Hey :)

I am really pleased with myself recently, four chapters in four days, that's a new record for me! I hope you are appreciating my speedy writing!

I had my English Literature exam today, I wrote page long paragraphs for An Inspector Calls! I didn't know I knew that much until I was sitting in my seat and, as usual after every English exam I sit, I couldn't put my chair down to lay on top of the table. My friend helped in the end because I looked that silly... *face palm* But all in all, it has been a really good day, I hope it was for you lovely people too :)

You may have noticed the rating has changed, there are darker themes in this chapter, so I thought I would be safe and change it just in case

Anywho, as usual, enjoy :3

Chapter Four-

That same old empty feeling in your heart

Falling to the floor squarely on my back, the wind is knocked out of me. I try to regain my breath, vaguely thinking how I must appear similar to a fish out of water. Shutting my eyes tightly, I try to ignore the pain in my back.

Once the train had arrived in Fressia Town, I had made my way to the town hall. The mayor was expecting me, hearing I had accepted their request to capture the men responsible for harming a total of sixteen women, most of which had ended up in the local hospital.

When I heard what they had done to the women, I felt physically sick.

They had cornered them and then used their magic to suppress them. Some of the woman had burns across their bodies. The woman had described that one as a fire mage with long, spiked up auburn hair, as if his hair was alight. Other woman had ligature marks around their wrists, apparently vines had been used to hold them down while they were beaten. Finally, many were found almost frozen to death. An ice mage. This man with short hair, deep purple at the roots leading out to lilac at the tips.

If the beating wasn't enough, they had been verbally abused, the things they were told, disgusting. Two of the women, one being the mayors daughter, were even raped; not only their dignity, but purity stolen.

These vile men, they have NO right to call themselves wizards. Not when they have done this.

Sickened by what I had heard, I left the town hall in search for the trio. When I had found the mages, I had not given them even a moment to comprehend what I was doing. I had called upon my spirits. Aquarius, while in her usual ratty state, swept away the fire wizard in a huge tidal wave before complaining I had called her from a puddle and left in a flash of golden light proclaiming she had a date.

The mage who used the vines, which became apparent was able to manipulate plants, was a bit harder to render unconscious. He had trapped me with his vines, only my left wrist at first. My restricted movements landed me many blows. Slowly, the plant had worked its way around my body and neck. However, while the plant mage was distracted commenting on my 'Weak, female frame. Slow mind and insuperiority', I called upon Taurus who cut the vines before knocking him back. Virgo had finished him off.

After he was no threat, I stood rubbing my wrists, which were now bruised. Suddenly, I felt something was wrong. The request had stated there were a trio of wizards, not only two. That's when I had met the last mage, walking up behind me, filling the air with dark laughter.

The only one left is the ice mage. He looks nothing like Gray or Lyon, the two ice mages I know personally. This ice mage is also nothing like them mentally. Neither of them are monsters like he is.

He is proving harder to defeat. Sagittarius' arrows were frozen, Aries knocked back. I would call upon Loke, but I am exhausted and his last punch now leaves me on the floor, gasping for breath. Sitting up, I groan and grasp my side. Opening my eyes, I stare at the purple haired man, who is laughing almost hysterically.

"What's wrong, woman? Tired already? Shame, I want to dance for a little longer." Taking a step towards me, he suddenly lowers to the floor in a swift movement hitting his palms against the ground. "Ice-Make: Raven!"

At that moment, many ice ravens appear by the mage before hurtling towards me. A strange beauty about the deadly weapons as they capture the light of the sun before they smash into my body resonating cold through my bones. Screaming in pain, I am thrown back further, flipping and hitting into the ground on my stomach a good few meters from where I had previously been.

"Ahh.."

I cough, curling up slightly wrapping my arm around my side. One arm stretched in front of me on the floor, a single eye open staring at the mage in front of me who is laughing methodically once more. Stepping towards me again, he calls another command to his ice, this time only extending his arm towards me with his hand outstretched.

"Ice-Make: Gungnir!"

All of a sudden, I am no longer on the ground, but being hurtled upwards encased in the tip of a gigantic ice lance. The feeling is excruciatingly painful, my skin freezing. It feels like thousands of pins are stabbing me all at once, then suddenly, my trajectory changes. The ice lance which had trapped me, upon reaching it's peak, suddenly explodes, leaving me to plummet to the floor. I have enough strength to pull my whip from my belt and flick it, wrapping it around a tree branch before I collide with the floor.

It may not stop me from falling or getting hurt, but it'll stop the fall killing me.

Hitting the floor, I roll before coming to a stop as I hit into a tree stump, my whip falling to the floor out of my reach as it unravels from the branch it had latched onto. The pain caused by contact with the ground finally hits me, and I begin to cough violently. My whole body is in pain, and internally I am screaming. Shakily, I try to push myself up but my arms are limp and fall back down.

"Oh, my dear."

I can see the ice mages legs, them beginning to move as he steps towards me. Striding to where I lay before kneeling down by my side, his icy fingers stroke my face.

"Get... Get off of me!"

I demand weakly, ending my sentence in a fit of coughs which send shooting pains throughout my ribs. A small sob of pain escapes my lips, and I curse my weakness.

"I don't think you are in the position to be making demands, don't you think, princess? That is what your maid spirit called you, is it not?" His fingers cease stroking my face, but instead grab my chin and jerk my head so I am looking up into his face. His expression is one of amusement, lust and loathing, leaving my chest to retract in fear. I can feel tears welling in my eyes, I am so afraid in this moment.

I just want to run, fight back, anything. But I can't move. In this moment, my mind flicks to the pink haired man I had come on this mission to prove my strength to. To prove I don't need. To prove... To prove... I don't know what anymore.

Natsu...

His smile is deadly as he lowers his face closer to mine. His breath scarily chilly. "No need to be scared, princess. I'm going to have some, ha, fun with you, then I will put you out of your misery and kill you."

Natsu, please save me, Natsu! I do need you! I love you! Don't let me die!

Tears escape my eyes as I scream to Natsu internally, beg him to find me like he has before. Plead, scream, will him to find me. But no sound escapes my lips, I am too weak even to speak.

Then, as the ice mage begins to laugh one more, trailing his hand down my neck, it hits me. No Natsu is coming. He isn't with me now on this mission, and he doesn't know where I am. I was foolish and chose this mission alone, just to stand him up. To prove I am something to a man who doesn't care about me, or at least doesn't show it more than half the time.

No one is coming. This is how it all ends.

As I resign my fate, tears still streaming down my face, the world around me darkens. But not through me loosing consciousness, no, something different. As if it was night time, but it is too concentrated to be night, and too early. The ice mage in front of me turns quickly all of a sudden, removing his hand from the base of my neck, just above my breasts. He calls something, but my hearing is distorted and I don't catch his words, all I know is, he sounds desperate. Then, before my eyes he is enveloped in darkness, as if he is being swallowed by the shadows. A distorted scream of fear pierces my ears, the black mist still wrapping around where the mage had once stood.

As I watch the scene before my eyes, still unable to move, my world turns black.