"Giant turtles?" Lisanna said, unprepared for this turn of events. The two behemoths had risen out of the ground, soil and foliage falling from their bodies. They were both about the size of a large house. But even putting aside their size, they were clearly different from normal turtles. Their skin was rougher and harder, and their eyes were black and empty.

"Technically, yes. But it would actually be truer to say that they're golems in the shape of turtles." Boudica responded to Lisanna's question.

"So, these people created giant turtle golems to defend the town?" Lisanna asked. Boudica shook her head. "They didn't. These guardians were here long before the current inhabitants of this place. They just learned how to control them is all. But this isn't the time for a history lesson. Ready yourself."

"I think I used up most of my magical power." Lisanna replied.

"Then take a few minutes to recover. But I might need you before this is over." Boudica said. Lisanna wasn't sure that a few minutes would be enough time for her to recover. Regardless, Angel chose this moment to interject.

"You don't need her. You can count on me. I'll use my spirits to destroy them." She said. Boudica considered this as she looked down at Gemini. The small blue spirits kept their distance from her. "Yes, they take on the form of others, don't they?" Boudica said. "What about the two mages lying over there?" she said, indicating Luchuk and Strike. Angel looked over at them.

"The… dead ones?" Angel said.

"Yes, the dead ones." Boudica said, as if this was a normal suggestion. Angel looked at the corpses dubiously.

"Well, I suppose it might work, since they died only just a few minutes ago. I've never tried this before though." The celestial mage said. Gemini went over to one of the bodies and touched it, which was required for the transformation. Fortunately for Angel, it worked. Gemini quickly began to change.

When Angel was deciding which one to choose, she had to choose between Luchuk's defensive spells, or Strike's offensive attacks. She chose Strike. "The best defense is a good offense." She said. Gemini had transformed into a simulacrum of Strike. His appearance, his voice, and his power. Boudica and Angel were both pleased with the result. However, Lisanna felt unsettled, and not for the first time that day.

With that taken care of, Boudica briefly turned back to
look at Yoshimoto, still on the hill. He was chanting something. "He should be nearly done. And now we should go help Arnok." Boudica said. Arnok and his warriors had charged ahead again while Angel was preparing Gemini. Most of the samurai joined them. They were holding off the enemy for now, but needed help from the rest of the alliance.

"Lisanna, stay here for a few minutes and recover. I'll tell you if I need you." As soon as Boudica said this, she moved off with Angel and Seraiisa, and of course "Strike". Lisanna wasn't sure how long it would take her to recover, but she mentally prepared herself anyway. Sael stayed behind with her. He had no magic, and no machines left to fight. So, he could only watch. "It's good that I came out here. It's giving me ideas for how to improve my creations in the future. I feel like they should have made a better showing today." Sael said. Lisanna was only half listening to him though. She was focused on the huge turtle-golems ahead. They slowly stepped forward, quaking the ground beneath them. Lisanna had no idea what Boudica and the others intended to do against those two behemoths. She watched as one of them ducked its head and snapped up one of the samurai in its large mouth. The warrior was crushed within.

As for the soldiers, dozens of them had come out of the gate. And the archers up on the wall were still backing them up. Boudica and Angel arrived. The numbers still favored the soldiers of the town. Lisanna wondered if her allies had underestimated the other side here. But then, she suddenly heard something. It was shouting from behind her. She turned and saw the samurai lord standing and chanting something, a circle around him glowing. He planted his sword into the ground, and what could best be described as black light came out. The black light spread outward toward the gate. It surrounded the soldiers, some of whom stopped to look at it, confused.

"This must be one of his illusions." Lisanna said out loud. She was talking to herself, but Sael responded. "Actually, not quite. It's true that he is adept at illusion magic, but he does have another, very special ability." She wasn't sure what he meant by this. As she watched, she saw shapes come out of the blackness. Humanoid shapes. They were like shadows, only moving on their own. They looked like warriors, clad in armor and carrying weapons. Except, they seemed as if they weren't entirely there. They were dark, and it was hard to make out specific features on them, like faces. But if the light hit them a certain way, they almost looked like normal people.

"What are they?" Lisanna asked.

"They are Yoshimoto's shadows, so to speak. He can call them from the shadow realm. They are warriors and mages who died long ago." Sael explained.

