Well, it sure has been a while, uh? I'm sorry for being so late. To be honest, it was partly because I was stuck in a writer's block, and partly because I didn't have the time to do anything about it. Things are going slowly, so it might take long again before I post another chapter, but know this: I am NOT abandoning this story.
Enjoy!
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"What is it, old man?"
Makarov's eye twitched a little, before he sighed. Now was not the time to beat some manners into his grandson and, honestly, he didn't feel like it either.
"First of all… I… accept, your reinstatement into the Guild," he informed, the announcement leaving a bitter taste of defeat in his mouth.
He was a stubborn man, after all. Accepting Laxus back so easily felt like giving up on his point. He didn't know for how long he had intended for his punishment to last, but he knew that, under different circumstances, it would have lasted much longer than that. However, he had heard Kaelys's words, back on Tenroujima, and they did leave a mark on him. In the end, though, despite his wounded pride, the sudden warmth that filled his old heart felt worth it.
Oh, and his grandson's dumbstruck face, too.
"… have you gone mad?" finally asked Laxus, gaping.
"Oi, show some gratefulness, brat!" snapped the Master, a vein pumping on his forehead. He took a few deep breaths, before sitting on his desk. "I… merely thought it over. And, as another of my children so well said… Everyone makes mistakes, even family. You have learnt, and grown, and I… couldn't be prouder, Laxus. Do forgive this old man for being so stubborn, ne?"
The blond stared at him for a few seconds, before snorting and shaking his head.
"Whatever. Thanks, I guess."
Makarov, relieved it was over and done with, quickly gained back his main focus. After all, he hadn't simply accepted his stupid grandson back merely because he wanted to.
"I must be honest, there is another reason behind my change of thoughts," he admitted.
"Thought so too." The Lightning Dragon Slayer rolled his eyes. "What's going on?"
"One of ours is currently in danger," the Master cut to the chase. "You remember Kaelys, right?" Laxus nodded, frowning, and he pursued. "During the seven years we were gone, a man evaded Fiore's most secured prison. His name is Doctor Shawn and… he's insane, Laxus. He has targeted Kaelys in the past, and I'm afraid he might try something again, now that the kingdom is slowly learning of our return."
"Where is she, then?"
"She went to see an old friend, at Blue Pegasus," answered his grandfather. "I told her to stay there until one of our teams went to act as her escort. I cannot have her coming back alone."
"The chibi's strong, though. She stood up to Hades and almost won. Is that guy really so dangerous?"
At the grave expression on the old man's face, though, the answer was easy to guess. With a sigh, Laxus ran an hand through his hair, before rising to his feet.
"Alright, I'll tell the rest of the team," he accepted. "Blue Pegasus, right? We'll have her back in no time."
"I'm counting on you. Thank you, Laxus."
"Sure thing. Oh, and don't worry too much, alright? It'd be bad for your health, old man."
"YOU DAMN BRAT-"
Laxus closed the door behind him as his grandfather's fist almost crashed into him, and snorted. The old man's temper really was as explosive as ever and, to be honest, he felt kind of light on his feet. Never had he thought Makarov would let him back in the Guild so easily, after all.
He must be really worried if he's actually removing my banishment, of all things.
That did put a damper on his good mood, and he quickly went back downstairs to find the rest of his team to fill them in.
His three teammates did not react well to the news. Obviously, they knew more than he did about the mysterious threat. However, seeing as the situation was quite urgent, he managed to keep his questions for until they left Magnolia.
As soon as they settled on the train, though, he no longer held back.
"What exactly is going on?" he asked, somewhat annoyed to be left in the dark like that. "Who's that Doctor?"
"He's…" Freed and Bickslow exchanged a look, unsure of how to put it.
Evergreen sighed. "Do you know anything at all about Kaelys? Or even Erik or Macbeth, for that matter?"
"Err, no?"
"This… is going to be a long story." The woman thought it over for a moment, searching her words, before deciding to simply go for it. "When Kaelys was eleven, she was left by her mother in an asylum due to a bad case of schizophrenia. She spent the following two years in there and, from what we've gathered… it wasn't pretty. Most of her scars come from that place, and the doctor in charge at the time, Doctor Shawn, slowly became hell-bent on 'healing' her. Kaelys managed to escape after those two years and… well, somehow ended up in our world, Earthland."
"She's from another world?"
"Much like Edolas," confirmed Freed, before pursuing. "Anyhow, she was found by the Master of Oración Seis, one of the three Dark Guilds composing the Balam Alliance. She spent a year with them, until the Nirvana mission –of which you surely have heard."
"Let me guess, Gramps offered her to stay in Fairy Tail?"
