"At this time would each team please select one member for the contest. Once the selection is made the rules of Hidden will be explained." Shiny Hair said, and Ashima kind of wanted to be the one who went out there - it was called Hidden. And part of her job was basically a very dangerous version of hide and seek. Yet there was another part of her that did not want to go into the first contest. Her instincts and training telling her to wait and be able to truly get a read on their opponents.
"The first challenger has stepped forwards. Representing Quatro Cerberus is Jager." The takeover mage looked at the large, white-haired male in disinterest. She has already established, that none of their team members would be exceptionally hard to be rid of.
"From Mermaid Heel, the adorable Beth Vanderwood." Well she is adorable. Ashima thought blandly, noting nothing of importance about Beth.
"From Raven Tail, Nalpudding." Ashima fought against the spike in her ire. He was strong though, not as strong as some of her team mates, but he would not go down easily in a fight. And that only served to irritate the tall woman even further. They should be nothing but dirt beneath her boot.
"Blue Pegasus has got Eve Tilm. You gotta love those lively cheers." So that was what that child's name was. In all honesty, how old was he?
"Keep your eyes on this one folks. From Sabertooth, the minstrel that sings to the new moon: Rufus Lore." Now he was strong and tricky. Rufus wasn't just all brawn, he had brain as well, and that made him a fierce competitor. Ashima would definitely be keeping an eye on him.
"They are going nuts for the pretty boy? I don't get it." Natsu scoffed as cheers roared around them for Rufus. Ashima silently agreed, she couldn't really see his appeal as a partner, if she was truthful. As an opponent, yes. As something romantic or physical, no.
"Whatever the rules, I'm sure the name is a clue. I have a feeling there's something guile will be central to win." Erza said to Lucy.
"If only Wendy weren't so out of it. She'd be perfect." The blonde frowned, looking down while Ashima felt a slight irritation for being forgotten. The tall mage, shook it off, letting it slide. It doesn't matter now. What they needed was to pick someone to compete, and Ashima had decided she wasn't going to, so that she could observe.
"From Lamia Scale, Lyon Vastia."
"Yeah? Well in that case, I got this one. I've been itching to see what this tournament is all about." Gray said, stepping forward and being announced by Shiny Hair.
"From Fairy Tail Team B is Juvia Lockser." The tall takeover mage shook her head in amusement, at the water mage. Should have seen that one coming. "The competitors have been chosen and the long wait is finally over. Make sure you are glued to your seat, cause you are not gonna want to miss, a single nail-bitting minute of Hidden!"
"Now would each participating member please step forward?!" The little pumpkin man asked, and they sent of Gray off with threats of encouragements, before retreating to the edge of the arena. Ashima watched the group of participating members interact with each other and frowns. Which was promptly lost when an entire town started to manifest within the arena. The participates being scattered around the town.
"Speaking of easy, here are the rules of the game: all the players are hiding and seeking at the same time! The main objective is to locate the other players, and then strike them down with any magic at all! The competitor who delivers the attack, whether it cause damage or not, will score 1 point!" Just then clones of all the competitors start manifesting within the arena. Filling it with hundreds of each person. "These are copies of all of you. Should you mistakenly attack a copy, you'll lose 1 point! Now then. Vanish into the silence, like a black cat lurking in the darkness of the night! Let Hidden begin!"
Perhaps it would have been better if Ashima had stepped up and taken place in this game. But now is not the time for regrets, the best Ashima can do now is put her faith into her teammate and believe he will come out victorious. Here is how the first event of the Grand Magic Games went:
As the participants of the game go wandering around, looking for each other, Juvia becomes overexcited being surrounded by so many Gray clones. She ends up hugging one - which is counted as an "attack" (Ashima rolls her eyes at the announcement) - and is reset with a negative point.
Gray is quick to run into Nulpudding and attack, however the true Nulpudding was hiding behind the clone that Gray had attacked. Causing the ice mage to have to reset with a negative point. While part of Ashima wished to be angry at the deceitful tactic, she genuinely couldn't though. For it was clever in using the local resources and turning a disadvantage into an advantage. Truthfully, Ashima probably would've done the same.
