Hey guys! I wanted to thank you for the support of the story, and the great reception to the last chapter! It was pretty great to see so many new readers enjoying my story! However, I'll need to take another week off- the county fair has begun, and it's hell for me to focus on even just the fair. However, I'm fairly sure you'll love the chapter coming next!

Guest (Dragonlady)- I thought you'd enjoy that little tidbit!

Biskets- Thank you for giving my story a chance! Your analysis of Ayrae was great for inspiration, and I'm glad my OC stands out to you! About the childhood connection- I was unsure of how to give them a connection, so I kind of had to push them together, but hopefully their current relationship can make up for the lacking I had when writing their meeting. Thanks again for your awesome input!

Lynn- You never let me down, girlie! You always give me a great review, a good, deep look at characters! Yes, I love it when I get reviewers like you! Thank you for always letting me know what you enjoy, what this chapter gave you. It always helps me set the stage for the next chapter, and you're always very in-tune with the characters! Thanks again for you great response!

Firelight flickered across the curved gray stone of the tunnel, the rock cold under her feet. Sneaking through the halls, she carefully peered around the corners. White-haired and green-eyed, the unmarred young face of Ayrae, who couldn't have been older than five, cautiously peeked around corners, pausing at a wooden door at the end of the hall. Pressing her ear to the door, she slowly opened it when she heard no footsteps, pushing it open, slipping into a wider hallway of dark stone before closing the door with exaggerated worry.

She used less caution as she sprinted down this thicker hall, dodging through the twisting halls with expert knowledge of the seemingly endless paths they created, slanting up and down, turning and circling and seemingly wanting to make their inhabitants lost. Finally, the path she was on opened into a clearing- a circular garden with high walls of marble. Bushes of roses, rows of tiger lilies, and a pond of blue lotuses floating in the center. Trees had been cultivated to serve as benches, branches curving into a long bench. She quickly ran to the edge of the pond, slipping and somersaulting for a few seconds. As she tumbled to a halt, she shook it off like it was nothing, crawling forward to the tiled edge of the water.

Reaching out, she traced her fingers over the water as she reached for a beautiful blue lotus, a small yellow blossom in the center.

"A little late to be out, isn't it Shade?"

The young girl yelped, her grip on the edge of the pool slipping. Her head barely dipped into the water before a slim, strong arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her up to her feet. Long brown curls like a waterfall of liquid earth, a rose tucked over her ear that seemed to flicker between colors, red to blue to yellow to green. Her gentle smile was so kind, it made it hard to believe anyone could speak with anything but admiration, her green eyes sparkling like emeralds, straight from the earth.

Softly letting Shade/Ayrae go, she knelt next to her. "Shade, you know Diviner would be upset to know you're out of your room this late."

Shade's cheeks turned red, shifting on her heels. "I know... I just can't sleep. Not since lessons started." Her hand fluttered across her arm, seeming to connect the bruises and cuts on her arms like stars. She looked worriedly to the woman. "You won't tell him I was out, will you, Briar?"

The woman smiled gently, shaking her head. "No, of course not." She walked over to the nearest tree bench, sitting down on the bough. Patting the seat next to her, she invited, "I'll stay up with you."

Shade's eyes lit up as she eagerly sat down with Briar, her caretaker wrapping an arm around her as the young girl leaned against her.

They simply sat, enjoying the peace of the garden until Shade frowned at a fixed point in the distance. "Briar?"

She looked down to the girl. "Yes, love?"

Shade quietly asked, "Diviner mentioned a Trial coming up; what is the Trial?"

Briar's eyes flickered between worry, fear, anger, pain, and pity. She carefully answered, "The test you'll go through before taking your place as an official member of Demon's Shadow. It's what you're preparing for."

Shade's slight frown didn't disappear. "What, do we have to fight someone in the guild?"

Briar assured, "No, it's simply a test of your power." She couldn't bring herself to scare the girl. Shade didn't need to know what she'd have to do- not yet.

Shade sighed. "And I have to train with those jerks for it?"

Briar chided, "Show a bit of respect for your siblings, love. They're all you have until you become a full member of the guild."

Shade shook her head. "I don't like them most of the time. Doppelganger's horrible, Hunter shot me today, and Titan always calls me names."

Briar asked, "And what about Scribe? He always looks out for you. I saw him help you in practice today." Shade's cheeks turned red as she continued, "And Gale Force always watches you. I think she admires you, love. You're shyness is holding you back."

Shade burrowed her head deeper into the crook of Briar's arm. "Hmm... I can try to be more friendly."

Briar smiled kindly, pulling slightly away enough to admire Shade's round, young face, still devoid of scars. The woman took the color-shifting rose from over her ear, tucking it over the little girl's ear. "That's all I can ask of you, love."