"It was actually Cosplayer, but Master went along with it," confirmed Bickslow. "After a month or so, though, there was an incident. Long story first, she got caught by the Doctor who basically kidnapped her and brought her back to their world. He was completely mad, though. Apparently, he massacred loads of people to try and find a 'cure' for Kaelys. He's become obsessed with her!"
"That's… just messed up."
Arms crossed over his chest, Laxus thought over this new information. He had already guessed that that chibi wasn't the most mentally stable person, but he hadn't really cared to look deeper into it at the time.
"What do we know of this mad Doctor?" he then asked.
"Black Holes Magic," instantly answered Freed. "Mostly used as shields, he however can't defend two things at the same time. Of course, considering that seven years have actually passed since then, I wouldn't put aside the possibility that he has grown stronger and discovered new abilities."
"So we're basically blind?"
"Basically, yes."
"Just great." After another moment of silence, he sighed. "How's the chibi handling it?"
"Well…" Evergreen bit her lower lip, fanning herself. "Considering that we haven't heard of Blue Pegasus imploding as of yet, I'd say she's doing alright."
At that, the leader of the Thunder God Tribe sweatdropped a little, and even more so when the other two nodded merely in agreement.
Obviously, the chibi had more issues than he first thought.
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When they finally reached the Guild, it was nearing noon.
As soon as they stepped in, they were greeted by the Annoying Trio, who instantly tried to sway Evergreen. The woman simply hit them with her fan, not in the mood for such trivialities. Understanding this, they dropped the act and quickly led them to the Master's office.
"She… hasn't spoken much, since receiving the news," informed Hibiki as they stopped before the door. "She doesn't seem unstable, if that's what's worrying you. Just… deep in thoughts, I guess."
The four Fairies exchanged a glance. After all, as all in Fairy Tail now knew fairly well –maybe saved for Laxus-, the teen always thought out loud. For her to be silent like that really wasn't a good sign.
Hibiki pushed the door open and stepped in. They found two women talking in a low tone on the couch, and the teen sitting in the middle, her head leaning on the white-haired one's shoulder as the woman combed her fingers through her hair. It didn't escape anyone how she tensed as the door opened, obviously ready to spring into action at any sign of a threat. No one commented on it, though.
"Kaelys-chan, your friends are here!" informed Eve, smiling at the teen.
"Uh?" She relaxed, and her eye then fell on the little group. Instantly, the blank face that had greeted broke into a smile. "Ever! Bickslow! Laxus! And… err…"
The Seith mage snorted, and Freed slumped slightly in defeat. It would seem that, no matter how many times they told her, she would never be able to remember his name.
The teen jumped on her feet to greet them, beaming. Ever hugged the teen with a small smile. Bickslow then bumped fists with her, and she hugged the green-haired man, who somewhat returned the gesture with a simple pat on the head, before she turned to Laxus.
He took a mild step back. "No hugging, chibi. I mean it."
"Okay!" She settled for grinning at him.
If anyone noticed the tiredness written all over her face, none said a word.
She turned to the members of Blue Pegasus, and bowed before the Master.
"Thank you for your help. I am very grateful for it."
"Any friend of Sora-chan is a friend of ours," simply replied Master Bob, cooing a little about her cuteness. "You're always welcome here, Kaelys-chan~!"
"Thank you. Sorano, I'll see you around. You too, Jenny."
The black-haired girl quickly hugged the two. As she let them go, though, she noticed the hearts and sparkles now floating around the Trimens, who were obviously awaiting the same treatment.
She simply raised her hand in a lazy salutation. "Bye, I guess."
The three handsome wizards slumped at the colder goodbye, making her snicker a little, and she then returned to the Thunder God Tribe's side. With one last goodbye, the team then left Blue Pegasus.
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They made it back to Fairy Tail in a record time. The night was slowly setting when they arrived, and Kaelys found herself wondering if Lucy and the others were back yet.
"They aren't," Evergreen answered her thoughts. "You're welcome to stay with me at Fairy Hills, though."
"Thanks, but I'll be fine," refused the teen. "I've already bothered you guys enough. I can handle one night on my own, no worries!"
Bickslow roughly ruffled her hair.
"Wasn't any trouble for us, kid," he replied, pulling out his tongue to show off his guildmark. "We're all here for each other, right? Of course we'd help."
At that, her expression softened somewhat.
"Thanks. To be honest, I was really worried, at first. I'm glad nothing happened on the way back." She then glanced to the leader of the group. "Also, I was wondering something… Laxus?"
"What?"
"Your Magic… From what the others have said, you're the Lightning Dragon Slayer, right?" she inquired, biting her lower lip.
