunt the ever living shit out of it."
"You like saying ever living today," she teased.
"Yup. Sure do." He felt Adamine put her hands on his chest like she had that one day when she'd ran into him in his bedroom. Just like he had that time, he felt his head leaning towards her of its own accord. She was close. She thought this was a dream. She wasn't pulling away. In fact, she was smiling. What would it really hurt?
His dolls chimed, "Kiss. Kiss!" Bickslow nearly fell flat on his back at their exclamation. Damn it all! Why did they have to do that now?
"Kiss? I've never kissed anyone before." Adamine tilted her head and studied Bickslow's lips. Ah, hell. Was this really happening? He hated to sound like a pathetic loser, but he'd been after this chick for twelve years. He wanted to do all kinds of things to her lips, her body. "Wanna show me how?" So freaking innocent… So freaking curious...
"It's pretty simple, Mina. Just close your eyes, and I'll show you how to do it," he urged, trying not to let the fact that his body was fading away rapidly deter him.
Even as she did as he commanded, Mina explained, "The last time you said that, I wound up with a scorpion thrown down my shirt."
He snorted. "Sorry to disappoint." Bickslow leaned in with no hesitation. His lips briefly whispered against hers, but when Adamine's sly tongue licked her lips at the same time, he pressed himself harder against her.
The woman responded in kind. She clutched his shoulders so sweetly and melded her lips to hers. Never kissed anyone my ass. She's a damned natural. When Bickslow's lips parted on a breath, he was astounded the she was the one to initiate tongue action.
Her tongue ran against his tattooed one, and she suddenly tackled him into the dirt. Adamine was completely into it as Bickslow let her explore his mouth. She knew just what to do to get him going. Her sharp, little teeth pulled away from him, scraping a bit. Ah. There was the unpracticed affection he was expecting. She recovered quickly to nibble on his bottom lip. It felt like their souls were melding together perfectly.
"Adamine," Bickslow breathed out, "I've got to go."
"Gotta go? This is a dream. You don't have to go anywhere." Curse her and her unintentionally seductive way with words. She put two hands on his chest and tilted her head at him. She could give those sweet, innocent looks that would drive a man wild. Go figure he would be addicted to a chick who was the opposite of him. Cruel irony of course.
"Don't worry, Adam. You can practice kissing anything on me any time you like. You just have to wake up first." His body was fading away even faster, and Adamine's body passed right through him when his soul burst into a flurry of green petals.
I'm sorry that there wasn't a showdown between Bickslow and Zeref. This chapter honestly feels lacking without that kind of action, but I do have a reason for it. You will find out more in the prequel and sequel if I do decide to write them. I haven't gotten any comments about that idea yet, so I'm still indecisive.
Thank you for reading. Toss a review down about opinions and ideas.