Suddenly, the garden burst into flames, Briar disappearing, Shade jumping to her feet.

It all came flooding back, and Ayrae realized it had all simply been a rehash- a memory of what she'd already lived. Sighing, she looked down at her own body- even though memory had faded into a dream, she still looked like a child. It made her feel open, vulnerable- scared.

A phantasmic figure formed from the smoke, creating the elemental humanoid she'd dreamed of before. Rotating and swirling rocks made her body, hair wisps of flame, her eyes two rubies while her body alternated radiating light and darkness. Her silken voice gently admired, "It was such a wonderful time, wasn't it? You were so young, innocent..."

Ayrae growled, "Get out of my head, Kyja! You can't beat me incomplete, and Fairy Tail won't let Shadow take me back."

Kyja chuckled, her rock hand pushing a strand of flame from her face. "Oh, they have no choice in the matter... But you do."

Ayrae insisted, "I won't just let you loose!"

Kyja smirked, jewel-eyes glinted. "Oh, that's not what I mean. No dear, you're going to surrender."

Ayrae snorted. "As if. How mental are you to think I would just give up?"

Kyja ignored her. "You'll give yourself up when the time comes, as I'm willing to make a bargain. I'll allow your puny 'friends' to live. I very much intended for you to go through hell, but for the ease of my transition, I'm willing to offer you the greatest deal I've ever dealt." She spread her hands to her side, the fire and garden disappearing, turning into the Fairy Tail guild hall, filled with her guildmates.

Ayrae refused to look around. She knew it was just Kyja, messing with her perception. "You can't trick me like this."

"What're you talking about, love?" Where Kyja had stood, Briar looked at Ayrae with worried eyes- a Fairy Tail guild mark on the back of her hand where there had once been the wings of Demon's Shadow. The woman stepped forward, hand gently touching her forehead. "Are you feeling alright? You seem a bit warm."

Ayrae backed up, putting her hands over her ears, closing her eyes. "Stop it, Kyja! This is just an elaborate illusion!"

Briar knelt next to the still young-appearing Ayrae, hugging her close. "Love, calm down! Think, Rae. We escaped Shadow years ago, we're in Fairy Tail now. We're safe, love."

Ayrae pulled away, glaring at her. "You're not real! And you're not even someone I can love anymore!"

"Rae, what's wrong?" Gray was standing behind her, concern in his eyes. "The guys are waiting to go on a mission."

Ayrae closed her eyes again. "No no no... I don't have all of this. I don't need everything I want!"

The guild began to crumble as Kyja's voice echoed. "I try to give you everything, and you turn up your nose? You ridiculous child. I suppose I'll have to remind you what hell feels like."

The last of the dream guild crumbled to pieces, rock and wood falling to bits on the people within as everything dissolved.

Ayrae jolted awake, falling right off of Lucy's couch, a thin layer of cold sweat coating her body. Breathing hard, eyes flitting across the room in panic, it took several minutes for her to regain her composure. Letting out a deep breath, she looked around, seeing it was still dark outside. Standing, she straightened her clothes- the only set she owned- and picked up the blanket she'd borrowed.

She wouldn't even try to go back to sleep. Kyja would only torment her further- it hadn't been the first time she'd had these dreams. At the very beginning, Kyja had done it often when she'd been running from Shadow, even while she'd stayed with Fairy Tail. She wouldn't let this demon fill her head with paranoia. She began to fold the blanket, setting it on the couch as her eyes settled on the doorway to the kitchen. "Hmm..."


Lucy woke as the light from her window shifted over her eyes, making her scrunch her face and yawn. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes, blearily looking around the room. Her desk, the empty couch, the table- wait. Empty couch...

Slipping out of bed, she looked around, trying to find any trace of Ayrae as said girl's head poked around the corner of the kitchen. A small smile making her scars curve, she greeted, "Mornin'. Hungry?"

Lucy blinked at her as Ayrae ducked back in. "Um, yeah... What're you doing?"

Ayrae emerged again with a plate of toast, bacon, and eggs, setting it on the table in from of Lucy. "Eh, I woke up, couldn't fall back to sleep, so I figured I'd pay you back a bit. After all, you've helped me out a lot lately."

Lucy sat down, eyeing the food from the corner of her eye. "I've helped you? Rae, you've been my saving grace since day one!"

Ayrae shook her head, taking a seat across from her. "Not quite. Against the Oracion Seis, you stuck your neck out for me when everyone was worried I was a dark wizard, you had my back in Edolas, and I'm currently staying in your house." She spread her hands, gesturing to the apartment. "Plus, I would be in rags if you hadn't helped me out with that too."

Lucy reminded, "And how many times have you pulled my ass out of the fire?"

Ayrae shook her head. "Not enough to be even, now eat your breakfast. We'd better meet up with the others soon."