Other participants are quick to recognize this strategy and they blend into the clone crowd. Leaving the audience and commentators confused and lost on where the true participants were. Even Ashima struggled to locate them. As she could not see auras through the lacrima screens and could only vaguely sense those competing. It would be easier if she were in the arena with them.
They don't have to wait long though for some action. As Nulpudding finds Gray, who breaks of his disguise for whatever reason, and is promptly and brutally attacked by the Raven Tail mage. Leaving Fairy Tail Team A with -2 points and giving Raven Tail their first point.
There's an interlude where everyone is hidden within the crowd searching for each other; with the exception of Nulpudding. The bastard kept repeatedly going after Gray relentlessly. It got to the point where Ashima was scowling darkly at the lacrima screens every time it was shown. Arms crossed tightly under her chest as she leaned against the banister. Barely listening to the commentars go on about ways of scouting out the other participants.
In between various attacks from Nulpudding, Gray was wandering about and jsut barely was able to dodge an attack from a hidden Beth Vanderwood. Before he could reciprocate the attack, Jager from Quatro Cerberus got to her first. He too though was quickly attack and reset by Lyon, allowing the two ice mages to come face-to-face. However a third party is quickly introduced as Lyon is stunned and left open as Juvia appears from above them and lands on Lyon, causing him to reset. Subsequently it is then revealed that Master Makarov made a deal with Team B, that if they won they would be able to do whatever they wished with Team A. The opposite holding true as while.
The ridiculousness that came from hearing that and the schemes that were thrown around by her teammates caused the tension that had built up in Ashima's shoulders to loosen enough for her to breath out a small chuckle. Shaking her head in exasperated fondness, Ashima uncrossed her arms and laid a hand on the warm concrete of the banister. Her relief wouldn't last long as the fight attracted Nulpudding's attention and as Gray and Juvia were talking, they were both attacked by the purple mage. Ashima's jaw clenched in frustation as her guildmates were reset and Raven Tail earned two more points off of Fairy Tail.
Out of no where snow starting falling inside the arena, causing Ashima to blink hard in confusion. Attention turning to the Lacrima Vision where it showed Eve Tilm explaining how the cold wouldn't be able to affect the clones, revealing the true mages by showing the breath clouds they'll make. Ashima had to hand it to him as that was a creative tactic, and a worthwhile one as it earned him points off of Mermaid Heel, Quatro Cerberus and Raven Tail. Yet, Ashima saw one downside to such a tactic - there were two ice-make mages currently competing. They wouldn't be affected the by spell.
Lyon demonstrated as much when he engages Eve in a fight. While battles spark around the arena, Ashima notices that she has seen every participant except for one: Rufus Lore from Sabertooth. Ashima got caught up in Nulpudding constantly focusing his attacks on Gray, that she forgot about someone from an opposing team. She chastised herself as the lacrima vision finally spotted Rufus.
Ashima felt no delight upon hearing Rufus lord over the arena. Stating that it was all too easy for him. Still when he unleashed his memory-make spell, hitting all but one opponent, Ashima was forced to feel a bit of respect. Maker's magic is particularly uncommon, but Memory-Make has been a lost magic since the time of Zeref. To see it so well mastered in this age, Ashima couldn't help but acknowledge the Sabertooth mage's skill.
The end of the event came swiftly afterwards, with Nulpudding attacking a 'memory' of Rufus, being reset, yet still managing to snatch one last point off of Gray at the very last second.
They meet Gray at the entrance as the rankings are being announced - Sabertooth in first, followed by Raven Tail, Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel and Quatro Cerberus. Leaving Fairy Tail Team B and Team A dead last. The audience ridiculed them harshly, almost unfairly, it enraged Natsu, forcing Erza to calm him down before he did anything rash.
"I'm sorry for that shit-excuse of a performance." Gray says, body lined with tension and head hanging, unable to meet any of their eyes.
Lucy being the sweetheart that she is, tries to console him. "It's only the first day, there's plenty of time to get more points. There are still the battles later." Gray can only give a curt nod before he pushes forward past them, deeper into the stadium. Lucy looks at him, lip worried between her teeth, Ashima could tell that she wanted to say more to the ice mage, but the takeover mage placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. Shaking her head when Lucy looked up at her in question.
