-Chapter 3
Levy and me went down to the library, my case and backpack with me, and try to find a book with wizards that use portals, or books about portals to other universes, or worlds in this case. The Library has its shelves filled to the brim with books.
"Please tell me these are organized." She looked at me, then went to a random spot and started to take books. "I am going to guess that is a no?" She put the books on the and faced me. "The books are organized, I was just grabbing them. Sorry for not answering you. I am just, still surprised you said that."
I smirk, the memory still playing in my head. "Ya, that was funny. Anyways, is that all the books?" I asked. I looked at the small pile of at least 4. "Ya. We don't really encounter this sort of stuff on the daily. There may not be a lot, but they are a little big. So, let's start reading." I set my backpack down on the ground, along with my case, and start to read.
I think I fell asleep at one point, because I start to feel myself be shaken in the dark. I open my eyes to a dim Library. My and Levy found nothing in the 4 books we read, so I start to search things up on my, which surprisingly works. I had been going through dozens of websites as Levy had grabbed a Lacrima to call the other guild to see if they could help us.
I must have fell asleep looking through my phone. I look up to see my waker. Gajeel stood over me with his tall frame. "Hey, it's almost sun down. You hungry?" I think about how I got here and have had nothing to eat, I nodded my head. I stood up groggily and walked with him upstairs. "Leaving your stuff in here?"
"No one I don't trust will come in here. No one comes in here anyway. Besides Lucy, Freed, and Levy." He nods his head a little at my answer and leads me to the bar part of the guildhall.
When we go up there, it was loud. I looked around and saw that nobody had broken into a fight yet. Maybe Erza or Mira Threatened then if they fight while I am here, I thought. He led my towards the bar stools. I pulled myself one and climb on. I saw as Mira placed food in front of me. I looked at and thought, I wonder what it is. I picked up the fork that was place next to it and sliced into it. It smelled great, but would it taste great to me? I took up my mouth and put it in, it filling up my taste buds.
My face smiled. I continued to eat in silence. I felt a hand tap me. I look to see Erza staring at me. "So Oceana, I am curious, how old are you?" I thought for a moment. Do I tell right away, or have fun?
Have fun.
"If you can guess my age, then you can ask me something and I will have to answer it, no matter what." Erza smiled. "Okay. I accept your challenge. So if she is not..." Erza went off into her world to think. "I think she is 16." I looked back a Mira and shook my head. She frowned a little, but put back on a smile and walked away. "17?" I looked over at Levy as she said that. I again shook my head. "Ah darn. You sound mature for your age so I thought you were 17." She turned back around, and continued to eat her food. "I got it! 18!" I looked back at Erza and shook my head. Defeated, she sighed, and went back to thinking. "I think she is 15." My eyes widened a bit, and I turned to who said that, Natsu. "Ding." His smile got bigger as he jumped up and down. "Yes!" Erza sulked upon hearing his answer he right. "I am sure I would have had it..."
"You don't look 15 at though.." I look up at who said that. Juvia. I shrugged as my response. I finally feel hot in my jacket sense I got and decided to take it off. Juvia's eyes widen. "Never mind. You definitely are 15." She takes off to her table. I tilt my head in confusion. What was that about? "Okay! I know my question." Forgetting about Juvia, I turn my attention to Natsu. "Okay. I am listening."
"What happened to your eye?" I hear the whole guild go silent. Whether it was my imagination, or they really got silent, I didn't really care. Seeing my response to the question, Lucy got up and smack Natsu in the back of the head. "Idiot! Why did you ask that?!"
"I wanted to know what happened!"
"Well, look what you did! you made her feel sad." I looked up at Lucy and Natsu arguing. Everyone I have ever met, has asked about my eye. Why can't they just know me and not care about my appearance for once? "I am going to take my food to the Library and read through those books again."
I pick up my plate and make my way to the Library. The Silence follows me as I go out of the room. I look back at there faces, and see many things. The one I see the most of is, Guilt. I didn't mean to make them feel guilty. I just don't like people I meet that don't know me that well asking about my eye.
I open the door to the Library and close it. My eyes drift to the books on the table. I walk to the table and set my plate down. I do a 360 turn, looking at books in shelves. These books can't be all. I walk toward a random section of the Library, and start to run my fingers on the binds of the books. The texture changing as I go down the books. My fingers stop their path, as I feel the texture of this book.
I take it out of its place, it's old leather cover clean. The book looks like a journal to me. I flip it to its front, the name revealing why I felt I had to pick it up. The 100 year Curse. The title so strange to me. It's not very thick, but opening it up, the writing is tiny. I bring it with me to the table, and start to read.