Lucy nodded, digging into the eggs, taking notice of the slight circles under Ayrae's eyes. She inquired, "So... How long ago did you wake up?"

Ayrae shrugged. "Not long."

Lucy wasn't sure- it was hard to tell when Ayrae was lying, but she seemed rather tired, even if her behavior didn't reflect her appearance. "You sure? I mean, the stress of the last few days must be rough on you."

Ayrae smiled almost exasperatedly, like an adult entertaining a child's silly questions. "Nah, I was expecting something like this. See, my magic makes me stronger at night, makes it more natural to stay awake when the sun's down. Not to mention that I did most of my travelling and fighting at night during my Guildless years, so I got a bit of a nocturnal habit. I'd just sleep during the day and pick fights with dark guilds at night. I've been trying to get used to reversing my usual pattern over the last few weeks, but it's just a bit difficult." It wasn't a lie- all of it was true, but she didn't want to concern them with her dreams. They couldn't do anything about it, so what would they gain from knowing? Even more worry she might go crazy at any second?

Lucy didn't completely buy it, though. Rae looked tired, and she had a history of holding back. This wouldn't be out of character for her. Yet she didn't say anything- she trusted that if it was really that bad, Ayrae would tell her. "Alright, just let me know if you need help... adjusting." She left the offer open to interpretation.

Ayrae nodded agreement with a smile as Lucy dug into her food, the two making straight for the guild, and so began three days of calm, settling in.

The first day, a few fights broke out in the guildhall before they took off for a job near Hargeon getting rid of a pesky sea monster. Nothing of note happened really, except... Natsu blew up the port and Erza sliced the bell tower in two. Still, a definite lack of the usual degree of chaos.

The second, it was a job to clear out a group of troublesome Vulcans from a small village. However, several buildings were on fire in the end, Ayrae even having her first "over did it" situation, having blasted a Vulcan, and accidentally blasted a row of stores into a pile of rubble. She tried to fix it all the best she could, but she didn't have much luck. Despite a scolding from Erza, Gray and Natsu congratulated her on her destruction, to her horror.

The third day was much more calm, the group taking a job at the 8-Island restaurant. It was a day of serving food and cooking, though Ayrae insisted she remain in the back room. Her scars were too startling to be a server, she wouldn't stop reminding.

All three days, she refused to sleep at night.

She'd lay around until Lucy feel asleep, then she'd go outside, sitting on the roof of the apartment, enjoying the night and silence. She was too afraid to sleep. But after the fourth day, it was becoming noticeable. Several people commented on her appearance, and it was becoming difficult to keep working as tired as she was.

That night, she laid her head back, closing her eyes, prepared for the hellscape she knew was coming- the Trial.

She once again stood as a child, this time a massive arena, walls of stone twenty feet up around her, making a massive circle- perfect for fighting. Above the ring, several rows of stone benches were filled to the brim with people. Spectators to the Trial. Nine other children, somewhere between the ages of 8 and 12, all stood near the edges of the ring. Closest to Ayrae, a young girl- the youngest in the arena- stood, legs shaking beneath her. Her pixie cut of baby blue hair curved around her face, bangs hanging in her eyes, unable to hide the streaming tears on her face.

She knew it was a memory. She knew what she was going through. But she could only watch as it all happened again.

She reached out the the younger girl, softly assuring, "It'll be alright. Don't worry, I'll watch out for you, Gale."

In the front row of stands, a man with blood red hair stood, shouting, "Students, the time of the Trial has come! Now, it's time for you to either prove your worth to our Lady Kyja, or die trying!"

Gale Force's tears doubled, starting to shake with sobs. "I-I don't want to fight..."

The red-haired man declared, "Fight, in Kyja's name!"

And all hell broke loose.

A boy requipped a bow and arrow, loosing a massive barrage at a boy using water magic. A young boy suddenly began to grow to incredible size, almost reaching the roof, as a girl with the Demon's Shadow emblem on her face dove forward at his legs.

Yet Ayrae only grabbed Gale's hand and pulled her away, toward the emptiest area of the arena. While they were running, a massive blast of sand shoved them into the wall of the arena, ceasing after a few seconds. A boy with blonde hair stood across from them, hands shaking and tears in his eyes.

Ayrae pushed Gale behind her, insisting, "You don't have to do this, Dunestorm! We can all live!"

Dunestorm shook his head. "Diviner says only three walk out and live." He began to charge another attack. "I'm so sorry, but I intend on living!"

The spell. The spell that ruined everything. Ayrae wanted to wake up, to never have to watch this again. Yet she couldn't stop Kyja's attempt to deter her.

Ayrae slammed her fists together, put her arms to her chest, and them flung them toward the ground, yelling, "Let all within my power's sight be silenced by the night's embrace. Allow nothing to escape my wrathful gaze. Advanced Arts: Night's Silence!"

