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And a screen parallel to his eyes. Archive magic.

/

He knew that everyone was staring. But he had more important thing to do than worry about it.

"Search all sources," August ordered,'' The weak spot of this monster." Then he imagined his memory of the monster being projected onto the screen though his eyes. Columns of data whizzed all around his head. He mentally zoomed in on a diagram that was hovering over his left shoulder.

"The weak spot of the Eastern forest beast," He read aloud," The throat." He smiled. "Gotcha." He muttered.

He strengthened his grip on his katanas. He went in for one last strike. Direct hit. Effect. August heard a breath of relief followed by a small squeak. He turned to see, that Topaz had been released. And was promptly falling to her death. August ran to catch her. She fell limp into his arms. But her eyes were still opened. He relaxed causing the archive magic still open behind him to burst into golden orbs of light. "Are you okay?" he asked as the golden orbs settled into his hair.

"Your such a worrywort," Topaz croaked, the golden orbs landing on her making it look like she was glowing.

August sighed, relief flooded his face "We have to get you ba-"

"Muhhhhhf" groaned Natsu. August had forgotten he was even there. Great he thought It was only a matter of time before Topaz found out, but a whole guild full of targets, too? That wasn't good.

"Oh sorry Natsu," Topaz said. She tried to struggle out of August's arms," okay you can put me down now."

August looked down, just realizing that Topaz was still placed neatly in his arms. "R-right!" He stammered, "sorry," he put her down.

"Aaaaaf," Natsu groaned again.

"Sorry we are coming." Topaz mumbled while walking over to where Natsu's was.

A thought struck August. Natsu was more or less defenseless. It would have been the best option was to eliminate him now. But August also knew that voile wanted to be the one to do it. He hadn't given it much thought before, but now that he did, he knew that Violet didn't want to kill the Salamander for her reputation. In fact, she didn't want to kill him at all, it wasn't hard to tell that Natsu was her favorite. she wanted to be the last to see him alive. For the first time he saw fairy tail as more than a bunch of high level targets. They were people, with faces, with names, with a family. Someone somewhere in the guild cared for Natsu as much as he cared for Topaz. Could he really take that away from them? Yes. Yes, he could because he was fighting an unofficial war. A war between his morals for strangers, and his love for his comrades. His integrity didn't matter. But kazi's did. Violet's did. Topaz's most certainly did. So he would kill as many people as it took. August knew that was selfish, but he didn't care, as long as they were safe.

Topaz came up and poked him in the shoulder," hey are you in there," she said laughing a little," I got Natsu up and running again so we can leave if you want."

She met August's cold, emotionless eyes with her concerned, innocent ones. "That sounds good. He said, looking at the sun, hanging lazily over the horizon. How much time had passed? "We should get going."

"Okay," Topaz sent him one last concerned glance before she started to walk," Natsu were leaving!"

"Coming!" He said, standing up. "By the way August, that was some cool magic, but I thought you used katanas,"

August glanced to Topaz as they started walking. "Thanks…" He said. "I don't like to flash it around much, so l usually stick to my blades."

"Though you have to admit, it was beautiful when it landed in your hair," Topaz said whispering so only August could hear.

He blushed, "Thanks…" He muttered

"It's archive magic right?" Said Natsu "I know another guy that uses that, he's in Blue Pegasus."

August knew all about Hibiki Lates. But he had never met him. "Yeah, I've heard of him."

"He's a really big flirt," Topaz said clearly irritated at even the thought," But the one they call boss….. He's ten times worse."

"Why would you wanna hide it?" Natsu wondered casually.

"Natsu look it's a cat!" Topaz yelled pointing to a random group of bushes.

"A cat!" Natsu said, springing into the bush. "Were?"

"Need to tell me something?" August wondered as Natsu terrorised the underbrush.

Topaz sat down,"No."

"Do you want me to tell you something?" August asked. He wanted things to be cool between them.

