Yes, I know, it's been too long, I'm sorry, happy new year, plz don't hate me. I'm tryin

(Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail)

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Chapter 37: Our Glory Days – Part 4

Eight years ago

Kuchiha Rikugou

16 years old.

After the first time meeting Ravin after school, we started something which would last for at least the next six years. We would meet in the alleyway and make our way to the park, which was a bit on the outside of town. Here, in the shadows of the trees, we would practice.

I would lay down on the ground and Ravin would start talking. He would always talk about 'the truth', and then I'd fall asleep. Or rather; I'd wake up. Each time we did this, I was able to stay on the other side a little longer. I would also observe more with every of the five senses; soon I was able to open my eyes for a few seconds. I would always see these weird lights, sometimes shadows. I assumed I lay in some hospital or something, because it smelled like it. Ravin said it could be something along those lines.

Although we spend an hour every day together, Ravin never let any information slip about himself. I had no idea where he came from (yeah, from the other side, of course, but no specifics), if he had any family, what his hobby's where or his favourite book to read. But despite not knowing anything about him, I still didn't mind spending time with him. It took us some time to warm up to one another, but soon we could joke around together. Despite not being from here, Ravin could laugh about the jokes I told him, and when he didn't understand something in the story he would ask. I was kind of excited to tell him all the things I knew, and often said we just had to go to town together, because I knew where all the right shops were.

"I don't think your mother will appreciate that" he'd said. We sat in the shadows of the trees again, after practice. I leaned against the wood and shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't care, she's not my mother anyway, right?"

After Ravin had told me the truth, I started to see everything around me differently and cared less about what other people thought. The words my 'mother' spat at me didn't hurt any longer and the bad grades I got in school were nothing but stupid numbers without any meaning.

Still, Ravin somehow looked worried about that. "You sure you feel that way?"

I nodded. And then I started crying, because I was scared. I couldn't keep that idea up for long, but I knew that deep down that was really how I felt. She wasn't my mother. These people around me weren't my friends.

"I'm sorry" I'd sobbed. Ravin just grinned.

"That's alright. I still think you're doing great so far."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, not everybody takes the news that everything and everyone they know is fake as well as you do."

That was before everything started changing, because whomever had me trapped inside the illusion found out something was wrong. Ravin said that whenever we were together in bright daylight, they were able to see us. In the shadows, those chances were smaller. It wasn't completely safe.

I knew it the moment I saw Ravin wasn't in class. He'd made himself become part of the illusion, so there was no way he could've gotten sick. He wasn't able to get sick.

The entire day I was either looking at the school gates, the classroom door, or his table, hoping that he'd magically appear somehow. I was also looking at the clock, wishing this stupid school day illusion would soon be over. At some point, I just had enough of it. All of it wasn't even real, right?

"Mister Gerard? Can I go to the restroom?"

I ran away through the front gate. I didn't care if anyone saw me. Something was wrong and I needed to find out what.

I had no idea where to look. I could go up to the wooden house on top of the hill, but that would be too obvious. I went to our spot at the park, but he wasn't there either. I ran around town, felt my legs getting sour, but I couldn't stop looking. At some point, I bumped my toe against an uneven stone in the pavement and fell flat down on my face. I had no time to feel pain. Ravin was gone. My friend, my only friend, my only real friend.

It was getting dark, which meant my illusion mother would send my illusion father out to look for me, if she hadn't already heard from school that I ran away.

Some of the villagers called my name when I passed them, but I tried to ignore it. I was afraid that if I stopped I would get sucked back asleep, while all the time I'd tried so hard to wake up.

Eventually, when the moon had already been up for a couple hours, I fell down near the fountain on the town square. I felt like crying. It was as if all the hard work we'd put in had all been for nothing.

"Kuchiha?"

I looked up from the uneven stones of the town square. A shadow stood before me. Some guy, little taller than me, messy haircut, sharp nose.

"Where the hell have you been?!"

I rose to my feet, and immediately fell down again. Ravin was able to catch me just before I hit the ground, but I did scrape my knees. It was then that I noticed my toes were bleeding.

"What the hell happened to you?" was all Ravin could ask as he carefully helped me to sit down.

"You were gone. That's what happened."

In the light of the moon I could see his dark eyes widen. "Seriously?"

"What do you mean, 'seriously'? You weren't in class, you weren't anywhere!"

"Yeah, I get that, but…" He scratched behind his ear, as if he couldn't find the words to explain it. "I had to fill in a status report to my bosses. I do this every now and then…but you never notice."