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, I was just…" She lowered her eyes a little, rubbing her wrists. "I'm… I was wondering, if you could help me?"
He raised an eyebrow at that, sending a look to the other three. They simply shrugged or shook their heads, them too unsure of what she wanted to ask.
"Depends." He reported his attention on the girl. "If it's to ask me to electrocute you again…"
"No! No, God no… Once was enough, thank you," she cringed a little. "It's just… Err, well… Yeah, I guess it's still along those lines, but… Ugh! I'm scared of electricity. Or lightning. Or whatever that's flashy and burns and… stuff. Anyway, I always find myself freezing when things related to that happen around me. Hearing, seeing or feeling it… Hell, right now, just a small shock due to static is enough to make me have an attack."
"So what, you want me to… use my lightning around you? So that you can get used to it?" He easily guessed.
"Exactly."
"Exposure therapy?" suddenly understood Freed. He then frowned. "Are you certain it is the best way to do this? It can get dangerous for you if-"
"If I'm not monitored and try to deal with this alone, yes," she nodded. "But I wouldn't be alone if it's with Laxus. I… I know that you don't really know me or anything, and that you surely have better to do than try to help out someone like me, but… maybe once? Or twice? Just… think about it? I… I don't really know how to deal with this otherwise."
The blond man scratched the back of his head. Dealing with messed up kids was not in his contract. But then again, he could find some sense of kinship. He too had scars of his own, after all.
"I'll see what I can do," he finally agreed. "Though you'd probably want to find someone better suited to handle those panic attacks of yours."
"Really?" Her eye widened a little, and she then grinned at him. "Thank you!"
"Yeah, yeah, don't mention it."
Obviously happy, the teen then started chatting with Evergreen about having another girl's day at one time or another. As the two girls went ahead, the other three lingered a little behind.
"Freed, do you think it'll work?" suddenly asked Laxus, serious. "Or will she only get worse?"
"Depends on how the situation is handled, really," sighed the Rune mage. "Exposure therapy will surely prove to be effective, but it won't be easy, and it'll surely take time. Right now, she is focused on getting better. However, if she ever looses that ambition, then I'm afraid she won't be stable enough to handle it."
"I see."
"Still, is it really a good idea?" Bickslow rubbed the back of his head. "What if one of her attacks gets too bad and she hurts someone by accident?"
"Honestly, I think it'd be best for her to loose control while she's watched by people she trusts rather than it happening by accident during a mission or something," pointed out the Dragon Slayer.
On that, they could all only agree.
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After thanking the Thunder God Tribe one last time, Kaelys started heading back home. The streets were now half-shadowed, the sun almost completely down, but it was a nice evening and she enjoyed the silence, somewhat.
'That's a reckless move. What if he comes out while you're not looking?'
"Right in Magnolia?" She shook her head. "No way. He might be mad, but he's not stupid."
'Kid, you can't reason with mad people. Hell, I'd know. I'm enduring your bullshit every day'
"Jerk."
After a few more minutes, she finally reached the house… and suddenly spun on her heels, knife in hands.
There was no one, though.
"I hate paranoia…" she muttered, slowly putting her weapon back to her belt.
'I dunno, that's what's keeping you alive, so I wouldn't be so quick to ignore it. What'd you feel?'
"I… I don't know. Just… someone. Watching me." She shook her head. "Nevermind that, I'm just tired and overly worried, so my mind's playing tricks."
'Are you sure of that?'
"… yeah. Yeah, I'm sure."
She bent down and pulled the hidden key from the small hole, just below the door. She locked it as soon as she was inside, before sighing deeply to relax herself. Turning on a few lights, she thought about getting something to eat, but soon realized that the stress took away her appetite.
Shaking her head, she simply decided to go to bed. She was tired and, while she was worried about sleeping on her own –in the end, she either slept with Frosch or with Sorano during her little adventure-, she didn't feel like fighting the exhaustion. Plus, if worst came to came to worst, she'd need her energy so as to be able to fight properly.
'Stay on guard'
"I know."
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Her eyes snapped open.
The Doctor was just above her.
He grinned. "Let's get back to where we left of, shall we~?"
Screaming, she swung the knife she had hidden under her pillow at him, falling out of her bed. Hissing in mild pain, she scrambled away until her back harshly hit the wall, and she brandished her knife once more before her, shaking like a leaf.
A few heartbeats later, she realized she was alone.
"W-what…"
'Kid, the hell was that?'
