Chapter 22:
Abi curled into a ball, trying to protect herself from the onslaught of kicks and curses. Terror and pain prohibited her form moving; she had never felt so powerless. Her body trembled and seized as magic coursed through her veins.
"Stupid little brat!" One of the men spat at her, and blasted her with a water construct. Abi wanted to run, but her body refused to move. The abuse continued as her body failed to recover… this was the end…
Suddenly, the kicks stopped. Abi heard the sound of a body collapsing on the ground. She lifted her head just in time to watch an arrow pierce the throat of the second mercenary. He choked on blood and fell to his knees, before collapsing on top of the quivering girl. Abi squealed in terror and tried to pull herself out from underneath from the dying man. The last mercenary looked around the woods, snarling at the shadows. "Where are you?" He screamed. "Come out you coward!"
A figure dropped down on top of the last man's shoulders and drove a knife through the base of the mercenary's scull. The young wizard choked out blood and crumpled to the ground. The savior landed deftly on his feet, pulled the blade out, and wiped the blood on his jacket by the time the mercenary hit the ground.
The young girl flushed with shame— she failed another one of her father's training lessons.
Abi trembled beneath the body of the second dead many, her body shaking with power. It was too much— her skin felt like it was about to burn off. She could barely lift her head up to look at the tall blonde man towering over her.
"Abi," Her father said sternly, sheathing his knife. "What do I tell you every time?"
He kicked the dead mercenary's body off of the young girl. Abi turned over on her stomach and tried to push herself upright. She managed to get to all-fours, but the physical exertion caused her body to seize up again. The child vomited in response, blood and physical ether-nano shining in the fowl contents. It was a few more moments of gasping and dry heaving before the young girl could respond. "Analyze… their… magic…capacity," She gasped, vision blurring in and out.
Her father folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. "And what did you do instead?"
"I- I tried to-," Abi's body seized again, and her arms gave way. She crashed down into the puddle of blood and vomit. The young girl winced and curled into a ball, fighting back tears of frustration and pain. The blond man's mouth curled in distaste.
"I'll answer for you. You were reckless and stupid. You tried to completely absorb those mercenary's magic without ever bothering to test the volume of their magic." He exhaled evenly, "Mistakes like that will kill you! Does your mother's sacrifice mean nothing to you?"
Abi bit her lip and tried not to cry. She couldn't show weakness. She couldn't disappoint her mother. Suddenly, her father's expression softened. He knelt down and brushed a strand of hair off of the young child's face.
"Abi," He said gently, "I can't protect you forever. One day, you're gonna be on your own with no one to look out for you. Mom's last wish was for me to teach you how to survive, to live by the Code." The child's teal eyes grew wide, listening to her father's every word. His soft expression stiffened, and he put his hand on his knee.
"And right now, you're too weak. If you don't get stronger, they're going to kill you, just like they murdered your mother."
The young girl whimpered and tried to sit up, "Dad, that's why I tried to absorb th-,"
"You know you'll incinerate yourself from the inside out if you absorb too much power at once," Her father snapped, his demeanor becoming cruel again. He stood up, not bothering to help his daughter out of the muck. "Listen to me, Abi. You are the last Praesidio alive. Know your limits and protect yourself above everyone else, do you understand?!"
.
"Do you even understand what I'm saying, child?"
The Praesidio's world twisted and suddenly she was sitting on top of a leather-bound chair, kicking her feet back and forth, her toes not quite able to touch the floor. A pudgy old man named Boris leaned against an old wooden desk, kept asking her stupid questions like her name and where she came from. Abi stared numbly at the ground, picking absent-mindedly at the fresh bandages around her thigh. The old man's thinning white hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and he wore a floral robe. His pale blue eyes regarded the silent girl cautiously, and he pursed his lips.
"Can you speak at all?" Abi stiffened at the question and felt a spark of anger. She looked up and glared at Boris. The insidious feeling of her power began to fill the room, and the old man sucked in a breath. His eyes narrowed slightly and he pressed his lips together, as though the young girl just confirmed a suspicion. The pudgy old sighed and looked over the disheveled wild girl.
"Alright, I guess you're speaking through that." He ran a hand over his thinning hair, "But your magic is a little… conspicuous, child."