"What?"

Ravin nodded. "Yeah. Crazy. But this is a good thing. It means you're setting loose from this world."

I threw my head back and sighed. My breathing shook. I was starting to feel the pain in my feet. Real pain.

"Are you OK?" Ravin's voice seemed to come from far away. I felt I was slipping away.

"My feet…" I said.

"We're almost there."

"That's cool and all…but promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Don't leave like that ever again."

I forgot to ask what the report was about.

Six years ago

Kuchiha Rikugou

18 years old

As we continued to practiced, I was able to feel more and more pain. Ravin said those came from 'the other side'. The people that captured me here were doing things to me there. Basically, I was living inside a nightmare. All the more reason to wake up.

My fake parents didn't believe me when I told them about the pain. I would literally be bleeding from every hole in my face and they still forced me to go to school. They were programmed to be like that. They didn't see me at all.

When I told Ravin about this, he said he would look if there was anything he could do, but his bosses were as cold as ice. They couldn't (or wouldn't ) help me any further. I had to do it on my own.

All of that was happening on the background, because I was still in high school. And prom night was coming up. Ever since Ravin stepped into my life, I stopped caring. I had no other friends, my grades were terribly low and I ignored my fake parents entirely, especially after they didn't seem to care either (see previous paragraph).

Ravin, on the other hand, seemed to care a lot about my 'high school experience'. One afternoon, after we were done practicing (I was able to sit up straight in the hospital bed, but barely saw anything) Ravin brought it up once again.

"You going to prom?"

I had shrugged. "I told you; I'm not."

I rubbed over my knees, which started hurting since the night before. I felt like an old lady.

"I'll be willing to go with you, if you want?"

I tried my best not to feel flattered, but there was no denying it: it was very cute. "No thank you."

Ravin sighed. "Oh well. That's a shame. I'd just gotten an arrangement done with my bosses."

I frowned. "What? When?"

"Last night. They might be able to help you with your pain."

It shocked me so much I could barely breathe. "For real?"

Ravin nodded. "Yup." He reached behind him to his back pack. "And I got it right here."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Give it to me."

Ravin grinned, a teasingly grin. He barely ever grinned. "Promise me you'll go to prom with me."

"Seriously? You're going to use my pain to black mail me?!"

Ravin kept his mouth shut and just kept looking. I was too tired to get angry, so I said yes.

"Great! I'll pick you up at eight. And don't worry, I was gonna give it to you anyway."

And so it came to be that Ravin knocked on the door of my parent's house on Friday at eight o'clock precisely. My fake mother gave me some weird looks when Ravin entered, but I thought he looked alright. He had his long hair put in some kind of low bun, which made him look older. He wore a black suit with a tie, and he almost seemed alien to me. I was used to seeing him in his school uniform, or otherwise his baggy clothes. This suit showed that he had more muscle than I first thought. Wide shoulders, thick upper arms.

He looked amazing. I didn't. I wore this old dress I found lying around somewhere in the attic. Even my fake mother didn't seem to recognize it. It had this weird blue colour, as if someone dripped tea all over it. I put my hair in this weird braid over my shoulder. I'd stolen some mascara from my mother's cabinet. I'd never worn makeup and I had to keep reminding myself not to rub my eyes.

Ravin had given me the medicine for my pain. It would last only for tonight, and when it wore out the pain would probably be twice as much. But at least I would be able to sleep. And maybe have a good time at prom.

The medicine was this weird looking brown liquid. It smelled like dirt and tasted like how I always imagined grass would. I felt free after it kicked in.

"You look great" Ravin said, because that's what you're supposed to say to your date when you go pick her up.

We said goodbye to my fake parents, who didn't even take a fake picture. It wasn't a cold night, but we still walked close to one another. I kept staring at my feet, which felt so weird. As if I was walking around with cushions in my shoes.

"Feeling alright?" Ravin asked eventually. I looked up, and my face felt weird. I was smiling.

"I feel awesome. I feel like….running. Come on, we'll run."

"But….you'll get all sweaty and your dress might get ripped-"

"I don't care!" I let go of Ravin's arm and kicked off my shoes. I never felt more alive in this stupid fake world. I jumped around the fountain on the town square, sang songs as if I was drunk, danced.

Eventually, Ravin joined in on the fun. He took my hands and spun me around like a plush toy. I felt awesome. I tripped over my own feet, and like always, Ravin was there to catch me.

"What the hell was in that drink?" I asked him. He grinned.

"I don't know. But we better hurry up, otherwise we'll miss the dance."