"I… I saw him… I swear I-I did…"
'Hallucination, most likely'
"But he… he was…"
But long minutes of silence and shaking in the darkness proved that she truly was alone. And, when she thought more about it, it truly was impossible for him to be there. She had seen that monster above her, which was ridiculous enough. Plus, had it truly been him, he would have tried to take her again without even waking her up. She wouldn't have been able to react like she did, he would just have swallowed her in one of his dark holes and- and...
'Damn, is this guy that bad?'
"You… you have no idea," she breathed out, dropping her knife. She then brought her legs against her chest, and hid her face between her knees. "Damn it…"
She stayed like that for the rest of the night.
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"Kaelys!"
The teen instantly woke up, and relief washed over her as a familiar figure kneeled besides her. She offered a wobbly smile at the blonde.
"Hey, Lucy-nee…"
Blinking away her tears, Lucy pulled her in her arms. "Thank God…"
"What…?"
Erik and Macbeth burst in the room a few seconds later, wide-eyed. Seeing her, they both breathed out in obvious relief. Frowning a little, she waited until Lucy calmed down before getting up to face them.
"Guys? What is it?"
At her question, the three exchanged a glance.
"Haven't you… haven't you seen it?" asked Lucy, pale.
"Seen what?"
"I-In the living room, i-it's-"
Kaelys instantly ran out of the room, ignoring the rest. Her heart was thumping violently in her chest, dreading what she'd find.
As soon as she reached the living room, she stopped in her tracks. Feeling nauseous, she took as step back. Her head spinning a little, she collapsed, an hand over her mouth to stop herself from vomiting.
"No…"
Shirokage whistled lowly. 'Shit…'
On the wall, written in what could only be blood, if the color and the smell were anything to go by… was a message.
Welcome back, Kaelys!
She choked out a sob, unable to do anything else.
The nightmare had been real, after all.
And… she had a feeling it only was the beginning.
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After a while during which comforting Kaelys had been pretty much mission impossible, the teen admitted having seen the man just a few hours before, hence why they found her sleeping in that position in the first place. First thinking it only had been an hallucination, she had tried to simply forget about it.
As soon as they heard of this, they left the house to go to the Guild, on guard. For all they knew, Doctor Shawn was still around, ready to take action at any given moment. As soon as they arrived, they went to find Master Makarov and explained the situation to him.
The rest had been kind of a blur, to be honest. Makarov called for backup, and instantly sent Freed and Levy to set up protective runes around their house, with Bickslow, Jet and Droy to watch their back. Laxus has stayed behind and was now talking with the Master, Macbeth, Erik and Gajeel about the measures they should take to handle the situation. As for Kaelys, she was sitting on the couch, a smoothie graciously offered by Mira in her hands, not really in the mood for talking. Evergreen and Lucy were on each side of her, chatting in a low tone about anything but the problem at hands, hoping to distract the teen for a while longer.
When Freed, Bickslow, Levy, Jet and Droy finally came back, the green-haired man offered a small smile to the Celestial mage.
"It is done. We have put up as many runes as we could, and only the four of you will be able to enter the house, except if you extend an invitation."
"Thank you, Freed, Levy-chan," Lucy sighed, smiling back.
Levy gave her a quick hug. "Of course, Lu-chan."
"Also, one of your Spirits was… cleaning up, when we got there," added Bickslow, thinking back to whom they had seen. "The maid, I think."
"Oh! Virgo…" Lucy grazed her fingers against the key, which thrummed in answer, some warmth emanating from it. "Thank you."
"So, what now?" then asked Evergreen, taking a look around.
"I will make an announcement later, when everyone is at the Guild," informed Master, serious. "No one will be allowed to take any solo missions until this situation has been handled. Kaelys, I'm afraid we can't have you leaving Magnolia until we better understand what exactly he is after."
"So I'm basically trapped here? Back to square one?" she scowled a little.
"Going out means you'll be an easier target, Loudmouth," replied Erik, poking her forehead. "We can't risk that until we've properly assessed the threat."
She made a face, but no longer protested, knowing he was right. Leaning back into the couch, she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Still, though… If he really was after me, why didn't he simply take the opportunity yesterday?" she then pointed out. "He was in my room. I could touch him. How come he didn't kidnap me there and then?"
"Something that has been bothering me too, I must admit," sighed Makarov. "He escaped three years ago, and hasn't been sighted even once since then. Something tells me there's a much, much bigger reasoning behind his actions now."
"And until we know what it is, you stay put and try not to get yourself kidnapped," concluded Laxus.
"You make it sound as if I'm always actually looking for trouble," she rolled her eyes at that.
There was a moment of silence during which every person in the room stared intently at her. She scoffed, averting her gaze.
"I do not."
