Hello Fairies!

Please enjoy the next chapter. Author note at the bottom if you want to know why its been so long since I updated.

A big thanks to Rachel Maddison for editing the first part of this chapter!

Enjoy :)

"I can't take this anymore!" a voice echoed harshly in the small and slightly claustrophobic room.

"Calm down Natsu. Yelling won't help," Erza supplied from her position at the reading desk. Her pen was moving across her notes and her words were the only acknowledgment to Natsu's outburst.

"Neither is what we're doing," Natsu said as he resisted the urge to punch the wall next to him. "We have sat on our asses for three days, and what do we have? A pile of books, a stack of journals, and a bunch of documents. None of this is helping Lucy!" Natsu yelled as smoke began to curl between his teeth. His rage was slowly manifesting into a physical property.

"And neither is you constantly looking for a fight. Now sit down and shut up!" Makarov bellowed from his cross-legged position on the windowsill. There was a heavy moment of silence that Jellal watched with distaste. This exact conversation was an hourly occurrence and it wasn't helping his nerves at all.

Organizing the efforts of Fairy Tail into something productive was proving to be quite difficult. Many of the Fairy Tail members had recovered from their injuries but almost all of the guild members were tense with fear and anxiety. Progress was slow in this regard. Fights had broken out especially whenever Natsu was concerned, and many disagreements had surfaced between the Guild members. They were all adjusting to this new reality. They were all stuck within the secluded valley until they formulated a battle plan. They couldn't leave, or risk getting attacked by the people who had attacked their guild. They were hiding, and everyone hated every moment of it.

Many were horrified that they had been attacked so suddenly. Their resolve had wavered in the past few days. The attack had been very sudden, and that fact alone is what terrified most of the inhabitants of the valley. They would fight, but they needed to be completely ready. They needed time to digest everything that had occurred in such a small amount of time.

Jellal understood this. To face an enemy that you knew nothing about, and couldn't predict, it was hard to accept and prepare for something that was entirely based on speculation. Even he, who had encountered many of their forces, was still wary when it came to anything related to the organization. He never knew what to expect, or when they would find him, and it frightened him to his very core. Now everyone in this valley shared the same fate as he did. When they left the security that Lucy's valley provided they would all be hunted.

Makarov, Erza, Natsu, Levy and himself had decided that they desperately needed information. A task that helped keep many of their minds at a somewhat peaceful harmony and a necessary step to formulate a plan. Not only to help them prepare for the upcoming war, but to also help Lucy in any way possible. And so to Jellal's utter distaste they had ransacked Lucy's house. Every book within Lucy's cottage had been catalogued, every surface was thoroughly searched, and every item looked at and dismantled. It felt like they were overstepping some major boundaries, but it was a necessary sacrifice. They needed information, and Lucy was their only key to understanding what they were facing.

Their searches had provided them with some of the critical information they needed, but correlating it with the bigger picture was proving to be quite difficult.

They had found a package of journals that had been stored under one of the floorboards in what Jellal could only assume was Layla's old room. The journals themselves were quite old and judging by the writing and date they had been written by Layla. The journals were well written, and only faded in some sections due to weather, but all together had provided them with a few key points.

The first was that Layla and her family had had no idea of what would occur within their kingdom. Layla discussed a few possible scenarios of how they could have infiltrated the palace so quickly and her conclusions had left the Dragon Slayers within the room a little tense. Layla had speculated that members of the organization had infiltrated the staff of the palace slowly and meticulously.

They mapped out every path, every corridor, and every secret passage. They got to know the schedules of the inhabitants, the royals, and the guards. They waited and watched. This fact alone scared the few Dragon Slayers that sat within the valley. It was a very high possibility that this very same maneuver was happening in their own homes. People they may know now standing in harm's way.

The second point was that Layla had feared passing on her legacy to Lucy. She never mentioned what it was that she guarded, and only ever mentioned it as the family legacy. Even so, Layla had desperately hoped that Lucy would not have to bear the burden until she was much older. Layla in her journals stressed this point several times in earlier entries, but repeated them almost obsessively near the end of her final entry. Jellal could only assume that these entries were when Layla was incredibly sick. She mentioned several times that Lucy was still too young to inherit such a responsibility and that she still had much to learn. A fate, it would seem, that was unavoidable.