And the biggest mistake of her life came to pass.

Darkness fell, so thick that even Ayrae couldn't see through, and there was no sound for seemingly eternity, the quiet maddening.

Then it receded, and it was nothing but horror.

The rune shield protecting the audience was gone, though it had managed to protect the people inside. But Dunestorm lay with empty eyes, Titan had shrunk back to normal size... and Gale. Gale lay with tears still streaking her cheeks, eyes dark and body limp.

Too many emotions to speak of took over Ayrae's mind, and she collapsed to her knees, not noticing the tears streaking her cheeks.

Yet the peace wouldn't last. The red-haired man yelled, "This is not over, students! One more must die!"

Indeed, four people still stood, a brown-haired boy, the girl with a tattoo over her features, the boy with the bow, and Ayrae.

But before anyone else could move, Ayrae's fists slammed into the ground, sand spraying everywhere. "NO! No one else fights today!" Her chest burned as her eyes turned red with her tears.

The red-haired man blinked for a moment, then smiled slyly. "Very well." He jumped the side of the arena, no rune barrier to stop him anymore, landing. Hunter let out a breath of relief, the brown-haired boy still on alert. The girl with the tattoo frowned, as if upset the fight ended so quickly... But Ayrae could barely function.

The red-haired man approached Hunter, putting a hand on his shoulder. "My son... your progress has always been underwhelming."

And before Hunter could say a word, the man had a dagger from his sleeve, slashing forward.

Blood and sand. Hunter falling and whispering, "Father..."

Ayrae clutched at her head, fingernails digging into her skull, screaming aloud of absolute fear and horror.

Everything froze, Kyja appearing in the center of the arena. "Hmm... The shortest Trial ever held. Pity, you could've showcased your true power."

Ayrae demanded with tears dripping like a waterfall, "Why do you think you can toy with humans like this?! We're not your puppets, and we're not beneath you! They were my friends and you forced me-"

"I forced you?" Kyja almost seemed incredulous. "Dear, you know well I had no sway over you at the time."

Ayrae hung her head, shaking visibly. "I didn't know the spell... I didn't... I didn't know what it would do..."

"All excuses. You made a mistake, dear. They paid the price." Suddenly, Kyja was standing above her, looming over the girl. The two looked like a portrait- a human bowing at the foot of a god. "So... Must we go through this brutality with a new arena?"

She waved her hand, the arena dissolving into the Fairy Tail guild hall, scattered and ruined, bodies across the ground.

Ayrae caught a single glimpse before she slammed her eyes closed, but it was too late. No matter how many times she reminded herself the image was fake, the guild hall filled with fallen friends was seared into her mind, there every time she opened or closed her eyes.

Kyja agreeably said, "I'll give you a few days to mull it over. While you have determination, staying awake for days on end, it won't be good for either of us." Kyja's face of stone split into a chilling grin, ear to ear, unrestrained by face muscles. "I like my sacrifices in good shape when I receive them."

And everything faded to black, Ayrae seeming to fall into the emptiness for a few seconds-

"-rae, please wake up!"

Black eyes opening as fast as lightning, heart pounding, Ayrae immediately felt the cold lines down her face, always catching on her scars like rain in ditches- she'd been crying in reality as well as her dream.

Lucy, kneeling next to the couch, looked close to tears as well, brown eyes welled with worry and fear. She demanded, "What happened? You were screaming, and thrashing, and..." She didn't seem to know how to approach this.

After Ayrae took a few deep breaths, she steeled herself. This wouldn't break her. She wouldn't let Kyja have that satisfaction. Still, she was done with the lies. Looking to Lucy, she cleared her face of tears as she explained with the calmest tone she could muster, "Kyja. She tends to... give me a hard time when I'm asleep. It's when she has the upper hand over me, when I'm recovering from the day." She attempted a smile, only managing to look weary. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

Lucy's calf brown eyes didn't lose fire or focus- it seemed she'd learned it from someone. "And you just wake up like it's nothing? If she's hurting you, then-"

"She's not, Lu. Not really." Ayrae tapped her forehead. "It all was already there. She just tries to scare me, use my memories to make me go back to Shadow."

Lucy still wouldn't back down. "Even so... Are you alright?"

Ayrae forced a smile, starting, "I'm fi..." And she remembered. It was time to end the lies. She dropped the smile, sighing and hanging her head. "No, not really." A moment of silence passed before she looked up, a real smile on her lips. "But I will be."

Lucy had an answer she could live with, sitting next to Ayrae. The two simply sat in silence, enjoying the contact, until Lucy slumped against Ayrae's shoulder, Ayrae soon falling back to sleep against the back of the couch, this time uninterrupted by memories or dreams.

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