Still, there was a large part of Ashima that wished she had stepped forward for the event, so that she could've allowed Team A to start on a better foot. Ashima just shook away those thoughts and tried to focus on the upcoming battles.
The first battle was Lucy going against Flare from Raven Tail. Ashima's gut twists and turns uncomfortably as the rules are announced. A horrible feeling swirling around within her as the two women come face to face in the arena. The takeover mage does not doubt her teammate's abilities; she could feel her increase in power after the 3 month training period, but still... Her opponent is a member of Raven Tail, and Ashima has no doubt that they might try something underhanded once again to put Fairy Tail down. First with Wendy, then with Gray, Ashima can only pray to her gods that they are unsuccessful and put her faith in Lucy's abilities.
The battle begins and Lucy is the first to attack. By first calling out Taurus and having him slash at flare, only for her to jump out of the way. Lucy is quick to follow up with summoning Scorpio and having him send a blast of sand at the redhead. Flare manipulates her crimson hair into a shield against the attack, but Lucy isn't deterred at all and has Taurus use Scorpio's sand in a combined attack that sends Flare up high into the air.
Ashima feels some of the tension leave her body at witnessing how far along Lucy has come with her spirits and her innate magical abilities. Celestial Spirit magic is extraordinarily rare in Enca and the surrounding countries. It's most common up here in the North part of the continent, but Ashima has still heard tales of it from the D'Awn and her father. She even read up on it once she became part of Fairy Tail. From what she could tell, being able to handle multiple golden gates is an extremely rare ability, that takes massive amounts of magic to sustain. And Lucy is doing it like it is nothing at all.
Pride in her comrade, swelled with Ashima's breast as her teammates and guildmates were cheering loudly for the blonde that was handling her own against a fierce opponent from an enemy guild.
There's no time to dwell on sentimentalities as Flare sends a wolf made of hair down to Lucy while midair. The blonde summons Cancer and has him effortlessly cut down the attack, leaving Flare enraged and slightly shook. The redhead sends her hair underground, causing Ashima to leave forward in confusion and worry. Her stomach tightens as the red hair bursts from the ground, wrapping around Lucy's ankles and sending her into the air.
From besides her, Natsu and Erza call out to Lucy as Ashima's jaw clenches. Then Lucy is slammed back down to the ground; she quickly rises back to her feet and pulls out her own magical whip, flicking it out and wrapping around Flare's wrist. They pull at each other that send them spinning into the air, before falling back to the ground, Lucy being the first to recover to her feet. Standing confidently above her opponent, making Ashima subconsciously wonder why she was even so worried in the first place.
But she ate those words quickly as Flare enrages sends her hair underground, and for a moment nothing happens. Ashima is watching so closely and intensely that she noticed Lucy look over to the Fairy Tail observation deck, a look of horror flashing on her face. Ashima turned her head to look at what Lucy was seeing, but before her eyes could glance over, her attention was snapped back to the fight as Flare wrapped her hair around Lucy's mouth and whipped her around, slamming the blonde into the ground.
Flare sends a frenzy of whip like attacks upon Lucy with her hair, and Ashima feels her ire rise, but her worry outmatches it as her stomach twists hard. Around them everyone is wondering how the match so quickly flipped on its side and became so one sided. The question prompted Ashima to remember Lucy looking over at the Fairy Tail observation deck. The takeover mage forced her eyes away from the one-sided beat down and look over at her guildmates, trying to figure out what prompted Lucy to stop fighting.
Then she saw a wisp of a dark bloody red twitch and slither next to Asuka. Tanzanite eyes widen then narrow, as Ashima hopped up on the concrete banister and dashed over to the guild's deck. Swooping in and destroying the lock of magic hair as Flare got dangerously close to branding the Raven Tail mark over Lucy's guild mark. Ashima opened her mouth, and her voice boomed from her chest.
"Asuka is safe, Lucy. Destroy her." Ashima brought her thumb across her throat and then point it down, a small, yet vicious grin on the takeover mage's face.
Without a second thought, Lucy is able to summon Gemini without hold her keys and has the twin spirits cut her free of Flare while she is distracted. Knocking the redhead down to the ground, as Lucy forces herself back onto her feet, giving her spirits a command. They seem hesitant about it, but then they transform into Lucy, except it was the last time they copied Lucy, meaning it was Lucy in a towel and nothing else. Ashima suppresses the urge to face palm as the male population goes crazy over this new development.