They had found a collection of old books that had been hidden behind a loose brick by the fireplace. Most of them were historical texts on the origins of Celestial Magic and of the Kingdom of Caelum. Many of the Celestial texts went into the parameters and rules of Celestial magic, along with tales of the many keys that a holder could use. With the texts, they could slightly narrow down what Lucy was guarding.

Their ideas on the matter were still vast but at least they had a small angle on Lucy. Jellal came to the same conclusion as the others within the room. That whatever Lucy guarded was dangerous and was possibly ancient or even forbidden celestial magic. Whatever it was it was valuable. That was a fact that everyone could agree upon. The ancient tombs that Lucy had collected accounted multiple different legends and tales about dark forms of Celestial magic. Not all were forbidden, but there were many that were only briefly mentioned.

Now whether it was a spirit or something else it was still unclear. However, Levy had pointed out, for the sake of argument and the information they had at their hands, that the team should assume it was a spirit. Jellal hadn't poured over the texts as much as Levy had, but by observing from the background and from being present for most of the arguments he had a good idea on what Levy suspected.

One of the main arguments had been about the few spirits that were banned for centuries due to their vicious and destructive methods. Erza had argued that the constellation of Canes Venatici, or the Hunting Dogs, were still technically banned from being used. There was also the constellation of Draco Makarov had mentioned, but Levy shut these arguments down as well. Jellal had watched with a little awe as Levy provided them both with a lecture on Celestial magic. She had stated that even though these two spirits were banned, any key holder could still possess them. It didn't matter that the old Celestial council had deemed these spirits dangerous, people could still use them. "Lucy guards something unique to her family," Levy had stated already with her nose in another book. "She would not hold a key that just any Celestial mage could hold."

So their search had continued to the more hypothetical side of the spectrum. Jellal had noticed that Levy was focused on the Ancient Legends of the darkened and evil spirits that were barely mentioned in the historical texts. Spirits that had been banished from the Celestial Realm. Old horrors that had all vanished into the same spot. A place that was only referred to as the Void. Jellal was also interested in these tales, since he knew that these spirits were potentially what Lucy guarded. Spirits that had killed their owners, supported torturous or gruesome methods of attack, or disagreed and rebelled against the Celestial King and the realms customs. Whether the "Void" was a physical space that acted like a prison, or something else entirely, Jellal and the team didn't know. Jellal, however, knew deep down that Lucy's key had to be connected in some way.

They had gone through everything related to Celestial magic but even with these two packages of knowledge their search had still been lacking some key points. They may have a small list of entities that Lucy may be guarding, but they still had next to nothing on the organization and the mysterious master that lead their movement. That is until Nab found a bundle of documents buried under a stone in the back garden.

The documents had been kept in an airtight box that had kept the documents in pristine condition. Skimming through them Jellal immediately recognized them as police reports and newspaper clippings, all detailing different sightings of various members of the organization. There were some newspaper clippings, however, that touched on political movements, and other economic and environmental disasters. Levy had speculated that these incidents might give them some insight into what the organizations ultimate plans and movements were. It seemed plausible, but without sufficient evidence it was hard to accept. Jellal, however, agreed with Levy's speculation. Why else would Lucy keep these particular clippings if they didn't somehow relate to the organization in some way?

They had a lot of source material, but gathering meaning from the variety of texts was troublesome. The Police documents were only useful if they could match the descriptions and magical ability with a face. They had a compiled list of a few individuals that they could confirm on the list through the guilds personal experience with some of them. However, that list was very small. No matter what they found they still didn't have enough of the information they sought.

Jellal was exhausted. The research they had conducted was extensive and unrelenting. There were many nights that all of them stayed up into the early hours of the morning trying to find just one more connection. He was tired, and Jellal knew that he wasn't the only one in the room that felt that way. Patience was wearing thin, and it was only a matter of time before something snapped. It didn't help that he was constantly aware that Fairy Tail could discover who he was at any moment.

Jellal had to always be aware of his surroundings, and make sure he didn't say the wrong thing. He knew he was the outsider in this valley. Nobody expect Makarov knew who he was, and the constant façade was beginning to way heavily on his mental capacity. Natsu's constant argumentative state was not helping his sanity.

Jellal was currently leaning against the wall next to the desk Erza currently inhabited. His face was turned to the open window taking in the late evening breeze and letting his mind return to a somewhat normal state as he reviewed everything again. He had forgotten how peaceful Lucy's valley was. If he stood here, and didn't say a word he didn't have to keep up the façade that he was wearing. He could just stand and let his mind wander.