"Stop calling me 'child!' I'm not a child!" Abi barked, her eyes turning white with rage. Boris's smile grew strained at the sensation of the little girl's magic. The guild master flicked his wrist, and the small wooden box on his desk flipped open. A faint teal glow emanated from inside. The Praesidio's eyes went wide with guarded curiosity. The old man reached inside and withdrew a circular jade amulet with a hole in the center. The teal charm glowed in the daylight, and Abi was filled with a desire to take it. Dad never let me have… things.
The old guild master extended his hand out to her. The feral child snatched the charm out of his hand, completely enraptured by its glow.
"Do you like it?" Boris asked, and Abi nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the charm in her hand. "Then it's yours."
The Praesidio looked up in surprise, and then distrust filled her blue eyes. She threw it at the wall. The necklace sparked at its collision, but Boris flicked his wrist and a breeze caught the jewelry before it hit the ground. The guild master raised an eyebrow and kept a patient, gentle tone, "This is an incredibly old, incredibly powerful amulet, child- er, girl."
The breeze pulled the necklace up and set it to rest on the arm of the chair. Abi moved away from it shyly, curling her forearms into her body. However, her eyes remained glued on the gleaming charm. "It masks magic power, which might be useful in your case."
Abi's eyes darted back to the old man. Boris ran a hand over his thinning hair and sighed. "I know you don't know me, but I do want to help you."
The dark skinned girl frowned and raised her eyebrows at him. Slowly, she moved her hand down to tentatively touch the charm. The round old man watched the feral child slowly became more confident. She snatched up the charm.
Boris pursed his lips and chose his next words carefully. "I'm told that you said repeatedly in your sleep that you needed to find 'it'. My dear, what are you looking for?"
Abi glared at the round man and remained silent. Her power extended a dark aura around her, making her appear quite demonic in the happy blue office. The short old man sighed and hopped up on the edge of the desk. "Look, I have a soft spot for troubled kids. But you need to give me something to work with. Your name, a parent…?"
Her unsettling power spiked again at the mention of a parent, and Boris's hands flew up, "Alright, alright, message received." He managed a dry smile, "Let's start with something simple, what about…" He paused, and looked up at the ceiling, "Favorite ice cream?"
Abi's wild eyebrows knit together with genuine confusion. "What's that?"
Boris's hands flew up to cover his mouth in horror. "You don't know what ice cream is? My god, I knew they found you in the woods, but I never thought you were raised this deprived!"
Anger flared in the young girl. The eight year old did not like being treated as though she didn't know something. Abi folded her arms and jutted her chin out with indignation, "I'm not deprived! My dad said—," Her voice wavered, and her wide eyes grew hot. She tried to stiffen her trembling lip, "My dad… he…"
Abi burst into tears, unable to complete her sentence. He's gone, the child realized. Boris's eyes softened and looked at the girl with pity. "Oh my dear. Let's get some ice-cream, there's close to nothing mint-chocolate chip can't help."
.
"No one's coming to help you," A voice sang after Abi.
Oxygen. There wasn't enough oxygen.
Abi gasped for oxygen that wasn't there. Her legs shook beneath her, threatening to give way as she ran, oh god, she ran. Abi's lungs burned. Smoke filled her lungs and seared through her body. Her muscles and bones burned as her eyes streamed tears that streaked down her blood soaked face. Her legs were awkwardly long and she tripped over branches and roots and rocks.
She couldn't see anything in the fire. The forest blazed with heat and animals ran in a panic, trying to escape the flames. Abi ran into the forest, into the fire. She knew they were looking for her. There was light up ahead… wood splintered and a fiery tree crashed in front of her. Heat blasted Abi's face and she coughed from the smoke. Anguish gripped her body. All her friends at Blue Phoenix, Master Boris, her home—Everything was gone.
"Come out, come out wherever you are!" The man's voice crooned in the distance. The teenage girl turned around, shielding her streaming eyes from the smoke. She could barely make out anything in the fire. Terror gripped Abi as she realized she was hopelessly lost. The teenager knew the only way to get out alive was to go deeper into the woods… but where was that? Her sense of direction was gone. Abi clambered over the fallen tree, burning her hands and feet. All she could do was run.