They chuckled a little at that, the tension easing somewhat. Then, the Master clasped his hands together, jumping onto his desk.
"Very well, everyone. I will make the announcement in the afternoon. In the meantime, try to relax and have some fun. Kaelys, would you prefer staying in my office and try to get some more sleep?"
"No!" She instantly flushed a little at her outburst, calming down. "I-I mean, no, thank you. I… I'd rather not, not right now."
"Of course," the old man agreed, smiling indulgently. "I'll see you brats later, then. Try not to cause too much trouble, and I mean it!"
Though it wasn't much use to say that. After all, it was Fairy Tail. When did the Guild not caused trouble?
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Kaelys was drinking her third orange and strawberry smoothie of the day. She had never tried it before, and she wondered why she ever stuck to mere orange juice when this was one of her options.
From now on, she'd only drink smoothies.
'You'll get fat'
"Little price to pay for drinking awesomeness in a glass," she retorted without a care in the world.
"Oh, not again…"
Blinking, the teen reported her attention on Lucy, who was reading the newspapers. "Something wrong?"
"Well…" The blonde sighed, biting her lower lip. "For a while now, there have been bombings of numerous churches all around Fiore. And- oh, look at that! That's the guy we met during Nirvana, right? From the Council?"
"The guy who tried to lock me up but to whom you basically said 'bitch no!' and who was forced to let me go with you because you wouldn't let him do otherwise?" recalled the black-haired girl.
"Eh, eh, right…"
"Lucy! You've got a visitor!"
At Romeo's call, the two girls reported their attention to the door. Kaelys instantly narrowed her eyes at the newcomer. It was a girl, maybe around Lucy's age. She was pretty, in a cute sort of way, with long, wavy, light-brown hair and a soft face. There was something... weird, though. Kaelys didn't trust the woman one bit, and her fingers were itching to grab the knife to her belt.
"Who's she, Lucy-nee?" she asked, voice low.
The blonde glanced at her. "I… don't know?"
"You are Lucy Heartfilia?" the woman asked, stopping to their table.
"What's it to you?" practically growled the teen, ready for a fight.
"Kaelys, stand down!" The Celestial mage frowned at her aggressiveness. She was used to the teen's mistrust, but not to this. "Yes, I am Lucy Heartfilia. Who might you be?"
"Who… I am…?" The woman stared at her for a second.
Then, she started crying.
"Shit!" cursed the purple-eyed girl, not expecting that kind of reaction.
"I'M MICHELLE LOBSTER!" the mysterious visitor cried.
"And!?" panicked Lucy.
Though still not at ease, the Thief mage deemed the newcomer as inoffensive, and leaned back into her seat to let her friend handle it.
"I'm sorry," Michelle then apologized, calming down. "It's been quite a long time, so I suppose it's no surprise you don't remember me. Let me start over! I am Michelle Lobster. It's been too long, Lucy-neesan!"
…
"N-NEESAN!?"
That caught everyone's attention at last, and Kaelys merely groaned, alreayd feeling a headache creeping up on her.
"So, Lucy's father actually had an illegitimate daughter?" gasped Happy.
"No! The Lobster Family and the Heartfilia Family are distantly related."
"So you're simply Lucy's relative," understood Carla.
"I don't really get it… You're saying you're Lucy's daughter?" frowned Natsu.
"How'd you get to that conclusion, ash-for-brains?" sweatdropped Erik.
All in all… it was a very confusing moment for all of Fairy Tail.
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"So… what is this?"
"It's a memento from your father, Jude Heartfilia."
Lucy stiffened at that, startled.
"You see, I helped Uncle Jude for a little while with his work. And… I was there, when he passed away. He asked me to pass this along to you," explained Michelle.
"Father's… last request?"
"He was always worried about you, after you went missing," informed the woman, lowering her eyes. "But he said that he knew you were still alive out there, somewhere, and asked me to find you. He passed away peacefully, as if going to sleep. Ever since that day, I've been searching for you. And now… I've finally found you! With this… I can fulfill Uncle Jude's dying wish!"
Elfman started bawling his eyes out in the background. Kaelys simply kept her eyes on the strange luggage, resisting the urge to throw it out the window.
"What's inside?" she simply asked.
"I don't know," answered softly Michelle. "All I was told was to give this case to Lucy-neesan…"
"Father…" Lucy bit her lower lip.
"Just open it already, Sunshine," grunted Erik, rubbing his temples. He had tried listening to the newcomer's thoughts, but ended up with an awful migraine. "We don't have all day, remember?"
"Right…"
Kaelys tensed even more when the blonde opened the suitcase. After a few seconds, nothing happened. Relaxing, the teen then took a look inside, and furrowed her brows in mild confusion.