Gemini Lucy and Lucy clasp hands and lean their foreheads against each other, Ashima could feel the build of magic power as they began to recite the incantation.
"Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens...
All the stars, far and wide...
Show me thy appearance...
With such shine...
Oh Tetrabibilos...
I am the ruler of the stars...
Aspect become compete...
Open thy malevolent gate.
Oh 88 stars of the heaven...
Shine!
Urano Metria!"
Ashima feels every single hair on her body stand on edge as the spell floods the stadium turning the sky into the night time galaxy. Dozens upon dozens of planets appear glowing brighter as Ashima felt her sigils throb in time with the pulses of magic given off by the spell. Then all at once the magic is gone and spell collapses and shatters.
For a moment everyone is shocked silent, no one understanding what just happened, even Ashima. But then recognition hits the takeover mage like a ton of bricks, and she feels an uncheckable swell of anger rush through her. The concrete edge that she had been unconsciously holding onto, shattered under her grip, as Lucy collapses and Flare is declared the winner of the first battle.
Natsu is the first to move to Lucy. Ashima bit down on her lip hard enough to make it bleed as she forced herself away from the banister, slowly making her way towards the Fairy Tail infirmary. Where she knows for a fact, is the place Natsu is taking Lucy. Ashima takes her time, to make sure that her anger, which has been flashing out of control today, is back under its tight wraps.
Not far from the infirmary, Ashima runs into Mira. The two takeover ages silently share a dark, agreeing look. Raven Tail with pay for the atrocities they have brought upon them.
Nodding to each other, Ashima heads in first and gives Lucy a tight lipped smile as she sits down next to her. No words are passed between the two mages, Ashima could feel the guilt and shame that hung heavy on Lucy's shoulders. And while that might've caused Ashima to anger more, right now seeing how badly her friend was beaten up, Ashima couldn't find it in herself to be angry at the moment.
So she gently took Lucy's hands, which are more calloused then one may think, and leans her forehead against the blonde's. Arael's magic came bubbling up, causing Ashima's hands to glow a soft, gentle green. Lucy sighed, tension leaving her shoulders, as Ashima eased her aches and pains.
Ashima leaned back after she finished healing Lucy, but she didn't let go of her hands. It was quiet for a moment, before Ashima spoke up.
"That was an amazing spell, perhaps when you feel better, you could tell me more." She offered softly, with an equally soft smile and Lucy's face lit up. Expression painted with gratitude. Then there was a soft knock on the door and Mira appeared, Ashima gave Lucy's hands a soft squeeze, before standing up.
"Heal well." She said as Mira came to take her place next to her girlfriend.
"Thank you Ashima." The tall takeover mage simply nodded to the blonde before silently slipping out of the room, leaving the couple to their own devices. A flash of dark curly hair and dark golden eyes appeared before her, but Ashima pushed away the memory before it could overtake her. Forcing herself forward and returning back to their team's deck in time for the third battle to begin. It was between Sabertooth's Olga and Quatro Cerberus's Warcry.
Olga, as it turns out, was a lightning godslayer. It caused Ashima to raise an eyebrow, and turn towards Laxus as Warcry was wheeled out of the arena. Completely devastated after one hit from the godslayer. She could just barely sense the intrigue that came from the tall blond, as he stood unwavering in his team's deck.
The last battle of the day was Mystogon - Jellal? - from Fairy Tail Team B versus Jura Neekis from Lamia Scale. Ashima didn't know much of either mage, but she could tell they were both incredibly strong. They were on par with each other, although the Wizard Saint Jura definitely had a more imposing aura about him while this other fellow, wore his like his cape. Ashima could not tell who would win.
Jellal, who is a criminal disguised a the member Mystogon, is trying to use a different type of magic, and is just able to dodge the Wizard Saint's attacks. Erza finally fills Ashima in as the battle rages on. The redhead begins to trail off though, as Jellal starts to use his true Heavenly Body magic, however before he could get too far and truly expose himself, he suddenly breaks down. Acting as if he is horribly tickled.