In the corner of his eye he watched Erza close the book she had been reading and silently reach a hand towards Jellal. Without a word passed between them Jellal passed her the next text on the pile beside him. Jellal knew that he should be putting as much distance between Erza and himself given the history they shared, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Maybe it was because she had yet to realize who he was, maybe it was for the small smile she flashed in his direction or the small peaceful routine they had fallen into. Jellal didn't have the faintest clue, but he thanked the Gods above for this little slice of joy.

"Could you both shut up!" Gajeel said from his chair beside the bed. "Shrimp is trying to read," he finished, his voice laced with a sharp edge as he directed his statement at Natsu and Makarov. The two accused both nodded absently at Gajeel's statement but it had been an unnecessary warning.

Jellal's eyes shifted to the one woman who seemed to be their only hope of discovering the bridges that somehow connected all this information into something meaningful. Levy was propped up on the bed with a mountain of books surrounding her. Pieces of parchment lay scattered around her and a large historical tomb lay open in her lap. Her gale-reading glasses were perched on the end of her nose and she had yet to lift her head for the last three hours. Levy was at the head of their research campaign. She had read, and re-read every book, document and report that had surfaced in the past few days.

Even though her injuries had yet to heal completely she was adamant on helping in any way she could. Jellal found that Levy was the most admirable given the circumstances. Despite the bandages that still covered her torso she held a fierce determination to read every word that surfaced in Lucy's house. She already had a lot of knowledge on the topic and she was making connections that others would often overlook. It seemed, however, that they were still missing key parts of the puzzle and it was beginning to frustrate Levy as well.

As the room descended into silence again Jellal let his eyes wander back to the windowsill. His attention as of late had drifted to a particular ornament that Lucy had on her windowsill. It was a wooden star with a series of wooden panels worked into its surface. To many it would look like an ordinary paperweight but Jellal knew what it was and had avoided picking it up since the first moment his eyes landed on it.

It was a puzzle box that his father had made for Lucy on one of her birthdays. When they had been kids they had often sent secret messages in its contents; a game that they had loved. Jellal had been surprised to see it. Considering everything that had occurred on that one night. He was surprised that this little trinket had made it out of Caelum with Lucy. It warmed his heart to see it sitting on her desk. The only thing that kept him from opening it was the inevitable conversation that would ensue. How did you know what that was? How did you open it? And so on. How would he explain it to the people that surrounded him? Or maybe he was just overthinking.

Jellal knew that Makarov already knew his identity, but how would the others react. Natsu would no doubt start a fight, Gray probably backing him up. Jellal didn't care about their reactions; he could take both of them if it came to that. It was the redheaded woman that sat beside him. How would she react if she found out that that man who had betrayed her had been standing beside her this entire time?

This was the question that kept coming up with each moment that passed. Whenever they couldn't make a connection, whenever they were left at a loss to what something could mean, his mind would fall back to that single ornament. Could there be a message waiting inside its contents? Could it hold one more piece of the puzzle? With three days gone and the fourth slowly approaching, and all they had were more questions. Jellal's argument to keep himself hidden was beginning to crack. Lucy was loosing time. He knew this better than anyone within these walls. He knew what he had to do, but he was being selfish for just a little while longer.

Jellal stole another glance at Erza. He had betrayed her. He knew that and hated himself for it, but it was something he could not change. Even though someone else had been whispering in his mind, he still had to take responsibility for all the tragedy that he had caused. After Lucy had broken him out of prison, he had decided then and there that he would not only start anew for Lucy's sake but also so he could redeem himself in Erza's eyes. He had accepted long ago that he would never achieve his second goal.

"Why target the Dragon Realms?" Levy asked out of the blue. A question that had already surfaced several times in their discussions, but was a little random for this current moment.

"This again," Natsu snapped as he shook his head. Even from here Jellal could hear the Prince's teeth grind in frustration.

"It's just curious…" Levy continued, not even hearing Natsu's curt statement. She flipped through a few more pages, and then repeated her sentence again. More to herself then to anyone present within the room.

"Shrimp what's curious?" Gajeel asked, prompting the young mage to put her thoughts into words. Levy finally looked up from her book and gave Gajeel a small smile before continuing.