"So, they're like ghosts?" she asked.

"Hmm, not exactly. They aren't really spirits. They're more like echoes, or 'shadows' of people who once were. The shadows resemble those people, and even have some of their abilities, but they are not those same people."

"Oh, I see." She said, although she still didn't fully understand. "Just watch." Sael told her. And so she did. They both watched as the shadow warriors materialized around the soldiers of Catena. The soldiers were confused, and tried attacking the shadows with their weapons, but the weapons just passed through them. But when the shadows attacked with their own weapons, they didn't just pass through harmlessly. They drew blood, and cut open body parts, and elicited screams from the soldiers. There were more than a dozen of the shadowy wraiths attacking the soldiers, many of whom began to panic.

As this happened, Boudica smiled. "Let's finish this." She said. She raised her arms, and the ground beneath the soldiers cracked open, and light burst through. But not golden light like before, but white-hot light that seared whoever happened to be within it. Seraiisa used her mental abilities to pull some of the archers off the wall, and "Strike" called down some lightning bolts on them. The soldiers became overwhelmed, and most of the remaining ones fled back into the town. The alliance would have won at that moment if not for the two monsters still roaming.

While the shadows had attacked, Arnok attempted to take on one of the beasts himself. He smashed at its leg with his fists again and again, but only created a few dents. The other turtle stomped on most of the soldiers Arnok had brought with him. Gemini switched to attacking the turtle with lightning, which only seemed to slow it down at best.

Lisanna decided to get involved again. She ran towards the group, even though she wasn't sure what she was going to do. She tried to think of a form that would be helpful. When she ran up to Boudica and Angel, she stopped to catch her breath.

"Lisanna, just in time. I need you now." Boudica said. Lisanna looked up. "What should I do? How can I help?" Boudica pointed up to the head of one of those turtles.

"I need you to fly up there. Or more specifically, I need you to fly Arnok up there. Drop him on its head from above. I'll come too, and finish it." She said.

"You want me to take you both up there?" Lisanna asked. Boudica shook her head. "Just Arnok. I can get up there myself." Golden wings emerged from Boudica's back. Lisanna had seen her do that before, but had assumed it was just for show. "Oh Arnok…" Boudica called him over. He begrudgingly relented his assault to hear what she had to say. She quickly explained what she had in mind, and he actually agreed to it. Now Lisanna had to carry the huge man up to the top of the turtle. She transformed into her harpy form again. She grabbed him by the shoulders with her talons and took off.

Even with her increased strength he was still heavy for her, but she managed. She flew him above the golem's head. "Drop me now." He said. That sounded dangerous to her, but she decided it was best not to argue with him. She let go, and watched him fall some distance onto the head, landing on it with his fist punching into it. This made a small crater in its head. He then punched it several more times, creating cracks and fissures. Doesn't he ever get tired? Lisanna thought. Boudica then rose up to meet them. She used her wings, although it looked more like levitating than flying. She landed on the head next to Arnok. She put her hands into the fissures for several seconds and the familiar golden glow came out.

"Alright, it's time to leave, right now. No time to explain." Boudica levitated off the creature, and Lisanna grabbed the king again and took him down. Before they reached the ground again, a loud explosion could be heard. Lisanna looked up and saw that part of the creature's head had been blown off. Presumably, Boudica's magic was responsible. The part that came off was close to the neck, so the entire head began to come off. The golem slowly collapsed and fell to the ground, crashing into the wall, and possibly killing a few people.

As Lisanna landed on the ground, she transformed back to her regular appearance. She felt tired after using her magic so much. This was the most she had used her magic since her "rebirth".

"I… don't think I can do that again." She said.

"Hopefully, you won't have to." Boudica replied. She looked over at the other turtle. It wasn't coming after them, or guarding the gate. It was distracted with something else. Lord Yoshimoto and his few remaining samurai had finally come down to join the fight directly, albeit rather late. The warriors fired arrows at the creature, which caused it to lower its head to attack them.