The laughter grew louder, and the explosions came closer. A rock imploded next to her feet, and Abi stumbled to the side. Her foot twisted on a root and a sharp pain laced up her leg. The teenager cried out and coughed in the smoke. Her eyesight swam with black dots. Her lungs burned and her throat felt charred from the smoke. The teenager glanced back to see a tall figure slowly following her through the fire. It was the wizard who blew up Blue Phoenix's guild hall. She tried to run, but when she put weight on her right ankle, her entire leg gave way. Abi crashed into the ground.
"I don't know why you keep running." A small explosion erupted next to her hand, and Abi yelped, trying to scramble upright. Tears, sweat, and blood kept getting in her eyes and her body trembled. She hadn't felt this scared in years. Not since the last time… She glanced back at the man, who calmly closed the distance between them. His sharp white teeth gleamed through the smoke and his yellow eyes glowed in the fire.
"We will always find you, little girl."
.
Abi woke up shivering on the floor of a damp, dirty cell. The Praesidio was drenched in a cold sweat, and she felt her heart hammering in her chest. She had been trapped in flashbacks and vivid dreams for what felt like eternity. This was the first time she'd punched through the fever dreams and come out conscious. I'm here… I'm here… she repeated in her mind, trying to calm her tight breath. But where was "here"? Was this another memory? Another dream?
It was very difficult for Abi to get her bearings face first on the floor. The Praesidio laid on grimy ground, head cranked to the side, arms awkwardly pulled behind her back. As she blinked her eyes open, her eyes struggled to adjust to the dim lighting. The first thing she became aware of was pain. Her body hurt in ways she didn't think was possible. It felt like every cell in her body felt like it had been surgically removed and put back in the wrong place. Abi wondered if someone took a blowtorch to her stomach. "You idiot," she imagined her father's voice reprimanding her, "You'll incinerate yourself from the inside out if you absorb too much power!" Abi groaned inwardly at her self-deprecating conversation and responded, Well, I had no idea Dragon Slayers were that strong.
At this moment, it certainly felt like her insides had been deep fried.
Abi tried to move her arms and found them tethered behind her back. Metal handcuffs— they had been on for a long time, too. A numbness spread from her fingertips down her arms and into her torso. The thief inhaled deeply, trying to gather her slow thoughts. The unmistakable rancid odor of dirty bodies, damp mold, and broken dreams filled her nostrils.
Ah, jail. That checked out.
As Abi truly woke up for the first time since her battle, and her mind slowly began to put the pieces together from past events. Even though the Praesidio wasn't sure how long she'd been out, but it felt like a long time. Her magic should have healed some of her wounds by now, but the bastards left her with magic suppression cuffs on.
Abi tried to sit up, but the movement required her to flex her core muscles. Her body screamed in protest and it felt like someone stabbed a knife in her abdomen. The Praesidio wiggled her arms and tried to move any part of her body— sit up, roll over, anything to get her out of this position— but all she could do was groan in pain. This was the end.
"You're here!" A feminine voice exclaimed, her voice echoing in Abi's brain. The blonde woman bit back a groan at the noise. She wasn't alone? Who was the Praesidio sentenced to an eternity in hell with?
"Boy am I glad to see you three! Now let me out!" Three people?
Someone else responded with a loud, "Shhhhhh!"
"You slept on this thing?" A young, adolescent boy demanded. Children?! The thief grit her teeth. What is this, a potluck? Her stomach grumbled at the thought of food.
"Hey guys!" The girl exclaimed happily. Abi knit her brows together, trying to look around. She was in jail, right? There were bars on her cell, so that checked out.
"I'm glad to see you guys are in good spirits." A familiar stern, woman's voice said warmly. Where do I know that voice?
Abi knit her eyebrows together. Her thoughts were slow, but she knew how to recognize a jail break when she heard one. The thief needed to get their attention, whoever it was… Which unfortunately meant she had to move. Abi's teal eyes hardened and she pressed her lips together. Her body still trembled from the magic energy it was forced to absorb. It was the worst hangover Abi had ever encountered. Like an alcoholic waking up from a rough night, the Praesidio swore to herself: I am never absorbing magic again.