"I've been reading over this book that I got from the forbidden library and I can't help but find it curious," Levy said as she indicated the book in her lap and the group of papers to her left. The papers, Jellal realized, were the newspaper clippings of all the incidents that didn't quite fit into the bigger picture. The environmental disaster to the north, the assassinations, and the fishy elections that had taken place.

"Why did they target Caelum? We believe it was because they wished to obtain the weapon or key that Lucy now holds," Levy said as she ran her hand down the page. A chapter that Jellal could barely read as it detailed the fall of Caelum.

"Is that what they want? To gain powerful weapons and forces to improve their own ranks? Or is there a larger plot?" Jellal listened to Levy's reasoning. She wasn't wrong. He was sure that was one of the angles, but he knew their reasons were larger. Unfortunately while he was under their thrall, he was never privy to that kind of information. He followed orders and never asked questions.

"Now for the sake of comparison let's assume that was what they want. That this organization is in search of power. Why would they come to the Dragon Realms? Why would they focus on our kingdom?" Levy paused and looked at everyone within the room, waiting for their responses.

"Fiore is known for some of the strongest guilds," Natsu said from the doorway.

"Maybe they are looking for a weapon we don't know about?" Gajeel said from the side of the bed. There was another silence and Jellal sighed.

"It's the only region known for its Dragon Slayers," He supplied from his spot by the windowsill. Erza glanced sideways at him and Levy gave a small smile. It wasn't often that he spoke up. Now that Jellal thought of it, he hadn't spoken in several hours.

"Pricelessly," Levy said as she brought her gaze back to her papers. "Fiore is known as the Dragon Realms for a reason. And the reputation of the Dragon Slayers is quite extreme. To some neighbouring countries, Dragon Slayers are seen as the most powerful mages within the world. Gathering them to their ranks would gain them a lot of power." Jellal watched the proud smirk work its way across Natsu and Gajeel's faces at Levy's words.

"My only question is, if they wanted the Dragon Slayers then why would they spend enormous amounts of time doing these other activities? Some of the newspaper clippings that Lucy had were about shifty elections, assassinations, and even some natural disasters. If I was a super villain bent on power, why would I make time for this?" Levy said and Jellal looked on with surprise.

Levy had proposed a question and a scenario that hadn't been discussed in the room yet. Jellal had always assumed that the organization's goals followed the same pattern as the one in Caelum, but now he wasn't so sure. Levy made a good point. Their plan in Caelum held nothing but destruction that all pointed towards one goal, finding the royal family. They had created panic, burnt everything to the ground, in order to smoke out Layla. There were some similar signs in the Dragon Realms. The infiltration of the palace, the mass networking of members and information, but there were also some differences.

"Security?" Erza supplied as she turned in her seat to face the rest of the room. "Make sure the entire competition is snuffed out?" she said as she put her hands in her lap. Jellal leaned further away. Noticing that the team was about to venture into the realm of debate. He knew the signs well. The new line of thinking, the questions, the facts, and then the speculation. It was a circle that was never ending.

"For fun?" Natsu growled his hands clenching into fists. "It seems they don't mind hurting and taking out anyone that gets in their way," he said and Jellal could tell that somewhere in the Dragon Slayers mind this conversation was digging up a touchy memory.

"Maybe it somehow lets them get a better grip of the kingdom?" Gajeel said looking a little worried despite his attempt to keep his face passive.

"Any of these points could be right. Whether it's for security, fun, or to gain a better hold on the kingdom they didn't take these precautions in Caelum. They targeted the palace and only the palace. Here they are casting a very large web. But why?" Levy said as she brushed a hand through her hair.

"Let's go through what we know, with this new angle." Levy said and the conversation picked up and information began to get passed around once again.

Jellal looked back out the window. Letting the discussion wash over him. He was worried. Lucy was running out of time and they were no closer to finding her, or helping her once they did. He couldn't stay much longer in the valley. His team was working without him, waiting in the shadows to see if the organization would make a play while they all hid in the valley. He knew it would be soon. He knew he was running out of time.

As the others fell deeper into the conversation Jellal grabbed the small ornament from its perch. The wood was smooth against his skin from years of use. Jellal looked at it careful and traced the two initials carved into the wood. The initials of his father. Jellal knew he was getting his hopes up. There may be nothing within its contents, but he needed to check. He took a deep breath, calming the dread that rolled around in his chest. He didn't dare turn towards the group knowing that he couldn't' change his mind. His fingers moved swiftly over the panels sliding them in the familiar fashion that he had done a thousand times when he was younger. As the last panel slid away it revealed a small space with a perfectly folded note in the middle.