The shadows joined in attacking the creature to distract it. While this was going on, Yoshimoto himself used his sword to slash into the turtle's front leg. Most other weapons likely wouldn't have done any real damage. But this was not an ordinary weapon. It was a special sword with a special power. It had been instrumental in the ritual to summon the shadows, and now the samurai used it to cut open a portal to the shadow realm itself, through the leg of the beast. The portal was only open for a few seconds, but when it closed a chunk of its leg was gone. The turtle tipped over, falling face first onto the ground. Yoshimoto followed this up by running over to the head and slashing another portal through the side of its head. Another vital piece of the golem gone. It didn't appear to be dead (if it could ever be considered alive), but it did at least seem to have great difficulty functioning now. It twitched and writhed on the ground. With his last turtle incapacitated, the battle was effectively over.

Lisanna had watched all of this, impressed. She suddenly felt a poke on her leg, which startled her. She turned and saw Seraiisa standing next to her. "Where did you come from?" Lisanna asked.

"Behind you, silly." The girl replied. She looked over at the aftermath of Yoshimoto's brief but effective assault. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah, I didn't know he could do that." Lisanna said.

"As I said, Lord Yoshimoto does have his uses." Boudica added.

"Problem is, it takes a long time for most of his spells to start up." Seraiisa said.

"Which means he's only effective in certain situations." Boudica said. Lisanna just listened to them explaining his abilities without having anything to add herself. It helped take her mind off some of the less pleasant things that had happened earlier.

"Alright, now that that's done, I do believe we have them beat. Its time to enter Catena. Don't worry, the hard part is over." Boudica declared. Boudica and Seraiisa began walking towards the entrance, and Lisanna followed behind. She was about to discover why they had come to this place, and what was so important about it.


Lisanna, Angel, Boudica, Seraiisa, Arnok, and Sael all entered the gate to Catena together. Yoshimoto decided not to join them, and left to take care of something else, as he had said he would earlier. Only a couple of Arnok's warriors survived, and Yoshimoto's remaining samurai left with him. Boudica's followers remained, since they didn't get directly involved in the fight. After the turtles were defeated, most of the remaining soldiers surrendered, and the few who continued to fight were killed. The group entered Catena without further resistance.

Lisanna felt tired, both physically and emotionally after everything that had happened. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, she had time to reflect on all the deaths that had occurred today, and she still didn't know why these things had to happen. Boudica had promised her an explanation, but she wasn't sure what to expect as far as that went.

Upon entering the town, one of the first things Lisanna noticed was how utilitarian it looked. The buildings were mostly boxy and unattractive looking. Much of the ground was unpaved dirt. There were large tools and equipment here and there, like mining equipment for instance. It wasn't at all what she was expecting. Then again, she wasn't sure what she had been expecting.

Another thing she noticed was the people. Not the soldiers, who had surrendered and were shackled. But the other people in the town (which Lisanna was beginning to suspect wasn't actually a town at all). They looked dirty and unkempt. Worse, many of them appeared to have wounds and injuries. As they walked further into Catena, Lisanna saw more of these people, and it got worse. Many of them were dressed in rags. Some were half-naked. A few were even completely naked. And a fair number of them had chains and collars on. Men, women, and children. Young and old. The one thing they all had in common: it was obvious just from looking at them that they had all lived hard lives, and had suffered. Without being told, Lisanna slowly realized what these people were.

"They're all slaves." She said aloud. She was currently walking alongside Boudica, as they looked through the "town". "Yes, they are. Bosco has a slave trade. And this place, Catena, is one of the biggest and most profitable slave colonies in the country. In fact, the name Catena literally means 'chain'." Boudica explained. Lisanna looked around at the slaves, many of whom seemed frightened at everything that was happening. Although, some just had a thousand-yard stare on their faces even with everything going on.

"What are you going to do with them? Is this why we came here?" Lisanna asked.

"To answer your first question; that depends on them. I'll give them the choice of joining our cause, if they so choose." Boudica said.

"And if they refuse?"

"Then they're free to go, wherever they want. I have no interest in owning slaves. However, I could always use more followers." Lisanna mulled this over for a minute.

"If they don't join you, where would they go?" Lisanna asked. Boudica stopped walking and turned to the smaller girl. "I honestly don't know, Lisanna. That's why I'm offering them a better alternative. Soon, they'll be free, and will have to make a choice. I can offer them a decent life, or they can try to fend for themselves. If they do join me, all I ask is for their loyalty and praise. Not so much, is it?" Lisanna thought this over, looking down at the ground. Boudica started to turn around, but Lisanna spoke up.