She grit her teeth and slowly managed to roll herself over so her face was no longer in the dirt. The blonde woman sucked in a painful breath as she settled on top of her hands and surprisingly sensitive forearms. Abi closed her eyes and steeled her nerves. With a particular stabbing pain in her abdomen, she forced herself to sit up.
The cell was simple: thick, aged brick with mold growing up the side and thick, steel bars separating her from freedom. The lanterns casted shadows on the hallway, showing three figures crouched outside of the cell on her left.
"But how did you all get bast the guards?" The girl wondered.
"My natural charisma," A jagged voice responded smugly. Abi recognized that voice— Natsu Dragneel. Something tapped against the neighboring jail bars, and the sound echoed down the hall. The Dragon Slayer grunted as the air grew hotter and a gentle, warm light illuminated from the left cell. He's melting the bars, Abi realized. But who is Fairy Tail breaking out? How long have I been out?
Abi's fingers scanned the cuffs to the best of her ability, and found she could not feel where the lock was. "Perfect," She muttered under her breath and scooted back to slump against the wall. The thief needed to get out of this cell and she would absolutely need their help. Abi could already feel the impending migraine.
"Here! I brought a change of clothes for you!" A sweet, feminine voice exclaimed. Mirajane?
"Now all I need's a bath," The original girl said warmly, and she stepped out of her cell and onto the hallway. That must be Lucy, Abi realized.
"Yuck!" the young boy exclaimed said, sniffing her. "Yeah, you do."
"We brought extra food if you're hungry," A young girl offered. Her shadows showed she had her hair in two large pigtails— Wendy. The Wind Dragon Slayer offered a bag to Lucy.
"You want some, Yukino?" The boy asked as a second female wizard came out of the cell.
"I'm fine, thank you." 'Yukino' answered mildly.
Lucy withdrew a sheet from the bag and passed it to Mirajane and Wendy. The two women stepped back and obscured Lucy's shadow from Abi's view. The thief watched the group with interest, trying to best think of how to proceed. I don't know what Laxus told them.
"No peaking understand, Lily?" Mirajane teased, looking down at the cell.
"I wasn't gonna!" 'Lily' exclaimed with embarrassed outrage, even though his voice sounded like it belonged to a large, older man. Abi couldn't see his shadow, but three small, round figures emerged from the neighboring cell and they looked like… cats?
"Now we just need to figure a way out of this hell hole," The stern woman sighed.
"If possible, we should find a route that will keep us hidden from the castle's sentries." Lily mused, definitely a cat. He twitched his tail as he thought.
Here's my opportunity.
"I can do that," Abi answered them.
The wizards froze, and a few moments later, Lucy called out in a trembling voice: "Who's there?"
Yukino's brow furrowed and she said quickly, "Oh no— don't listen to her, you guys. She's an agent of Zeref."
Wendy yelped in fear and Lucy gasped. Natsu sniffed the air deeply, "'Agent of Zeref', huh?" He mused. "Let's see what they're made of!" He stomped over to the front of Abi's cell.
The Fire Dragon Slayer had his fists clenched and teeth gnashed together in a deranged smile. A small red fire burned in his dark eyes, and he grinned at the prospect of a fight. His black eyes scanned the top half of her cell, looking for the formidable foe. Natsu's eyebrows knit together in confusion as his gaze fell on Abi, who sat on the ground with her hands pinned behind her back. She wasn't the most impressive sight at the moment. Natsu expression became crestfallen.
"No way!" He exclaimed, once again his temper rising again. He slammed a fist against the cell door, and the metal grunted against the force. He wheeled around to look at Yukino with heartbroken eyes. "How am I supposed to fight her if she's all beaten up like that?"
"I'm not an agent of Zeref," Abi growled from her spot on the floor. "I'm just a thief." She exhaled, blowing some strands of pale blonde hair out of her face. She scooted back to lean her shoulders against the cell wall. "There's a difference," The Praesidio grimaced as her eyesight swam from the effort.
Abi could see everyone except Lucy, who was changing behind the sheet. Mirajane held one end of the fabric, and Wendy held the other. Yukino stood on the other side of Wendy, waiting for Lucy to finish changing. There were three cats walking around on their hind legs, one of which looked familiar. Carla. Abi realized those three voices— the young boy, the stern older woman, and the grouchy older man— must've belonged to those magical cats.