"Maybe," she sighed, looking up at the setting sun.

August watched as Natsu started yelling "Here kitty-kitty-kitty" he had no idea that he had less than twenty-four hours to live. If he did know, would he act differently? Would he stop chasing fake cats and go see his friends one last time? Or would he pretend that nothing was going to happen, so that he didn't have to worry? For all Natsu knew he was going to live a full life. But then someone could be plotting August's death right now too.

"What do you want to know?" August chose his words carefully, he was treading on dangerous turf.

"Why," she turned and looked directly into August's eyes," why did you feel the need to hide your magic?"

Of course August thought right off the bat was the question he least wanted to answer. "Well…" He started choosing his words carefully. "How much do you know about archive magic?"

"Maybe, I might know a little." She said.

"In a nutshell," August explained "I can access tons of data through a magic interface."

"You know that would have been handy on some of our past assignments," said Topaz.

"That's true, but…" August searched for the right words. "Sometimes Archive makes me find things that people don't want me to know,"

"The Commander," Topaz whispered, looking down at her shoes,"Honestly I never really liked him."

"I was indifferent," August said, "but then…" He trailed off. It was best the Topaz didn't find out until she had too. "It's best the commander doesn't find out." He concluded.

"Ok then, maybe we should start heading back," Topaz looked out towards the bushes,"Natsu the cat ran away, it's gone now, we're leaving."

After a few moments Natsu emerged from the underbrush. "Well that explains why I couldn't find it," he said with a shrug. "Let's hurry back!" He said walking away. "I'm starving."

"You're always starving," Topaz got off the dirt and onto her feet," It's just weather you're Hungry for food, or fire."

"Well, yeah" admitted Natsu, "but i'm even more hungry now. All that monster kill made my want some of Mira's cooking,"

Topaz smirked"I gotta agree with you there, Mira's cooking sounds really good right now."

"We will get there faster if we run." Natsu stated.

"Okay?" August reasoned. "So?"

Instead of answering Natsu started sprinting down the path, leaving August and Topaz in the dust.

"We better follow," August said, running after him. Topaz only laughed as she followed.

~TIME SKIPZEZ~

{back at the guild}

"Natsu stop eating so fast you're going to choke," Wendy said walking up to his table.

"Naw," Natsu said in between huge bites.

"Natsu." Wendy pouted.

Natsu paused for a second to look At her puppy dog eyes. "Right," he said chewing the rest of his food like a normal person.

"Thank you," Wendy said walking off happy.

"So," Violet asked Topaz from the bar. "how did it go?"

"Oh well you know the usual." Topaz started," almost getting crushed by a hand, then attacked a monster, then get crushed in hand of said monster, yep it was the best."

Violet made a face. "Okay then," she said, knowing that that wasn't the whole story. "Anything else?"

"Okay," Topaz cleared her throat," After getting picked up by the hand Natsu tried to save me but got knocked into the dirt and August kinda," Topaz did hand motion to resemble his magic.

Violet stared at her for a moment, thinking her friend had completely lost it. They she put two and two together, and her eyes widened.

"Yeah and Natsu kinda saw it too." Topaz twisted her fingers as she talked.

"Is he okay?" Violet asked, glancing around the room. A room full of targets. Enemies.

"Yeah, I think." Topaz said sounding really unsure.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Violet said kindly. "We only have about a week here anyway. Then we can go…" She was going to say then we can go home but it wouldn't have be much of a homecoming, because the compound wasn't much of a home. But if the compound wasn't home, what was? Had violet ever had a home? A distant memory flashed through her mind. The smell of laundry, some one smiling. This was home, but was it a memory or a dream?

"Seriously Violet stop spacing out on me." Topaz said.

"Sorry," Violet, said still unwilling to leave the comfort of her mind. "Are you okay?"

"Maybe a little bruises here or there, but yeah I should be." Topaz rubbed her arm lightly where purple was starting to show.