"Boudica, I've been meaning to ask you… why do you need followers? I mean, I understand that its some sort of religion, but what are you trying to achieve? What are you to your followers? What are they to you?" She hadn't originally intended on asking all of these questions. They just came out of her without her really thinking about it. These things had been on her mind for a while. Boudica folded her arms, and looked directly at Lisanna.

"Lisanna, is this really the time for this?" Boudica said.

"Like I said, I wanted to ask you for a while, but I don't always get a chance to talk to you. But I have a chance now, so… I want to know. I mean, I'd like to know. Especially if I'm going to fight with you." Lisanna said. Boudica slowly nodded.

"Alright, since the fighting is over, I can spare a few minutes to explain. You call it a religion. I call it a philosophy, or a mindset. My goal is to make the world a better place. I want to overcome death, as I did with you. I can't do that alone. I need help. Help from my followers. Help from Angel and the other former Oracion Seis. And help from you too, if you'll lend it." Boudica paused a moment, and looked at the huddled slaves around.

"Now, as for what we're doing; yes, we do fight and kill. We have taken this place, Catena, as we will take others. But that is short term. Long term, I want to create a world where there is no death, and no need for fighting. But that's not going to be easy. We sent envoys here before, you know. People who volunteered to come here, and peacefully tried to convince the people of Catena to join us. Considering what this place is for, I wasn't expecting them to react very favorably. The first time we sent a messenger, they sent him away. The next time we sent one, they killed him outright."

"Now, I won't deny that I did want to recruit followers. And Catena does have some resources we could use. But it was also always one of my goals to free the slaves, and shut down the slave operation in general. First, we need to tear down the bad old systems before we can build up the new, better systems. But it will take time. And yes, it will mean having to do certain things that you might consider distasteful. Like working with Arnok, for instance. He's a monster, but obviously very useful. So, what do you think of all of that? I'm curious."

Boudica finished speaking, and Lisanna stood there reflecting. She looked up at Boudica. "What you're saying sounds nice. But I'm still not sure. I still feel like I need more information. About you, and me, and… everything. I'm sorry, but I'm still a little disoriented, even after these past months." Lisanna said. Boudica nodded.

"I understand. There is one more thing I'd like to show you that might help you to make up your mind."

"What is it?" Lisanna asked.

"I'll let that be a surprise." Boudica said. Lisanna couldn't help frowning a little. She generally liked Boudica, but didn't like her tendency to keep her in the dark about things.

They arrived at the center of the base where Angel and Arnok were waiting. Arnok's warriors were carrying a man by the arms. He didn't look like a soldier, and was dressed rather nicely. He was in fact the one in charge of Catena. Some of the slaves and soldiers had identified him when pressed about where the leader was. Currently, he was forced onto his knees. Boudica stood over him.

"You're the one giving orders here, yes?" she said. He looked up at her. "You can take all my money, slaves, whatever you want. Just let me go." He said. Boudica appeared amused at how quickly the man had capitulated.

"I won't let you go, but I will take those things anyway. Its not like you earned them anyway." She said.

"I acquired those slaves legally. They're my property." He replied. Her remark had apparently caused him to momentarily forget the danger he was in, and so he became defensive.

"Not anymore." She said.

"If you want to make an example of him, we should just flay him and put him on display." Arnok said. The man suddenly remembered the danger, and tried to run away, only to be restrained. Lisanna was disturbed by Arnok's suggestion, and even Angel looked a little uncomfortable. "While I appreciate the suggestion King Arnok, I don't think that's the message we want to send." Boudica replied.

"Well, you could always use him for 'enhancements'." Angel said, while side eying Lisanna. "You have said you want more warriors." Lisanna wasn't sure what that meant.

"I like the way you think. Although…" Boudica looked the man up and down. He was fat and balding and middle aged. "I'm not sure he would make the best candidate."