The thief made eye contact with Mirajane. Her eyes lit up in recognition, and her mouth opened in horror. "Abi?!" The busty woman gasped in surprise, almost dropping the sheet. Lucy squealed, "Hey!"
Mira's hands clenched the sheet tightly and she looked at the imprisoned blonde woman with confusion. "What's Yukino talking about? What happened to you?!"
The Praesidio glanced down at her bruised, exposed skin on her stomach. Judging from the soreness of her cheek when she talked, her face probably looked worse. She smiled widely at Mirajane, and the effect was grotesque. Wendy, who held the other end of the sheet, whimpered in fear. Natsu bristled and stepped into a fighting stance, heat building at his fists. The white haired woman winced and her eyes filled genuine concern.
Abi bit back the bile of bitterness and jealousy rising in her stomach— stop being so nice, Mira.
"Guess," The thief replied dryly.
"Laxus turned her in," Yukino answered softly. Mira's eyebrows shot up, head turning to look at the ex-soldier. "When!?"
"Last night, only hours before Lucy and I were arrested."
So I've been out for a full day, the thief pieced together. Wendy kept staring at Abi, with wide brown eyes and a slightly open mouth. Her nose scrunched up, like she was sniffing the air.
"Why would he do that?" Mira asked softly, glancing back at Abi, "I could've sworn he-,"
"I know you," Wendy uncharacteristically interrupted, her small fists tightening in the sheet. "How do I know you?"
The white cat took a couple steps to put her short body between the blue haired girl and Abi. Carla put her hands on her hips, glared at Abi, and spun around to look at Wendy. "What are you talking about, child?"
"This girl smells familiar!" Wendy insisted.
"Laxus did bring her to the games a couple days ago," Mirajane offered, glancing back at Abi again. "Oh yeah, you're Laxus's girlfriend," Natsu stared blankly at the blonde woman. "Wait… why are you here?"
"Natsu!" Lucy barked, raising her head above the sheet to glare at her pink-haired guildmate, "Yukino just said she was working for Zeref."
"Oh, yeah," Natsu grinned, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Abi sighed, wishing to the gods she could pinch her nose right now. Instead, she exhaled again and tilted her head back. After she got out of this prison, she was never interacting with Fairy Tail again.
Yukino dipped her head and folded her hands over one another. The white haired soldier stared at the ground as she said, "Abi stole the power source for the Eclipse Gate to stop our plan to eliminate Zeref. I'm told she's part of an ancient group who worships the dark wizard."
Natsu flared with fire at Yukino's words, and Abi exhaled slowly, trying to keep the smile from her face. Too easy. The Praesidio focused on the soft-spoken, white haired Celestial Mage in the solders's uniform. She's one of the soldiers who arrested me. Abi's teal eyes studied the woman critically. "Considering you're in prison too, sweetheart, something tells me your bosses aren't too good at judging people." Yukino opened her mouth to protest, but Abi cut her off, sweeping her gaze over the group. "Yeah, I stole that lacrima. But I'm just a thief, it's what I do," The blonde woman shrugged with only minor stabbing pan. Her teal eyes darted between the two Dragon Slayers, wondering if they could hear her heartbeat like Laxus. "But I don't worship Zeref, and I haven't done anything to warrant this."
The group exchanged glances. Lucy poked her head up over the sheet again; she finally finished dressing herself. "I mean, they didn't have any reason to imprison me or Yukino."
Mirajane nodded, but she looked unconvinced as she and Wendy folded up the sheet. Her soft blue eyes regarded Abi cautiously, "But why would Laxus turn her in?"
The Praesidio fought the urge to scowl and made her teal eyes gloss over with tears. "I don't know," Abi lied, turning away to study the cell floor.
Yukino and the Fairy Tail members exchanged another set of glances. Unfortunately, before anyone could make a decision about Abi's fate, the hallway floor rumbled and fell away. The Fairy Tail members screamed as their footing disappeared, and they tumbled into darkness.
Abi's mouth gaped open in disbelief as her only possibility of escape slipped into an abyss. The floor folded back up a moment later, as if nothing had happened. The Praesidio groaned and looked up at the ceiling, wondering how she had such bad luck. "Are you kidding me?"
The Dragons are coming!