"… is it a leg or something?"
"Of course not, silly," the Celestial mage ruffled her hair, though she was as confused as her. "Though I gotta admit, it's kind of strange…"
Lucy pulled the bandaged object out of the box.
"These wrappings…"
"There's Magic on it," informed Natsu, sniffing it. "I think that's what I smelled earlier…"
Quickly unwrapping it, Lucy then placed it on the table for all to see. Even though revealed, the object was still as strange as before, if not more.
"The heck is that?" blinked the pink-haired Dragon Slayer.
"Something Uncle Jude valued?" proposed Michelle, not very convinced.
"I don't remember ever seeing that thing before…" sighed the blonde.
"Maybe it's a weapon?" proposed Kaelys, picking it up. She stumbled back under the weight, surprised as its heaviness. "Or not. Too heavy."
It was suddenly pulled from her hands by Erik, who looked at it closing, eyes narrowed. He didn't seem fazed by the weight, lifting it with one hand.
"Oi, Beth," he called. "Doesn't it look familiar or something?"
"Dunno," answered the black-haired mage, eyes closed.
"You're not even looking!" protested Elfman.
With an heavy sigh, Macbeth opened his eyes, and looked at the object. After a few seconds, he tilted his head in mild recognition.
"You're right. I think I saw it before," he finally admitted.
"Something to do with Oración Seis?" blinked Kaelys. "Maybe it isn't a weapon… but the key to a weapon! Like with Nirvana, right?"
"I doubt that's the case," Lucy shook her head. "Why would my father send it to me if that was the case?"
At that, the three ex-criminals deflated somewhat. It truly didn't make any sense for Lucy's father to have had it in his possession in the first place, and sending it to Lucy, of all people? No, it didn't match.
"Oh, I remember!" suddenly exclaimed Michelle.
"What is it?" wondered Wendy, curious.
"… I haven't eaten anything in the passed three days."
And as if on cue, her stomach grumbled loudly.
.
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"I don't like her."
"… why?"
"I don't know."
Erik hummed in understanding, finishing his cup of brewed belladonna. He waved for Mira to bring him another, to which the barmaid answered with a nod and a smile, before reporting his attention to the teen.
"You jealous?"
"What?" she blinked. "Why would I be?"
"'Cause there's a woman who just barged in here, announced she was a relative of Sunshine, and more or less hogged all of her attention," he resumed. "They both left for the house. Usually, you're the first to go back with Lucy. Why didn't you?"
The black-haired girl thought it over for a moment.
"As happy as Lucy-nee is in the Guild, it's not the same as blood-bonds," she then answered. "She just discovered she had a cousin, when at first believing she was the last of her family. She's under shock, but happy, and maybe even glad. I just wanted her to be able to enjoy this opportunity while she had it."
"You're saying it won't last?" he raised an eyebrow, curious.
She drank what was left of her smoothie, before slamming the empty glass on the table. "Hopefully, that woman will be gone before we even know it. Because, while I'm happy for Lucy-nee, that Michelle gives me the creeps."
"She's not a mage, is she?"
At that, they both glanced to the half-asleep Macbeth.
"What?"
"That woman… she's not a mage, right?" Macbeth repeated. They shrugged, and he sighed. "While everyone has a magic core, only ten percent of the population can actually use Magic. But… her own core just felt… empty. Absent."
The Dragon Slayer groaned a little. "I couldn't hear her thoughts either. Whoever that woman is, we need to keep an eye on her."
"Think Lucy-nee's in danger right now?" worried Kaelys, already on her feet.
"No, don't think so. They're…" Erik focused for a moment. "They're just talking shit out about Fairy Tail and families and whatnot. They're… oh."
"What? What is it?"
He stared at her for a moment, before giving in.
"Seems like she'll be staying after all."
"… say what?"
"Sunshine just invited her to stay with us. Seems like she won't be gone after all."
"Say WHAT?"
.
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Two weeks passed.
Two weeks passed.
And Michelle Lobster was still here.
Kaelys wanted to strangle something. Or someone. Preferably the annoying crybaby that just wouldn't shut the fuck up.
'Kid, you're jealous, deal with it'
"I'm not!" she protested.
'Oh, look. Your precious Lucy is talking with her'
"What!?"
She looked around the Guild, and instantly found the blonde chatting with the other woman, a smile dancing on her lips. The cup in her hands cracked, and she instantly averted her gaze.
'Told ya~'
"How'd you know they were talking anyway?" she grunted.
'Because they always are'
"Fair enough."