"You could just let me go, and I'll go live a peaceful life somewhere far away." The man suggested. Boudica laughed. "I don't think so. Just put him in a cell back in the valley for now. Let him rot for a while until we can think of something better." She said. The former slave master was carried off, facing a dire fate. He struggled a little, only to be punched in the head, at which point he stopped struggling. Boudica then turned her attention to a girl sitting on the ground over by a building. Her hands were tied, and she looked nervous. It was Pagan, who had survived the assault, but didn't escape.

"And take her too. She could be useful somehow." At hearing this, Pagan suddenly got up and made a run for it, even with her hands bound. Two of Boudica's followers tried to stop her, but she evaded them. But as she was running a few of the slaves suddenly tackled her and started beating her. She fell to the ground as they dogpiled her. Boudica and Arnok both looked amused by this. Lisanna felt like she should do something, but she wasn't sure who she should sympathize with. The slaves who had been abused and starved, or the defenseless girl who was being beaten into the ground.

"Alright, that's enough. Break them up." Boudica said. The slaves were suddenly pushed off of Pagan by some force, although not too forcefully. It was Seraiisa, who had used her telepathic push. "I assure you she'll be punished. I ask that you trust me on this." Boudica said to the slaves in an even voice. The slaves looked unsure, but backed off. Lisanna felt that the slaves might be a little intimidated by Boudica, especially with Arnok standing nearby. Lisanna also remembered that she herself might look a little frightening.

As the slaves huddled together, wary of the group that stormed in here, Seraiisa stepped forward. "Hey, everyone? Its okay, we're cool. We don't want to hurt you. We only hurt the guys running this place. Bad guys. We're the good guys." The little girl speaking to them so casually seemed to disarm them. A female slave in tattered clothes stepped forward slowly. She was carrying a young boy, close to Seraiisa's age. "My son, he's dying. Dead soon. He worked the mines. They made him. His lungs, hurt, he can't breathe. They say happens all the time, dead within week. Can you revenge him? Make them all pay?" She spoke in simple sentences, likely due to lack of education. Boudica stepped forward to respond.

"I can do better than that. Much better. But you need to trust me." Boudica knelt down. The woman fidgeted, reluctant to trust these strange outsiders. But Boudica put her hands on the boy's chest. Her hands began to glow with a golden light. After a minute, the glow ceased, and Boudica removed her hands. The boy, who looked like he was on the verge of death, began breathing normally. Color returned to his face. He sat up. The woman looked shocked, but then hugged her young son. She thanked Boudica profusely, and the other slaves who were watching got on their knees. One of them spoke. "You're… you are…."

"Why yes, I am." She said.


A short time later, Lisanna found herself following Boudica to a large building that was apparently used as a place of worship. Aside from being bigger than most of the other buildings, it didn't look that different. There wasn't really anything that made it look like a church or temple. Even the inside was somewhat plain looking, with some drab benches used for seating, and a pulpit of sorts for sermons. Oddly, the place seemed smaller on the inside than it looked on the outside.

Besides Lisanna, Seraiisa and Angel also accompanied Boudica, followed by a throng of the now freed slaves (Arnok had decided to sit this out, saying it didn't interest him). There was something Boudica had wanted to find here in Catena, and they had told her that this building was where to find it. But Lisanna was confused when she found that there didn't seem to be much there.

Boudica walked into the room, and headed straight back to the wall at the back. She walked up and knocked on it. It sounded hollow. Some of the slaves nodded at this. "This must be it." Boudica said. "It's definitely it, I can feel it." Seraiisa added. Lisanna felt confusion, not knowing what they were talking about.

Boudica took a few steps back from the wall. "Seraiisa, would you mind helping me tear this thing down?"

"I'm on it!" Seraiisa said enthusiastically. Seraiisa ran over, and stood beside Boudica. Boudica walked behind the young girl, and put her hands on her shoulders. Boudica began to glow, and the glow spread to Seraiisa. The girl lifted her hands and aimed them at the wall. She concentrated, and a powerful magical force erupted from her/them. The wooden wall was blown to splinters. Once the dust settled, everyone saw what was behind the wall.

It turned out there was more room in this building than initially appeared. There was a large space that had been sealed off, and in the middle of that space was a statue. It was a large statue, and it gave off a magical energy.