That wasn't exactly what Violet had in mind, but if Topaz wasn't offering her the information, she shouldn't pry.

"What did you do while we were gone?" Asked Topaz.

"Just hung out here," Violet shrugged.

"It was really cool," Natsu was bragging to his team," I mean you should have seen it when August took down the monster." Natsu said as he made movements to go along with his story.

Violet's eyes darted to Natsu. Great, she thought more attention.

Natsu moved his hands to look like he was typing on a keyboard," All he had to do was type in what he wanted, and BAM! Right August."

"Well…" August stuttered, "I guess so"

"Wow, so you have archive magic too," Lucy said.

"Uhuh," said August numbly.

"We should probably go save him," said Violet, looking to Topaz.

Topaz nodded," Hey does anyone wanna play a game!" She called to everyone, causing the focus of attention from August to Topaz.

August looked surprised, but then mouthed "thank you,"

"Welcome," Topaz mouthed back.

"What kinda game you have in mind?" Wondered Gajeel.

"Uhm, I was kinda hoping you had some ideas," Said Topaz fidgeting in her new spotlight.

"Well," Gajeel suggested an evil smirk spreading across his face, "how 'bout truth or dare?"

"Okay," Topaz said," But we don't really know how to play," She gestured to the rest of her teammates. The commander never really let them play games, or have fun for that matter.


Topaz age: 9

(A year after the commander took them in)

At: A barreks

"Kazi I'm bored," Topaz pouted to her 'older brother'.

Kazi groaned," well there's nothing to do right now." He rolled over onto his stomach still groaning.

"Wanna play a game?" Topaz asked with her puppy dog eyes right next to his face.

Kazi just groaned again," You know I hate when you do that," Topaz giggled and poked him as she hopped down," And that stop poking me!" Kazi yelled only earning more laughs from Topaz. Kazi rolled off his bed and onto the ground," Whatcha have in mind, ToTo." Kazi's usual playful grin plastered on his face.

"Stop calling me that!" Topaz hit him with a pillow," I was hoping we could play hide and go seek, when I was in the city other kids played it all the time." She looked hopefully up at her brother.

"1-2," Kaz said covering his eyes. Topaz laughed and quietly hid under the bed.

"10." She heard Kazi get to his feet,"I wonder where she could be?" He called making sure she could hear him. Topaz covered her mouth before a laugh could escape, her brother had passed her about five times already.

Kazi heard laughter coming from under his bed,"Oh where could Topaz BE!" He bent down and pulled his 'little sister' out from under the bed."Gotcha!" He pulled her up into the air. Topaz erupted into a fit of laughter and Kazi joined.

Then the door flew open to reveal commander.

"Oh," Kazi said putting down Topaz and standing at attention." Sir." Kazi fell when he received a hard blow to the face.

"Brother!" Topaz yelled bending down next to him, but she was grabbed by the collar and brought before the menacing face of the commander.

"Assassins, let alone soldiers are not trained to run around a room in giggles!" He yelled. Topaz started to shake in fear and shrink back.

"If you're going to sing la di da and prance around in the flowers I might as well throw you in with the dogs." He said dropping Topaz with a thunk. Tears started to form, she wasn't going to cry. At least not in front of him.

"You brats were taken in by me and can just as easily be thrown out." He seethed slamming the door behind him


Topaz slapped her cheeks to get rid of the memory. It is true that she never liked the commander but he took her in, maybe that was enough to to pay the price of all the pain caused. Topaz shook her head this time. No. What the commander does, and did is no exception. By any rules, especially none of mine. Even this mission, she didn't like it. But she had to do it, for her brother, best friend, and for the one she loved. Even if she didn't like it. Or thought it was wrong.

She had to fight.

"Wait why am I thinking about this now, it went from playing games, too I don't like the man who saved me from death, to I have to continue fighting. I'm going crazy." Topaz thought."Ugh never mind." Topaz shook her head and focused on the conversation at hand.