Releasing her cup with a sigh, she cringed a little when remarking the imprints left by her fingers. While she had no idea how she did it, it would seem she was able to enhance her strength when under strong emotions.
Cool, but fairly useless if she couldn't use it whenever she wanted.
'Like for exploding her skull?'
"Exactly!" She then blinked. "Wait, no!"
Shirokage simply laughed, and she slumped a little more in her seat. After a few seconds of silence, she glanced at the empty chairs of her table, and felt a painful pang in her heart.
In the passed two weeks, she had decided to let Lucy have her peace. Plus, she needed to become more independent. So, she did her best to act less clingy with the blonde. It's not like she isolated herself either, but she now understood that she had been in the way for a long, very long time. Lucy was her own person, and she wouldn't always be there to help her. What better time than now to start working on that other issue, then?
The problem was… Kaelys ended up alone. Erik and Macbeth had left on a special mission to go and find as much information as possible on the mad Doctor, by Master's orders. The Thunder God Tribe had left for a mission to try and catch up for all the months they had lost when Laxus wasn't around. As for the others… Well, everyone was kind of busy, and Kaelys didn't know much about most of her guildmates, not enough to feel comfortable hanging out with them.
And of course, the constant stress didn't help. She knew the Guild was safe, but what if the Doctor showed up all of sudden and hurt her friends? What if he attacked while they weren't paying attention? What if he managed to get into the house despite the protections? She wasn't sleeping well, often troubled by nightmares, but she refused to ask for Plue, knowing she needed to get over it by herself.
"Still, though…" she muttered under her breath. "Worst two weeks ever."
"Well, that's one hell of a face you're making there."
"Corvus!"
Already feeling a little better, Kaelys wasted no time in hugging her friend. When she pulled away, there was a faint blush on his cheeks, but she didn't comment on it. It was the usual for the Crow Spirit, after all.
"I wanted to present to you my sister," he grinned.
"Oh, Lucy finally made the contract?"
"Yup! Though my sis is kind of shy, so she wouldn't come out until she became annoyed enough with me and accepted," he shrugged.
As if on cue, there was a flash of sparkles, and the red-haired Spirit suddenly appeared, a scowl twitching on her lips. Instantly, Corvus slung an arm around her shoulders, his grin only widening, if possible.
"She's so cute, right?" he beamed at Kaelys, poking his sister's cheek. "So adorably precious, you just want to hug her and never let go- oof!"
Phoenix elbowed him in the guts, forcing him to release her. She then took a few steps back, until she reached a safer distance.
Corvus pouted. "So mean, sis. We haven't seen each other for centuries! Can't you indulge me a little?"
"You're annoying."
"Sis!" wailed the black-haired boy.
Watching them interact, Kaelys snorted loudly. Slapping an hand over her mouth as the noise drew the attention of the two Spirits, she then offered a sheepish smile.
"Sorry. Just funny to watch," she admitted. She then turned to face Phoenix. "I'm Kaelys, though I can easily guess the loud mouth here already talked about me like he told me everything there was to know about you."
"L-loud mouth?" spluttered Corvus. "I am not-"
He instantly shut up as the two girls stared flatly at him. As he grumbled under his breath about them ganging up on him, Kaelys smiled at the redhead.
"I wanted to thank you, for helping us out on Tenrou," she then remarked. "Without you… Honestly, I doubt we would have gotten out of it."
"It's hard for Celestial mages to form a contract with me because our Magics can't balance each other," shrugged the girl, looking away. "I wasn't about to let this one die so easily."
"Of course. Say, Corvus once mentioned something about a pineapple incident," then recalled the teen, curiosity taking over. "Though he wouldn't say anything else after that. Know anything about it?"
At that, the scowl of the Spirit shifted into a slightly malicious smirk.
"I sure do. Wanna hear about it?"
"Yes!"
"No!" protested the Crow, suddenly pale. He pointed a finger in Kaelys's face. "If you ask again, I'll tell her all about the kitchen fiasco."
The teen stared at him for a few seconds. "If you don't move that finger from my face, I'm biting it off."
Needless to say, he quickly pulled away.
Phoenix snorted. "You know what? I like her."
At that, her brother slumped a little in defeat. "Of course you do."
As he watched the two girls interact, he silently wondered if getting them acquainted was as good of an idea as he first thought.
.
.
The following morning, Kaelys felt much better. She had passed the rest of the previous day with the two Spirits, and Phoenix was nice despite her somwhat grouchy attitude. And, while she knew that technically speaking, they were centuries older than she was, it felt good to finally hang out with people her age.
She didn't feel as lonely anymore.