Confused, the winner of the battle is announced to be Jura once Jellal is nothing but a puddle on the floor. The crowd erupts into the cheers, despite the odd happenings, and Ashima somehow catches Laxus's gaze and they share a look of exasperation.
-x-x-x-x-
By the time the Games are done for the day, its about mid afternoon, so the guild gathers up at a local pub and after a rousing speech from the Master, Fairy Tail parties the way only Fairy Tail can. Yet Ashima can't quite get into the festive spirit, not when Wendy and Carla are still too unwell to join and Lucy still looks exhausted from earlier.
The tall takeover mage hangs back, nursing a tumbler of whiskey as she silently observes her guildmates. Rivals while in the stadium, that all dissipates while in the pub. The rivalry turning much more friendly instead of serious, as the booze continues to flow freely.
Ashima had gotten through a bottle of whiskey and was on her second one before deciding to go through with some questions that have been lingering on her mind for the past week about. So she gracefully stands up from her little corner of the bar and goes over to the table that Laxus and the Thunder Legion have claimed as theirs for the night.
"I need to borrow Bickslow." She stated simply, as she stood at the head of their table. Laxus looked at her for a moment, with an unreadable expression, Ashima meeting his gaze head on, before grunting his indifference as he took a swig of his beer. His friends give his odd looks, before turning back to the stone faced foreigner.
"What do you need me for?" Bickslow asked, even as he was standing up. Ashima turned her purple-blue eyes over to him, shrugging a bit.
"I have some questions, you have the expertise that I need." Was all she offered. Curious cat that he is, Bickslow followed Ashima back to her little corner of the bar, wondering what it might be that she wanted from him. The only time they have interacted with when she healed him on Tenrou after Grimore Heart attacked him. Even then they barely said a word to each other. They did have a couple things in common, though. Such as both being foreigners. While Bickslow was from Bosco, he had been in Fiore long enough that he has lost his accent. And Ashima is still relatively new to the country, despite the citizenship she now holds.
Still though, he has no clue what she could want from him.
"Kei te mohio koe ki a Encian?" She asks and Bickslow didn't understand what she was saying, but he figured out what she wanted. At least partially.
"Ou te le iloa Encian, ae oute iloa Minstrellian i Saute." He offered the southern most language that he knew - Southern Minstrellian. A slow, genuine smile crept up on Ashima as she turned the words over in her head. She nodded, relaxing a bit into her seat. Bickslow saw a peek of her soul among her takeover souls, and saw a one of the deep breaks within it, glow and shrink a little. Healing just a bit.
"Sa i ai sau fesili, a ea?" Bickslow pulled Ashima out her internal musings and she nodded again, replying in South Minstrelli.
"Yes, I wanted to know if its possible to strangle to soul. And if so, how do I do that?" She says in all seriousness, shocking Bickslow, but he notices the gleam of mischief in her dark eyes. Bickslow leaned back against the bartop, shaking his head as chuckled softly.
Ashima pouted as his laughter grew into cackling, "It isn't funny, you don't know how annoying Arael can be!" While Ashima would never whine, her tone did border on the edge of whining. Hearing such a tone from the mysterious mage, made Bickslow realize that Ashima is as human as they were.
She is all that she seems; there is no doubting that she is the powerful, ethereal warrior she comes off to be, but she is also able to be just as petty and immature as the rest of them. For some reason, that made Ashima feel all the more surreal.
Bickslow cut down on his laughter, but couldn't (wouldn't) wipe the giant grin on his face. Tongue lolling out in his signature grin.
The conversation continued on as the alcohol steadily kept coming their way. The two foreigners bonded rather quickly as they happily chatted away in a language only they understood. While South Minstrelli was not Encian, it was close enough and she had enough memories of speaking it with her countryfolk that it brought a wave of comfort to Ashima. A gentle type of nostalgia, that warmed her up from the soul. Not unlike how alcohol warms the body from the belly. Both sat with her pleasantly throughout the evening.
As Ashima and Bickslow traded stories of the countries they respectively grew up in, Laxus discreetly watched them. Bruting and sulking in his corner, hating how petty the jealousy he was feeling at how his best friend was able to make the takeover mage laugh and smile so freely. It distinctly warred against the feeling of relief that he felt, knowing that she was able to be this relaxed and happy. Especially after what he has witnessed both on Tenrou and early that morning. Still he felt like a child, so the lightning dragon slayer, decided to throw it in early and head back to his inn.
