Warnings: Reference to traumatic injuries/torture, general PTSD
Before this chapter even starts, I would like to say, I do not condone Makarov's decision. Sure, it works out this time, but this is fiction. Please do NOT take away somebody's safe spot in real life. If you have a friend or relative who has or needs a safe spot, let them know that they can always have a place to feel safe in, /always/. Don't take that away from them. Let them heal at their own pace.
However, that is merely my personal opinion, not fact.
{-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-}
Mira was watching the two ex-Black Mages. She knew well enough to see through the master's ploy, but didn't interfere; in all honesty, she agreed that giving them a chance to mingle without a 'safe spot' would be good – force them to interact.
It seemed, though, that most were happy to watch the Black Mages squirm, alone in the very back corner. Indeed, most wanted them to stay away, didn't want them joining in on the usual shenanigans of Fairy Tail guild life. That was, at least, the vast majority, but there were a few who seemed willing to give Natsu and Lucy's new friends a chance, Black Mages though they might be, and Mira was one of them.
She was curious to know why her friends had brought them and why Makarov had accepted them – especially after kidnapping Wendy and raiding Galuna – and wanted to get to know them, to learn if they really were the evil overlords of ancient – and current – legend, or, in fact, asocial dorks, as they now appeared, lurking awkwardly in their shadowed corner, trying not to be noticed.
So she finished preparing two meals, placed them and some utensils on a tray, and made her way to their table.
As she approached, they flinched violently, looking at her with something like anxiety. She ignored this, setting the tray down in front of them and chirping, "Here."
They blinked between it and her, then said concurrently, "Thank you, but we don't have any money."
Mira's eyes twinkled; she hoped that that was a habit of theirs: saying and doing things in unison. And she was sitting on his lap, too… she could barely stop herself from squealing.
"That's not a problem," she said pleasantly, sitting across from them, not missing how they, once again, flinched. "It's on the house."
Neither moved, eyeing her warily. At last, the girl asked hesitantly, "A-are you sure it's okay?"
Mira beamed. "Of course; help yourselves."
The two glanced at each other.
"Uh, well, thanks," the girl mumbled awkwardly, pulling a plate towards her and shifting off of the boy, though still pressed against his side. "Oh, that smells so good," she added a little louder, eyes closed, nostrils flaring in a way very reminiscent of a certain pink haired Dragon Slayer.
The boy, first glancing at Mira for one more affirmation, pulled the other plate to himself. He didn't speak, though, promptly starting on the steak and mashed potatoes.
As he took his second bite, she her fourth – bait successfully taken – Mira started. "So, you're the Black Mages, right?"
The two nodded jerkily.
"You're friends with Lucy and Natsu and the rest, right?"
Aki took a break from the food to smile distantly. "They did say that… didn't they?"
Mira waited expectantly, but neither spoke, so she pressed, "I know a lot happened with the dragons; did you really kill" —she noticed the two twitch at the word— "all seven?" She and most of the guild hadn't seen the two defeat them, only their billowing black magic, though they had been told about it by Lucy and Natsu.
Aki nodded, mouth full of food again.
They weren't very good conversationalists—though, Mira figured, having the reputation they did, they might not have had much practice. "Well," she persisted encouragingly, "how'd you do it?"
Both choked. After a violent fit of coughing, they mumbled, "We… we'd rather not talk about it…"
"Sorry," Aki broke off from her brother finally, looking up at her earnestly, clearly worried she had offended. "We don't mean like- not 'cause of you- it's nice that you came- came over-" She cut off, abashed. "Sorry…"
Mira's inner self was squealing, but outside she waved a dismissive hand. "That's alright. Everyone has a past here, you don't have to share it."
Aki nodded, looking down at her gloved hands. "Is everyone at Fairy Tail like this?" she mumbled absently.
"Well, we all care about the rest," said Mira, making Aki, who had apparently not expected an answer, jump. "Everyone here has a bond; we help each other, we fight together, we learn together. People show it in different ways, of course," she added, thinking of Natsu and Gray. "We stick together and protect each other, no matter what."
"Really?" Aki seemed awed, surprised, and, when Mira nodded, she glanced at her plate. "How…"
"What?"
She glanced back up at her. "Well- I- we- it-" She bit her tongue, closing her eyes. Ten seconds later, she opened them, but didn't answer.
Zeref picked up for her, "Sorry; we haven't really interacted with people in centuries…"
It was Mira's turn to be confused. "'Centuries?'"