"What is that?" Lisanna asked, slowly stepping closer. Boudica turned to look back. "Hopefully, its something that will answer some of your questions, and allay your doubts. Come, look closer." Lisanna did as instructed. She walked up to the statue. She could feel the power emanating from it. As she walked up to it, she noticed that the statue looked familiar. That is to say, the person it was depicting looked familiar.

"Its you." Lisanna said. She said this to Boudica. "Why would they have a statue of you here?"

"Good question. What does it say at the base?" Boudica replied. Lisanna saw that there was a plaque with an inscription at the bottom. It read: "Boudica, our savior, daughter of Hyperion, the God of Light." It also had a date on it signifying when it was erected. It was dated about a thousand years ago. Lisanna had trouble comprehending what she was reading. "Daughter of… the god of light? A thousand years ago? What does this all mean?" she asked.

"It means what it says. I haven't seen this in, well, a thousand years, obviously. The original inhabitants of what is now Catena built it. I appreciated it so much that I imbued it with magical energy to make sure it stayed intact." At this point one of the slaves stepped forward. It was the woman that Boudica had helped. "I never saw statue before. But father did. And grandfather, and his father. They built wall here, they don't want us to worship you." The woman then got to her knees and cried. "Boudica. Mother. You came back."

Boudica walked over to her. "It's okay child, no tears. I'm here now. Everything will be better." Lisanna wore an incredulous expression on her face. "So, wait a minute. You're saying… hold on, you're saying that you… are a god?"

Boudica laughed softly. "Not quite. More like, half divine, and half mortal." Angel spoke up too. "She is the daughter of Hyperion, the god of light. So, essentially a demi-god, the next best thing to a god. Even better than an angel. Not that you would understand, you… wayward girl." Angel was about to say something more harsh, but held her tongue since Boudica was within earshot. "At any rate, she is divinity on Earth-Land, and our best hope for salvation. You should worship her."

"I need to sit down." Lisanna said. She sat down on one of the benches. She felt disoriented. This day had been one shock for her after another. She started to wonder if she was having some weird dream. Giant turtles, living gods, and… the boy she killed. There was a part of her that hoped it was just a dream.

While Lisanna was having these thoughts, Boudica replied to Angel, "Thank you Angel, but I want Lisanna to decide for herself how she feels."

"W-well, of course. I was just making a suggestion. That's all." Angel appeared cowed. Boudica smiled. "Its okay Angel. No harm done. I am not Jellal, or Brain. I welcome your opinions." Angel seemed to relax a little. Lisanna didn't even know who Brain and Jellal were. She was only half listening anyway.

Some time passed with the freed slaves gazing in wonder at the statue, and commenting, and asking questions. At some point, Boudica asked for some privacy. The freed slaves all left, and Boudica also asked Angel to leave and assist the others outside, which Angel reluctantly agreed to do. At that point, the only three people left in the place of worship were Boudica, Seraiisa, and Lisanna. Boudica cleared her throat.

"Lisanna, I think we should talk."


Lisanna suddenly noticed that she was alone with Boudica and Seraiisa. She looked around, and noticed that even Angel had left. She also noticed that, while this building wasn't that big, it felt a lot bigger now that everyone else had left.

"Umm…" Lisanna was trying to figure out if she missed something important while she was lost in thought.

"I said we should talk." Boudica repeated.

"Oh. I guess this must be important then." Lisanna said.

"Yes. About what happened today. And where we're going from here." Boudica replied. "I know that some of the events of today must have been difficult for you. The fighting, the deaths, the slavery in Catena. But Lisanna, we have a chance to do something great here. You can help Natsu, and Erza, and the world as a whole."

Lisanna sat there listening. She knew that Boudica had more to say, but Lisanna had something she needed to say too. "Before this goes any further, I want to know some things. I want to know who you really are, and where you come from. And I want to know about Fairy Tail. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. But I can't go along with this anymore if I don't know what's going on. So please, tell me."

Boudica lowered her head and folded her arms. She stood there for a minute in that pose. Lisanna felt a little anxious just waiting there in the quiet room like that. Seraiisa occupied herself by balancing on one of the benches and trying to walk across it. "Alright. I'll tell you, if that will make you feel better."