It still bugged him though; why he was feeling as he was - it wasn't as if he and Ashima had any kind of special relationship. They were guildmates, she happened to save his ass once, and he lent her his coat once. But that's what guildmates do - they help each other out. Nothing special. Truth be told, it hurt more than he cared for thinking that there was nothing special. Which was ridiculous! Especially when you add in how jealous Laxus got, seeing Bickslow around Ashima, making her laugh and smile like he had.
He wasn't even flirting with her either! Laxus had seen Bickslow flirt with dozens of women and men alike before and not once did he do anything that be might be considered flirting with Ashima. He was just being genuinely friendly with the fellow foreigner. And for some reason that makes Laxus more frustrated. And why did Ashima want to talk to Bickslow anyway? And why in another language?
Laxus stewed in his thoughts the entire way back to his inn, annoyed and confused and above all frustrated.
-x-x-x-x-
Back at the pub, Ashima and Bickslow were comparing their cultures to Fiorian culture, and the different types of culture shocks they've gone through, when someone from a different guild rolls up to challenge Cana in a drinking contest.
"He's already drunk, Cana will win." Bickslow stated, but Ashima hummed her disagreement. Carefully looking over his aura, something told her differently.
"I don't know Bickslow, his aura is the color of wine. Something tells me that we just might see someone finally drink Cana under the table." The Seith mage looks at her incredulously. But something else caught his attention.
"His aura? You can see auras?" Ashima is silent a moment, she's never really told anyone about her being able to see auras. It was something she just kind of kept to herself, but with the amount of alcohol she consumed, plus how comfortable she allowed herself to become around Bickslow; it just came out. Thinking it over, though, Ashima didn't see the harm in telling Bickslow. If anyone would understand it would be someone who could see souls.
"Yes. Although I know it is different seeing souls. Or at least that's what I've noticed." She stated after taking a mouthful of the rum they were currently sharing. Bickslow hummed in thought to himself and his babies floating sluggishly around him. One came to rest atop her head, then a moment later another landed on her lap. Ashima barely blinked as the other three followed stride and placed themselves on her shoulder. One even nuzzled itself into Ashima's ample bosom.
The tipsy mage cracked a smile as she gently held the totem against her, their master watching her very carefully as they settled in against her. A genuine smile, not a grin or smirk, but a soft smile appeared on the seith mage's face. He had taken off his visor about an hour back, so he could clearly see how his babies' soul hummed in tandem with the takeover mage's. How the fallen souls within her brightened and dulled in something akin to peace. He watched how her soul, with all its cracks and scars, shifted into the warm hues of sunrise red.
Goosebumps flushed over his skin as he truly felt the power and pain she held within her. Clearly everyone felt the unrestrained power of her oppressive fury. It was insane the sheer amount of magic she held within her magical containers. But what he saw... the markings etched into the deepest parts of her soul...
Closing his eyes, Bickslow shook himself of the image that seared itself into his memory. Pushing all that aside, he grinned at her as she lazily watched him, seemingly unware of what resides within her. Or maybe she did. It wasn't his place to ask. Right now he wanted to know more about auras. For passively seeing auras is a talent almost as rare as seith magic these days.
-x-x-x-x-
Ashima's passive face slowly stretched into a grin as she saw the odd mage stand up, wobbling terribly, in victory as Cana slips from the bench. A moment's away from blacking out drunk. The takeover mage also noticed that the very drunk mage held the card mage's bikini top up high. Showing off his prize as he stumbled out of the pub.
Bickslow turned around to see what Ashima was staring at when she stopped replying to his questions of her magic. Upon seeing the defeat of his guildmate, the seith mage groaned in shock. Shaking his head against the reality of their resident drunk having been defeated. Ashima giggled softly at his reaction. Giddy that she had won the bet. She half turned towards the barmaid, raising her hand as she called out for the pub's best bottle of whiskey, while Bickslow mourned his wallet.
