Mirajane stood on the ground floor of the guildhall, while looking up at the door to Lisanna's room. Lisanna had been staying at the guild for a few days now, along with Natsu. Makarov was still away for the moment, but was expected back soon. Things had been mostly quiet, although there was an undercurrent of unease in the guild. Gray hadn't said anything, but had mostly been keeping to himself. It was no secret that he was less than happy with the current situation. Mirajane only hoped that, in time, things would start to return to normal, or at least close to it. In the meantime…

"What do you think she's doing in there all day?" Elfman said, standing close by. Mirajane still stared up at the door.

"I don't know." Mirajane said. "She's been through a lot, so maybe she's just resting."

"Maybe I should go up and talk with her." He said. He sounded unsure. Elfman was normally pretty assertive, but when it came to Lisanna he tended to be more apprehensive about how to approach things.

"I'm sure she'll talk when she's ready." Mirajane said. "Maybe she just needs a little more time." It wasn't that Lisanna hadn't spoken to them at all. But it was mostly just small talk. So far, Lisanna hadn't wanted to talk about anything big, including what she had been doing the past several months. Mirajane reluctantly returned to her guild duties, and after a minute Elfman also walked away.

An hour passed by, and as Mirajane was serving tables she heard the door upstairs open. She stopped and looked up, seeing Lisanna step out. Lisanna stood there for a moment, looking down at everything. Then, she started walking down to the first floor. Mirajane smiled at her.

"Hi Lisanna, are you hungry? You want me to get you something?"

Lisanna stood there awkwardly a moment. "Uh, no thanks, not right now." She said. "Its kind of weird to see you waiting on tables and stuff. No offense."

"None taken." Mirajane said. "Its honest work, and it gives me something to do." She spoke with a cheery tone.

"Yeah, something to do." Lisanna said quietly. She stood there for a minute.

"Is something wrong?" Mirajane said. "Do you want to talk about something? We could go somewhere private."

"Ah, it's not a big deal. I was just wondering… I was thinking that I'd like to get out. See the town. Its been a long time, and I'd like to see how things have changed."

"Oh. Well, okay, that sounds fun. I know the master said that he wanted you to stay here, but you can't just stay locked up here. I can go with you. I think the master would be okay with that."

Lisanna looked a little uneasy. "Mira, I want to spend time with you, and talk about things. But right now… to be honest, I was kind of hoping to… well… just be alone for a little while…" Lisanna's speech trailed off.

"I see." Mirajane said. "That's okay. We can talk later." Mirajane didn't know exactly what Lisanna was thinking, but she didn't want to rush anything. "You don't have to go with me, or Elfman if you don't want to. But I think the master would be angry if I let you just leave by yourself. Someone has to escort you, I'm afraid."

"Oh. Well, I could take Natsu."

"Hah." Mirajane said, smiling a little awkwardly. "I know you want to spend time with him, but I think the master would be even more angry if I let the two of you leave together. Furious, even. It has to be someone else."

Lisanna looked disappointed, but nodded. "Who then?" Mirajane started thinking.

"I'm sure we'll find someone. We'll just ask around."

"I don't want to make a big deal out of it." Lisanna said. "Maybe we should just forget…"

As Lisanna was talking, Mirajane had already approached someone. Levy and Lucy were sitting at a table together. Mirajane went up to Levy.

"Hi Levy, mind if I ask you a favor?" Mirajane said.

"Uh, hi." Levy said. "I should probably ask what the favor is before I say yes. Not that I don't want to help, but…"

"Lisanna needs help with something." Mirajane said. "She wants to go out and take a walk around town. Nothing big. But the master wouldn't like it if I let her leave alone, so I was wondering if you could go with her?"

Levy raised an eyebrow. "Don't you want to go with her? I mean, she is your sister."

"Yeah, well…" Mirajane said.

"Mirajane has a lot of responsibilities, and I don't want to take her away from them." Lisanna interjected. Mirajane glanced at her sister, and Lisanna shrugged.

"The thing is, I kind of made plans for today myself." Levy said. "I've been working a lot lately, so today I kind of wanted to catch up on some stuff. But I should be free tomorrow."

"Its fine, Its not that important." Lisanna said. "Maybe I can find a book to read."

"Why are you asking Levy?" a voice said. Everyone was surprised by this, and saw someone step out of a shadow in the corner. It was Natsu.

"Natsu, how long have you been there?" Lucy said.

Natsu shrugged. "A while. I was sleeping, but your talking woke me up."

"You were sleeping in the corner? Why?" Levy asked.

"I got bored." He said simply. Lisanna giggled a little.

"Anyway, why don't I just go with you?" he asked. Lisanna and Mirajane explained the situation to him. Natsu looked annoyed for a moment. But then he relaxed a little.

"Yeah, I guess I see his point." He said. "Okay, then Lucy can go with you."

"What?" Lucy squeaked.

"You're not doing anything, right?" Natsu said.

"Well, no…" Lucy replied.

"Are you sure Lucy's the best choice?" Mirajane said.

"Why not?" Natsu said. "I trust Lucy, and she's not busy. You're up for it, right?" he said to her.

"…Sure. Sounds like fun." She said. Lucy's face didn't match her words. Levy gave Lucy a sympathetic look. Lisanna gave Mirajane a concerned look. Mirajane tried to think of something to say.

"Well… have fun!" was what she said.


A short time later, Levy sat and watched as Lucy and Lisanna left the guild together, ostensibly going out just for some mundane sightseeing around town. I hope they'll be okay together, she thought. Levy had also noticed Wendy nearby, watching the whole thing, and called her over.