Levy POV
I hear the door to the Library shut. I turn around to face the guild. "Do you think she is okay?" I hear Wendy ask. "I hope so." Lucy says. "Don't feel guilty. She feels bad that she made you guys feel guilty. That is what I heard her think." Cobra says. "In any case, I think we should start trying to figure out where she will stay until we can get her home." Mira says.
I start to think. Maybe she can stay with me and Gajeel. But, the guild doesn't know that we are living together. Hmm. "Me and Lily will take her." I look up at Gajeel. "Wow. Gajeel want to explain?" Gray asks. Gajeel smirks, his gaze a little bit in my direction. "I think she should decide. But, I think I already know who she would pick anyhow. Me." I am a little put back. But, I think back to what she asked when she was switching books.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had just switched to my second book when Oceana spoke. "So, what's it like to carry Gajeel's child?" I am reminded of what she said early, and my face gets a little red. "Um, fine right now I guess, but why did you say it like that?" She giggles at my responses. Sighing out of her giggle fit, she responded. "First thing that came to mind niña. Sorry for embarrassing you, but I couldn't pass the up the opportunity." She says. I smile a little.
"Is Gajeel fun to be around?" I look up at her again. "Ya. He is really sweet. He may act tough, but he really is soft."
"Kind of figured. Well, this book is not going to read itself." She opens up her second book. I open up my second book and start to read once more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FLASHBACK END~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _
I smile. He is not wrong. "Well why don't we go see?" Gray says. He leads us down to the Library. Opening the door he asks his question. "Hey Oceana—" he stops mid sentence, for what we saw, was not what we expected. Her dinner was on the table, not really touched, but a book, not from the pile, opened. It was on the last page of the book, just there. Oceana was in the corner, curled into a ball. Her head was down in her knees. A few cry's could be heard.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Mira goes to comfort her as I go and see what she was reading. I flip the book to its front to see what she was reading. "The 100 year curse?" I quietly said. I opened to the first page and started to read.
Every 100 years, a person is brought to the world of Earthland. When brought, their world freezes in time. This allows them to return to where they left off. Here in Earthland, they must prove to the portal master that they can be the next story teller. Now, where to find the portal master is written in this riddle below.
Deep within the mountains
Lays a house with a fountain
The home made of wood
Giving off an eerie mood
Not far from the spawn
Of which the teller was dawned
Keep in mind it might be cold
But there will be no snow
Seeing as this place is hard to find, the person chosen is made the same age for 100 years. Never aging. When the 100 years are up, they are not returned home, their world unfrozen without them there, and are cursed with immortality. Fail to even not try and the portal master will slice the chosen dead.
I look up from the small book, done reading the last page. I looked at Oceana, and think, is that why she was sent here? I go over to her, Mira still try to get her to tell us what is going on. "Oceana, do you think you were sent here?" She looks up. Her eyes a little red and puffy. "Think? I know I was sent here." She went over to the book. She took the last page and flipped it. New pages after that one started to appear. My eyes widened.
" This Book is about a 'curse' that only happens every 100 years. The 'curse' is brought upon by someone called the Portal master. They chose a story teller every 100 years. If they don't pass, they live forever with immortality. And, their world goes on without them. They fail to even try, and they are shot dead. In the back of the book, I found a list of names. All of them had dates of when they were sent. What scares me the most, is that there is Xs next to all of them. Mine and the beginning name being the only ones. What I can gather from this, is that there hasn't been a new story teller sense the beginning of time. Not only that, but I came 7 years early."
Gasp could be heard throughout the room. "So, you are saying that, you were dragged here to become some story teller, but to early?" She nodded her head. "I am scared." She admits. "I don't want to die, I want to see my mom again, my brothers, my sister, my dog, my cats. I want to go home, but I don't want to do this because I am scared to be something this big.I don't want to mess up." She sagged down on to the chair and put her face in her hands. As no one knows what to say, well just stand there. But, someone does know to say.
"What's the scariest thing you have ever done in your life?" Gajeel asks as he kneels down to face her. She looks up, new tears on her face. "Telling my mom that I like boys and girls." A few gasps could be heard around the guild. That is, not something you hear everyday. Gajeel seemed fine with the new information and continued to speak. "But, you still did it right? No matter if you were to be looked different by her. So what's makes this any different?"
At his question, she smiled. "Well, when you put it that way, not very different."
"Then we are going to help you achieve this." Gajeel said. He stood up and put out his hand. I watched as she looked up and smiled even bigger. "Thanks." She stood up and faced the book. "From this book, we need to find out where the portal master lives, and I know the person to ask. The one to be tested before me." I could everyone hype up about a new adventure. "Well, we are going to need a name, do you have it?"
"Yes. It's Marcelinho Albuquerque."