Having lost the bet meant he was to pay for the night's tab. Yet he couldn't find it in himself to be all that upset when he saw how pleased and relaxed Ashima was. Smiling easily as his babies snuggled together in her lap. One of her arms wrapped protectively around them. If there was one thing that Bickslow learned over these last hours talking to Ashima, it was that she was built to protect and comfort. He wanted to chalk it up to her upbringing, but in truth her upbringing only strengthened her true nature.
Yet... he was also left to wonder who did she have to protect and comfort her when she was in need?
-x-x-x-x-
The grand clock's arm showed it was half past 1 in the morning. Yet despite the late hour Ashima was restless. Bickslow had walked her to her inn perhaps 10 minutes ago, but she wasn't quite ready to sleep. Maybe it was her apprehension to returning to sleep after the previous night's visions. Maybe she still held too much anger from the day's events to properly sleep. She didn't know. What she knew was that she wasn't ready to sleep just yet.
So she allowed her feet to take her where they wanted to take her.
She ended up back in the park. Different feelings swirled underneath the buzzing fog of alcohol within her system. Barely sparing a glance to the tiny alcove where she broke down last night, only to wake up with Laxus's jacket covering her, Ashima climbed a large hill off to the corner of the park. Upon the top sat an ancient cherry tree. Still standing tall and proud, its delicate flowers having long since blossomed and wilted. Leaving behind vibrant green leaves, from which soft moonlight flittered through.
Ashima walked lightly over the tree's thick roots and found a gentle nock for her to settle down in. Stretching out her mile long legs, Ashima tilted her head back and locked over the expanse of the forested park and the city that laid beyond it. Gentle moonlight lays across them all and Ashima could almost feel the presence of her twin besides her. Smiling as he looked up at the stars with reverence. Ashima didn't noticed that her eyes slid closed or the sad smile that gently lifted the corners of her lips.
Lulled half asleep, she languidly dreamed of how her brother would tell her of all the stories he learned about the stars. New ones, ancient ones. Local ones, foreign ones. Ones from other continents. How there were mages on the main land that could harness the spirits of the constellations.
Gently Ashima was stirred from the memories by sensing the presence of power and grace, of storms. Laxus.
A minute or two floated by, Ashima wasn't particularly paying attention, before Laxus reached the top of the hill. A silent shadow besides her. Silence passed for a moment, before Ashima rolled her head over to look at him through sleep-ladled eyes. An eyebrow quirking at him as tanzanite eyes clashed with electric orange ones.
Laxus, while it felt like his entire world tilted to shift around the serenity that Ashima was as she bathed in the moonlight, quirked an eyebrow right back at her.
"You shouldn't sleep outside." His voice came out much softer than he was expecting. He was glad that it stayed steady though, so it wouldn't portray how his feet felt cemented into the ground, but the rest of his body seemed like the gentlest of breezes would pick him right off the ground and send him falling into Ashima's dark eyes.
Amusement sparkled in her eyes and a breathy laugh left her as she patted the ground next to her.
"Then maybe some company would help keep me awake." Laxus found it utterly impossible to say no to her in that moment. Not with the way her lips tilted up into the softest goddamn smile he has even seen. Especially when it was only for him and him alone. He was completely and truly helpless against her wishes as he silently settled into the spot next to her. Warmth radiating off of her as he leaned back against the bark of the thick trunk.
When her head and body leaned against his side, the dragon slayer stiffened for only a moment. But his body relaxed as Ashima nuzzled the soft fur lining of his coat and a soft blush burned at the male's cheeks. Like a child, he had to bite back a smirk of petty jealousy. Stuffing down those childish feelings, Laxus wrapped an arm around her slim waist. Quietly his dragon preened and purred in pride at how easily she slipped into a light sleep. Laxus couldn't disagree, especially seeing as the last time she ended up asleep in his arms was when she passed out from magical and physical exhaustion after saving him from Hades.
While his rational mind argued that it was more exhaustion than innate trust, Laxus found himself falling sleep as well. That restless part of him that had driven him all the way here, finally settling down after Ashima settled into him. As sleep settled over him, the only thing he could think of is how wonderful her scent was. She smelled like the first morning breeze of summer. It made no sense, but there is was and it was so her that Laxus fell asleep as his nose buried itself into her loose hair.
A deep sense of peace falling over the two as the moonlight bathed them in gentle light.