Boudica told Lisanna of how she and her companions had originally lived a thousand years earlier. She spoke of the alliance, and the war. She mentioned the experiments in reviving the dead, and later being banished to a shadow realm by the gods (or at least one of them). She also confirmed that while her mother was human, her father was the god Hyperion. Although, she didn't elaborate on that last part. Lisanna sat and listened intently. By this point, Seraiisa amused herself by trying to perfect a cat's cradle with some string, since this was all old information for her. After talking for a while, Boudica finished and waited for Lisanna's response.

"Is that everything?" she asked.

"It's the broad strokes at least. I'm sure there are others who could give you more information, or at least their opinion of events." Boudica said. Lisanna slowly stood up and stretched.

"Thank you for telling me that. This is a lot to take in. But I'm getting used to that. So look, I've thought about this, and I've decided that I'm going to continue helping you. I think what you're trying to do is good, even if I'm not sure about some of your friends. Besides, I did say that I would help Natsu. And I need to become stronger to do that. For him, and for Erza. I'm going to trust you and I hope I don't regret that. If I feel at any point that what you're doing is wrong, then I'll want to leave."

"I won't stop you, if that's really what you want." Boudica replied.

"You stopped me before, when I wanted to move freely." Lisanna responded. Since she had known Boudica, this was the first time she had questioned her like this.

"That was for your own good. You were confused and unaware of things. And there's your appearance as well. It would have been dangerous to let you roam on your own. But I think you've reached a point where you can probably take care of yourself. Keep in mind, you are still life bonded to Natsu. You depend on him to live, so you can't stray too far from him, lest you die. So, if you decided to leave us, then he would need to leave too. You would need to make sure he would want that."

Lisanna looked uncertain. "How far can I go?" Boudica shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. Several miles, perhaps."

"You're not sure? That doesn't sound very godly. No offense." Lisanna said.

"None taken. And I am only half divine." The other woman responded.

"Which is still pretty awesome." Seraiisa chimed in. "Look Lisanna, don't sweat the small stuff. Today we freed slaves and shut down this base. And eventually, we'll cure death. Isn't that what's important?"

"To achieve that, I need more power, and more followers." Boudica added. "So, just to clarify, you are staying with us?" Lisanna nodded.

"Yeah. I said I would. But there's one more thing I want to know about. Fairy Tail."

Boudica stepped closer, and looked at Lisanna plainly. "I told you about Fairy Tail."

"You told me they're evil. But… I have some good memories from there. Not a lot, but some."

"And bad ones?"

"Well, yes. Bad ones too. But is the guild as a whole really evil? Are they all bad? That just doesn't sound right to me." Lisanna unconsciously fidgeted as she said this. She was still confused about this subject.

"Hmm. Maybe it wouldn't be fair to say the entire guild is evil. But a few bad apples can spoil the whole bunch. If nothing else, their master is certainly an evil person. Do you remember anything about Fairy Tail's master?" Lisanna was caught off guard by this question. She tried to think of the master of the guild, but nothing came to mind. Not a face, not a name, nothing.

"I… don't remember Fairy Tail's master. At all." She admitted.

"Probably for the best. What about his son, or grandson? Do you remember them?" Lisanna answered in the negative again.

"They're even worse. Villainy runs in their family. Did you know that the magic council of Fiore has tried to shut down Fairy Tail on several occasions? Normally, that's the sort of thing reserved for a dark guild." Lisanna once again found herself off balance with this new information.

"I didn't know that. That does sound pretty bad. But my sister…"

"Yes, Mirajane. Maybe she can be saved. She's still quite young, and she could be turned around. Maybe I could try tracking her down for you." Lisanna looked surprised but a little happy to hear that. Seraiisa, standing behind Lisanna, also looked happy to hear this.

"And what about… you know, Elfman. Do you think he could be saved too?" Lisanna asked.

"Elfman…" Boudica considered, and looked at Seraiisa. The little girl scrunched up her nose and shook her head. "… I don't think he can be saved. I believe he's too far gone. I know you think you remember him as a cute child. Regardless of whether or not that's true, he grew up to be a monster. He's the reason you have those demon parts. Don't forget that." Again, this feeling of anger rose up in Lisanna. She tried to ignore it.

"I guess you're right." She said.