Aki perked back instantaneously. "Oh, yeah. It's been, like, a little under four hundred years," she said cheerily, waving a casual hand. "Maybe around is a better word."
Mira chuckled. Honestly, she shouldn't have been surprised; she had known the legend of the Black Mages started centuries ago, but the two had looked so young, like literal children, him younger than Natsu, her than Wendy, that she had assumed there had been some kind of Fairy-Tail type insanity; transported to the future – like the eclipse gate – or frozen in crystal, or reincarnation, or something. Although, she had to reason, there probably was, only she didn't know it. "You both look rather young for four-hundred-year-olds," she observed amusedly.
Aki nodded. "We haven't aged in about as long as we haven't interacted with people."
"How come?" Mira wheedled, catching the whiff of juicy gossip.
"W-well…" Aki made some faces, apparently trying to organize her thoughts as her mouth moved soundlessly. "We, uh, we were c-cursed…"
Mira frowned. "Cursed?"
"Mn."
Mira waited, but not too long, as she had already adjusted to their habit of silence. "What was the curse?"
"The Curse of Contradictions," Zeref supplied quietly, not meeting her eyes.
"What?"
All three looked up—the ex-Black Mages more jerking their heads upward—to see a short, blue-haired girl who had wandered over. She sat down on the table, pressing, "Did you just say the Curse of Contradictions?"
Surprised, the two nodded, leaning back as the newcomer leaned forward.
"That's real!?"
"Y-yeah," Aki said, glancing away.
A second later, the blue haired girl had thrown herself across the table, knocking Aki and Zeref backwards against the floor; both yelped in pain, but no one noticed.
"You poor things!" she practically bawled, rubbing her cheek against Aki's.
"W-w-w-w-wha-what are you doing?" Aki managed weakly, apparently frozen.
"You poor, poor things!" she continued, ignoring her. "You had to live with that!"
Aki didn't respond; she didn't look like she could. Zeref, meanwhile, had managed to pull himself from the hug. Now he sat a few seats away, waiting warily in fear of another hug-attack.
"What's this curse, Levy?" Mira asked, interested, wholly unperturbed by the bookworm's animated reaction.
"It's awful!" the girl – Levy – said emphatically, and, before Zeref or Aki could even think of stopping her, she was explaining. "It makes you immortal and kills everything you love and makes it impossible to think and you both look so young!" She pulled back, examining Aki.
"It-it's fine," Aki tried weakly, patting her back.
"It's not fine, but of course you would think it is!" Levy rolled off Aki and pulled her back up, then dived at Zeref. Prepared, he teleported, leaving her to plough head long into the table.
"Are you okay?" he asked guiltily, still careful to keep his distance.
"No, now my nose hurts," Levy said thickly. She got up, sitting herself happily between the two shocked siblings; Zeref was watching her like a magical concept he had never heard of had just popped into being, while Aki just seemed struck dumb. "Well, that explains a lot!" she chattered, legs swinging under the table. "It explains why- oh!" She snapped and pointed a finger at each of them, making them jump. "You're hundreds of years old, right?"
They nodded tentatively.
"So you must have books from hundreds of years ago! Can I read them? Please? I won't damage them at all, I'll be really careful! Please, please, ple-e-ease!"
Aki had bitten her lip, but a hesitant smile was growing across her face. "Any type of book you particularly want?" she offered tentatively.
"Oh, yes- no- I-" Levy seemed to short circuit, the idea of ancient, long forgotten books far too much for her to handle.
Aki's grin broadened slightly. "You can read more than one…"
Levy all but exploded with excitement, jumping up and glomping Aki once more—again, no one noticed her grit her teeth. "I love you so, so much! You're so nice! Oh my gosh!" She let go, cupping her own face in her hands, eyes closed and squealing. "I can't believe I'm going to be able to read ancient manuscripts that no one else has read for centuries—"
Mira interrupted her, pointing out blithely, "Levy, your nose is bleeding."
Levy wiped at her face, giving no credence to the blood except to wipe it on a napkin. "I have ancient books to read, Mira;" she said dismissively, "I don't have time for a broken nose."
"A broken nose?" Aki yelped, taking Levy's face and examining it.
"It doesn't matter! Just let me read a-"
"Let me heal your nose first," Aki ordered, pointing at the bench. Levy pouted, but, with the threat of books (or lack thereof) over her, complied. Aki removed a glove and touched a finger to the bleeding nose. "ヒール."
It glowed faintly, and, as the light faded, Levy poked at it, amazed. "You know Healing Magic?"