Jellal let out the breath he had been holding. The conversation still rolled around him, but he was more concerned about the eyes that were on him. He could feel them boring into the back of his skull. He lifted his eyes briefly over his shoulder and caught the gaze of two people, the only two who had seen him grab the ornament. Makarov was gazing at him with a knowing glint in his eye, and Erza was looking at him with skepticism.

He waited for the questions, he waited for the anger, but Jellal's worry was unwarranted. Erza only looked him over carefully. He could see the questions forming behind her eyes, but he could see that she was assessing him anew. With caution in her eyes Erza brought her hand up and nodded towards the ornament. Without any hesitation Jellal gave it to her. Waiting for the moment that she would say something, anything to stem his frantic mind.

"Later," was all she said. Low enough for only him to hear. Jellal was speechless. Had he really been over thinking this entire move, or was he sitting on the brink of a storm that he couldn't see.

He watched with wide eyes as Erza carefully took out the note and unfolded it on the desk. Jellal couldn't help himself. Despite the fear he still felt he leant over her shoulder ever so slightly so he could see Lucy's elegant writing. He read quickly, worry creasing his brow with each word he read.

"She can't mean…?" Jellal trailed off. His eyes scanned the words again, his worry turning towards fear as Lucy's letter began to echo in his mind.

"I think this is a very bad sign," Erza said already standing from her seat and moving towards Makarov. A grave frown etched across her lips.

"A message from Lucy, hidden in a small ornament," she explained as the eyes within the room were beginning to follow sudden movement.

"I fear it's not good news," Erza said as she passed Makarov the note. Jellal had moved to look through the window yet again. His hands were holding the sill with such ferocity he felt the wood crack ever so slightly under his grip.

"If you are reading this, then I fear, my old friend, that the worst must have happened," Makarov began, his words acting like daggers in Jellal's back. "Why else would you have found and opened this dear treasure we both share." That simple statement was enough for Jellal to know that the note was meant for him. Who else would have recognized the ornament? Who else had known how to get into her valley? Who else could open the small trinket?

"You are looking for information, some way to help rescue me, or save me. You must know that there is nothing you can do. If I have been captured, then I am nothing but a lost cause~"

"Like hell!" Natsu interjected as he punched the wall beside him.

"You know more than anyone what they do to their prisoners. I only ask for one thing. If I am still alive when we meet again. If I have become the one thing I fear the most, then I hope that you can find the strength to perform the sealing. If you cannot stop me, if you cannot kill me, then you must make sure you put me in a place where I can never hurt anyone again," Makarov paused, assessing the words that Lucy had chosen. If they could not stop her? If they could not kill her? Why had those options been brushed off so easily but the option of a sealing offered instead?

"Please. If not for me, then for all the people you could save." Makarov finished and re-read the note again. Just to make sure he was reading this correctly. It sounded like Lucy's last wish. A plea to an old friend that could help her if the worst-case scenario occurred.

"What does she mean? Who is this for?" Levy asked from her bed. Jellal could feel the pain in his hands as the wood began to draw blood. Closing his eyes tightly he forced the next words to leave his mouth.

"It's for me," he said, not turning to the group that now stared behind him. He couldn't face them. He wouldn't face them. Lucy had asked the impossible, and now he knew that the questions would start following. His cover slowly unraveling as the truth slowly began to paint the reality that they were facing. The truth of what Lucy could become.

"What is this seal she mentions?" Levy asked and he could hear the rustle of paper being passed as Makarov handed Levy the note.

"It's a last resort. Something I didn't think she knew I could perform. I didn't think she would ask me to do this. It's worse than death," Jellal said slowly. He was already thinking of other options. Everything else they could do to save Lucy if it came to that. Anything but what she wished him to do.

A loud smash reached his ears and he spared a small look over his shoulder to see that Natsu had punched the door frame again and it had cracked. "Tell us," was all he said his eyes blazing with anger and frustration.

"It's a forbidden and dark magic. Usually performed to seal some form of ancient magic within a prison," Jellal began as he let the breeze cool his face.

"This particular seal binds the forbidden magic and the life of the victim together. It is similar, in a sense, to Gray's Ice Shell technique," Jellal said knowing that many within these walls were familiar with the risks and force of Grays technique.