"Good. Anything else?" Boudica said. Lisanna said no. Boudica had answered Lisanna's most pressing questions, even if she still felt that Boudica was keeping something from her. But she decided to trust her all the same. Lisanna left the church. She had to prepare for the trek back to the valley. Boudica and Seraiisa told her they would return to the valley later on, since there was still more they had to take care of here.

After Lisanna had left, Boudica and Seraiisa stayed behind in the church. They were now alone. Boudica clapped her hands.

"So, Seraiisa, what did you think of today?" Boudica asked. Seraiisa smiled.

"Best birthday ever! We fought turtle dinosaurs and beat a small army using our magic. Oh, and we freed the slaves. That was nice too."

Boudica chuckled. "And what do you think of Lisanna? I'm impressed with her power, myself."

Seraiisa looked unsure. "Yeah, she's cool. She's gotten strong, and I like her. She asks a lot of questions though." The girl said.

"Yes, she is rather inquisitive. Too much so. Normally its easier for me to get people to just go along with me. As long as they're inclined to listen. She seems harder to manage though."

"Maybe it's the demon in her." Seraiisa suggested.

"Maybe. I do hope you appreciate my conceding to reach out to her sister. That will complicate things."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that, but I do like Mirajane. I want to be friends with her again, and I'd like to see her and Lisanna together. I know it's hard though."

Boudica sighed. "Its fine. I'll deal with it, one way or another. Why do I indulge you so?" Boudica said. Seraiisa put a finger to her chin.

"Hmm, because you love me?" She smiled a cute smile as she said it. Boudica smiled back, and knelt down.

"That must be it. I would do many things for you. I have many 'children' Seraiisa, but you are my only daughter." Boudica kissed her on the forehead. Seraiisa started to look uncharacteristically bashful.

"Thanks mom. I love you too." She hugged Boudica, and Boudica returned the hug. Alone together, mother and daughter embraced.


A short time later, Lisanna walked out of Catena accompanied by Sael and some of Boudica's followers. Boudica herself, along with Seraiisa and Angel, were staying behind for now to deal with the aftermath of the battle. Arnok had already left. Reinforcements were expected to arrive soon to help secure the base.

Lisanna walked back up the hill beside Sael, in his now beat-up chair. It was well into the afternoon by this point, and most of the clouds had burned off. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" he said conversationally. Lisanna turned her head to him. "Yeah, it is. I mean, if you ignore all the dead bodies and wreckage everywhere. Which I'm trying to do."

Sael nodded. "Yes, it's a good thing we're facing away from all that so we don't have to dwell on it." Lisanna looked at him to see if he meant that as a joke, but it seemed like he was being serious. After that, they walked for a minute in silence, when Lisanna decided to change the subject.

"I'm sorry about all your machines. Your metal animals and men, destroyed. I'm sure you worked hard on them." She said. Sael shrugged.

"Well, I knew there was a good chance that would happen. It was a battle, after all. That being said, I will need to improve them for the future. I do have a few assistants, so its not like I'd be doing it all alone. Actually, I think you might have inspired me a little." He said.

Lisanna tilted her head a little. "Inspired you how?"

"Those animal forms you changed into. Very interesting." He replied.

"Oh? You gonna make a machine based on one my of my forms?" she said.

"Maybe. Probably."

"Well, I'm flattered." After that, the conversation died down. Lisanna was aware that Sael was supposed to be a king of some once great civilization, although she didn't know the details. She considered asking him about it, but thought better of it. After a day like this, I'm not in the mood for another long story. Maybe some other time, she thought to herself. The two of them continued on back to the valley without incident, with the sun at their backs.


What Lisanna and Sael were not aware of, was that they were being watched. In the distance, behind a group of trees, a lone figure observed them. The observer had been in the vicinity for some time, and had gone unnoticed. As Lisanna and Sael, along with Boudica's followers trailing behind, moved back into the forest towards the valley, the figure watched them go. This person was the man known as Mystogan.

"So, the late Lisanna Strauss. And the so-called Shadow Kings. All here together. Very… interesting." Mystogan spoke to himself. He pulled out one of his staves, preparing to disappear. He spoke once more.

"The others need to know about this."


Endnotes: What a weird, long story I'm writing. Anyway, back to Magnolia City next chapter.

In case anyone is wondering, Natsu will have a bigger role in the story soon.