"That's a Lost Magic, isn't it?" Mira added.
Aki nodded at them both. "I can use it, but I haven't had much practice. Kinda hurt to use it, b-… before." She tried to shrug carelessly, though she doubted she achieved the desired effect as Levy's smile drooped.
"Well, yeah, I guess the curse-"
"Aki-chan," Mira's suddenly hard voice made the two ex-Black Mages' heads whip around, each face expressing learned fear. Levy watched on curiously as Mira continued, "What's on your hand?"
Aki turned red, shoving her hand into a pocket. "Nothing!"
"Then show us?" Mira asked sweetly, head tilting.
She didn't meet her eyes, muttering, "It- it doesn't matter…"
"Hm?"
"Uhm…"
Zeref and Aki eyed Mira as her magic began to seep out, but, their attention so preoccupied, inadvertently presented the closer enemy an opportunity.
Aki squeaked as Levy reached behind her and pulled her hand out, gasping in horror. "What is this?"
"What's what?" Mira asked attentively, leaning forward. Levy made to hold the hand up to Mira, but Aki pulled it back before she could see. "Aki-chan?"
"Thanks for talking to us," Aki said tensely, turning away and pulling the glove back on.
"What was that?" Levy insisted.
Neither looked at them, carefully examining the bench.
Mira stood, anxious, reaching a hand out. "Are you-"
Natsu came flying out of nowhere. "Leafy! Zeref!" he shouted eagerly, stopping just before collision. "Let me see!"
Zeref and Aki breathed a sigh of relief, happy to change the subject. Happy, really, just to see Natsu. And, of course, to get another chance to play with him, or tease him, for that matter.
"See what?" Aki asked innocently.
Natsu waved impatiently. "You know!"
"Know what?" asked Zeref, hiding his grin.
"You know what I mean!"
Aki blinked bemusedly, tilting her head. "Whatever are you talking about, Natsu-nii-chan?"
"Nii-chan?!" Mira and Levy blurted, astonished, but the three didn't seem to have heard them.
"They're siblings," Lucy, who had followed Natsu out looking absolutely exhausted, supplied, sitting at the table.
Mira and Levy gaped at her. "Siblings?!"
Natsu was now chasing Aki around the table, whining and making grabs at her. "Let me seeeeee!"
She merely chortled, dodging as he lunged once more. "See what, Nii-chan?"
Mira reached out. "Aki, what was-"
"Your guild mark!"
Aki paused – Natsu, miraculously, didn't barrel into her, and, even more miraculously, waited as she glanced between Mira and Levy. Before they could pounce, Mavis, who had appeared out of nowhere, cut in helpfully, winking at Zeref and Aki, "How about you show us where you live, Natsu, and they can show you there."
"That's a great idea!" Natsu grabbed Zeref and Aki's hands. "Come on!"
A second later, he had disappeared from the guild hall, Aki and Zeref dragged through the air behind him. Waving at the rest, Mavis followed after.
"Aren't you going to join them, Happy?" Lucy asked the flying blue cat beside her.
"Nah," he said, shrugging. "I'll let Natsu have a day with his brother and sister."
Lucy raised an eyebrow. "How surprisingly mature of you."
"What do you mean, surprising?" Happy bristled.
"And just like that, you've lost it," she sighed, turning away.
"Lucy" —Lucy glanced around to see Levy, Mira behind her, each looking extremely worried— "what were the scars on their hands?"
She opened her mouth, but paused. Glancing at Erza, who, too, had followed them out, she received a shake of a head. "I'm sorry, Levy, but you'll have to ask them that."
Levy frowned. "Okay." She and Mira got up, walking off.
"Where're Aki and Zeref?" the Master's voice broke in as he hopped onto the table. "I need to take them to Porlyusica."
"They went with Natsu to his house," supplied Erza.
Makarov sighed, hopping down and skipping to the door. "Already running around…"
{-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-}
Enter, Levy McGarden and Mirajane Strauss! See? Shipper=Mira, Blue=Levy! Exciting! Woohoo!
\(￣︶￣*\)) (づ￣ 3￣)づ
Anyways, you won't get to see the trip to Porlyusica's house next chapter, rather, more bonding of, well... Let's just say no new faces. SOMEbody continues to be an antagonist, but that'll be that way for a while, so no surprise. :( Look, I've gotta have someone for long-term plot developments, alright?
Next time!- A frying pan hitting someone in the head, a cake boss, and Aki wants...