"And how do you know of my Ice Shell spell?" Gray supplied from his corner. Jellal paused, choosing his next words very carefully. He could feel the danger he was in. Thin and as delicate as a string. His words in the next few minutes could determine his fate within this valley.

"That is a story we don't have time for. Just know that I collect information and I heard about your ice shell technique as I was doing research on my own sealing techniques," Jellal said hoping that this small response was enough. He finally turned towards the room. Without waiting for a respond from Gray, Jellal continued.

"Like I said this seal is slightly different. Instead of just trapping the forbidden magic or creation in a suspended animation, it encases the soul of the victim as well. Instead of a cage of ice, Lucy's body becomes the prison, protected by a magical barrier that to my knowledge cannot be broken," Jellal finished and waited for the others to take in this information.

His patience was fraying at the seams. He couldn't take it anymore. It didn't matter if his identity was discovered in the next second. If Lucy wanted this as her final wish, things were more dire than he had anticipated. If she was asking him to do it then there was a chance that she could give into whatever power she guarded and that was very bad news.

"Why would you create this seal in the first place?" Levy asked as she put the note to the side and looked at Jellal with a curious and skeptical gaze. His façade was cracking with each second. He could feel each piece falling away.

"I knew that whatever power Lucy guarded could corrupt and possess the host. It was the only information I was able to get out of Lucy,"Jellal said as his eyes moved to Makarov who only looked on with understanding.

"And why may I ask did you not share this with everyone!" Erza asked next her bright eyes boring into his own. Jellal faltered then.

"I have my reasons," he said holding her gaze.

"What reasons?" Natsu spat from the other side of the room. Jellal looked towards the hotheaded Prince. With each passing second Jellal was beginning to loath Natsu even more.

"Reasons that I don't need to share…. It's not important," Jellal said waving the question away. "My original idea for the seal was to have it separate Lucy from the entity but I never succeeded. The seal can only be performed on them as a whole," Jellal said and watched as Levy started taking notes. She was completely oblivious to the tension in the room. Only worried about information and how it could help them.

"Oh I think it's important!" Natsu said taking a dangerous step forward but Levy cut him off as her pen flew across the paper.

"Why didn't it work?" she asked.

"I never finished my research," Jellal said after a long pause. Natsu was becoming more hostile by the second. "I created this one seal as a backup plan, but I didn't know how intertwined Lucy and the entity would become so I could never be sure when creating the seal. There was too much speculation, that I would not risk. It would put Lucy in dange~" Jellal was cut off short when a fist connected with his jaw. He stumbled backwards and his back slammed into the window sill. He felt it crack beneath his weight.

"What the~?" Jellal was able to say before he looked up at the culprit who was already getting ready for a second hit.

"I don't believe a word that comes out of your filthy mouth," Natsu said as his fist came down for a second hit. Jellal reacted instantly throwing up a spell between himself and Natsu. A golden seal appeared in front of Natsu's fist and stopped the attack immediately sending sparks and flames across the room.

"How can we trust you when you refuse to be honest with us. What else are you hiding?" Natsu yelled as he tried to hit Jellal again, but the same barrier stopped his attack.

"That spell…" he heard Erza whisper and his eyes widened as he watched realization dawn across her face.

It seemed like time was slowing for Jellal as he watched Erza's deep brown eyes widen as she gazed at his eyes that she now recognized. He could hear Natsu faintly punch the barrier again, and hear Markarov beginning to shout. Jellal watched as Erza's surprised gaze turned blank. Something passing over her, stealing her expression into something he could not read. And in that second, he heard a voice calling out to him.

"Jellal it's Meredy. They've made their first move!"

Hello everyone!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Its a nice and long one to make up for the long absence I've taken. The reason I haven't been writing is because I have moved half way across the world.

Yes I have moved from my cozy home in Canada to Japan! Living in the place that I have always dreamed of visiting. I moved here a few months ago when I had the opportunity to become an assistant English language teacher. I now teach in two high schools and I am working very long hours. Most of my time is spent either planning lessons or trying to see as much as Japan as I can. So writing has obviously taken the back burner.

Although I do hope I can keep up on my writing! This chapter has been sitting half finished on my computer for months and I finally sat down and got to writing. Its not my best work since its been so long since I've written but I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things.

Well that's my little rant on my life situation. Sorry for the wait.

Feel free to PM me if you have questions, concerns, comments :)

Thanks everyone for sticking with the story!

~ Rapunzel3