When she arrived to the Guild, though, she instantly noticed the absence of that annoying bimbo.
"She's gone…?" She had to hold back a grin. "Sweet!"
'Kid, you're hopeless'
Refraining the urge to hum happily, she went to the bar to get a smoothie, a bounce in her step. Mirajane smiled when noticing her mood.
"Well, someone seems happy," she remarked cheerfully. "The usual?"
"Yes please!"
As the barmaid got started on her order, the teen let her eyes wander over the rest of the Guild. It was awfully calm, now that she thought about it. Neither the Thunder God Tribe nor Erik and Macbeth were back.
Thing is, Team Natsu wasn't to be seen either.
"Weird…" Her giddiness toned down somewhat. She reported her attention on the white-haired mage as she placed her smoothie before her. "Ne, Mira? Where are Lucy-nee and the others?"
"Hm? They left on a mission to apprehend some bandits," she answered, glancing at the request board. It was still rather empty, but not as bad as when they first came back. "Michelle went with them. They should be back in a few hours, though."
"I- I see. Thanks, Mira."
This time, her good mood melted like snow under the sun. Without another word, she jumped off the stool and left the Guild, the door slamming behind her. The barmaid simply gaped at the now abandoned smoothie, unsure of what had just happened.
.
.
"So what, I can't go on a mission but that crybaby can? That's ridiculous!" growled the teen. She was heading back to the house, ignoring any greetings sent her way. She would usually answer, but she wasn't in the mood right now. "I can't believe this… And Lucy didn't even tell me! She could have at least warned me, right? Plus, why would I be any safer here anyway? He managed to break in once, nothing's stopping him from whisking me away in the middle of the goddamn street. But why did that klutz have to go with them? Why does she can but I can't? It's not fair!"
She knew she must have sounded like a spoiled kid. She wasn't even angry, you know?
She was just… she was just hurt.
'Seriously, though, who could blame them?'
"W-what?"
'You think it's fun dealing with you all day long when you could blow up any second and explode everyone in the vicinity? You've got more issues than I care to remember, and I'm already done with you. They've been at it for far longer than me, so of course they'd start moving on'
"They're not like that!" she protested, stopping in her tracks.
'Everyone is. Sure, they've been more resilient than your average mage but, in the end, humans are humans. Enduring you and your lack of mental stability is sure to drive anyone crazy'
"T-they're not… they're not like that. Not them. Not them. And I'm trying. I'm getting better-"
'Is what you want to say. One way or another, it's kind of late to start working on it, don't you think? You missed your chance, kid, and now they're going to replace you with another one. Michelle, right? She's mature, pretty, everyone likes her, she doesn't have a panic attack every five minutes, she's actually normal… Trust me, you've got no chance against someone like that'
A lump forming in her throat, she failed to find the words to answer. Realizing her state, Shirokage started laughing.
'What, not defending your oh-so-precious friends anymore? Already giving up on them after all?'
"I'm not," she managed to choke out. "They haven't betrayed me… and I won't betray them."
'Yet. Just wait and see, Ka~e~lys. Soon enough, they'll turn on you like everyone else did before. And you'll be alone again. But no worries! I'll still be here for you~'
He started laughing again. Kaelys clenched her fist so tightly her nails pierced the skin of her palm. Ignoring the frail trails of red leaking down her hand, she quickly made her way back to the house, the Demon's taunts still echoing in her head.
Kaelys stared at the shard of glass in her hands, unresolved.
'That's just fucking pitiful'
Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she threw it away, the scars in her wrists itching, but not reopened.
"Fine, I'll do something else."
"I can't believe I'm doing this."
'I can't believe it either'
Kaelys scowled a little, staring at the mission request in her hands. She had taken the nearest one on the board using her telekinesis, and bolted out of there before anyone could even notice her or what she had done.
"I stole a mission…" She murmured, not really knowing how she felt about it. "But it's necessary, right? I'll prove to everyone that I can handle myself. I'm not useless, so they can't replace me yet. I'm sure they'll understand once I come back with the completed mission."
Nodding to herself, she finally read for real the mission details. Apparently, some gold robbers were causing troubles.
'This is going to be a walk in the park. Couldn't you have gotten an S-Class or something?'
"That would have really gotten me in trouble," she snorted. "I'm not touching any S-Class mission until I get the title, or am required to do it. I'm not that desperate yet."
And that's the end of that. A lot has happened in this chapter, so if you guys have any questions, then again: don't hesitate to ask. I'm always happy to answer! Anyhow, I'll leave it at that for now. Hopefully, I'll come back soon. I swear I'll try my best, so don't give up on me just yet!
Arigato! And love you guys!