"Wendy, how's it going?" Levy said.

"I'm good." Wendy said, still glancing at the two young women leaving.

"Do you want to go with them? You can probably still catch them."

Wendy shook her head. "I don't think so. I get the feeling Lisanna would rather just be alone. I don't think she even wants Lucy there."

Levy chuckled. "They just don't know each other. So, it's a little awkward. Plus other things."

"Other things?" Wendy said.

"Oh well…" Levy looked a little uncomfortable now. "I don't know if I should tell you, you're so young. Let's just say, Lisanna has feelings for someone."

"You mean Natsu?" Wendy said.

"Yeah, you noticed too?"

"Hard not to. I've seen them holding hands and stuff."

"Yeah, but there's more. Lucy also has feelings for someone."

"Natsu again?" Wendy said.

"Yeah, now how'd you know that?" Levy said.

"It just seemed like where you were going." Wendy said.

"You're pretty quick. Good for you. Anyway, I think this could cause problems between them."

"Do you think he knows she likes him?" Wendy asked.

"You mean Lucy?" Levy said. "I doubt it. He always just seemed to see her as a friend. Maybe he wasn't ready for a relationship…" Levy seemed like she was about to say more, but someone else interjected.

"I would be more worried about Gray Fullbuster." Mystogan said from behind them. Wendy flinched.

"Woah, don't do that." Levy said. "Do you really need to keep up this mysterious ninja act?"

"Its how I've lived for a long time now." He said.

"Hmmm. We'll need to talk about that." Levy said. "In the meantime, what was that about Gray?"

"He seems to have a lot of animosity towards Natsu." Mystogan said.

"That's not new though." Levy said. "Its been like that for a long time."

"Yes, but it seems to be worse now." He said. "And Lisanna being back, thanks to Natsu, complicates things as well."

Levy put her hand to her chin. "I have noticed that Gray's been off for a while now. I mean, I can't really blame him with everything that's happened. He does need to chill out though."

"I haven't known him as long as you guys, but he was nice to me." Wendy said. "He said he wanted to be my friend."

"I'm sure he is." Mystogan said. "I'm only expressing concern for his behavior of late. Although, truth be told, I've never actually spoken to him directly, so I might not be the best judge."

Wendy seemed to consider this for a moment. "Hey Mystogan, I don't mean to sound rude, but I was wondering why you're here now. Are you working on something with Levy again?"

Mystogan exchanged a glance with Levy. Levy cleared her throat. "Actually Wendy, Mystogan and I are going on a date. Aren't we?" She looked at Mystogan. He didn't look embarrassed exactly, but he did look a little uncomfortable. He wasn't wearing his mask, as he had been doing that less inside the guildhall lately. He still usually wore it outside though.

"Yes." Was all he said.

"I knew it. I knew you two liked each other." Wendy said.

"Yeah, but don't spread it around just yet." Levy said. "Its no one else's business, at least for the moment."

"Okay, but we were just talking about other people behind their back." Wendy said.

"Out of concern!" Levy said.

Wendy smiled, and put her hands behind her back. "It's okay, I'm not gonna say anything."

"Good." Levy said. "Now, I need to get ready." With that, Wendy turned and walked away to go find Carla.


Lucy walked down the street with Lisanna, just the two of them. Lucy was wearing a short skirt with a blouse, suitable for a spring day. Lisanna was dressed a little more conservatively, if only out of necessity. It was decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to let people see her demon limbs, and it also wouldn't be a good idea for her or Natsu to be recognized in general. After all, they had fought with the rune knights and border guards, so they might be fugitives now. Makarov wanted to keep the fact that they were staying at Fairy Tail a secret as long as possible.

Accordingly, Lisanna was wearing pants to cover her legs. She also wore a tank top, but with gloves and wraps on her arms to cover them up. Finally, she wore a pair of sunglasses to cover her eyes.

"Do I look… conspicuous?" Lisanna said, turning to Lucy.

"No, you look good." Lucy said. "I mean, I guess if someone knew you, they might recognize you up close." Not many people had Lisanna's white hair color, and it could make her stand out in a crowd. Lisanna just nodded at Lucy's remark.

"I guess its getting a little warm to wear a hood and jacket." Lucy continued. "Maybe we could find you a hat somewhere."

"I don't really have any money." Lisanna said.

"That's okay, I can buy you one. Nothing too expensive though, I'm kind of on a budget."

Lisanna nodded again, but didn't say anything. The two of them walked into a shopping district, and looked around at different wares. It was moderately busy there, but not especially so. They saw various clothes, but had trouble locating a hat that would hide Lisanna's face. Lucy made an attempt at small talk, but with little success. Lisanna would occasionally give a brief response, but Lucy ended up doing most of the talking. She was starting to feel a little awkward about it, especially since she didn't really know Lisanna, and didn't have anyone else with her to act as a buffer.

"So… some weather we're having, huh?" Lucy said. "It sure is sunny today." At first Lisanna said nothing. Lucy was feeling increasingly awkward. Lisanna then suddenly turned to Lucy and said something.

"Lucy… how do you feel about Natsu?" she said.

Lucy opened her mouth, but her voice faltered. "Ah, uh, how do I feel? What do you mean?"

Lisanna looked directly at Lucy. Though she wore sunglasses, Lisanna obviously had a solemn expression. "I mean, what kind of relationship do you have with him?"

Lucy wasn't sure what spurred this, but it made her feel uncomfortable. "Well, we're… we're friends. We were part of a team together, and we became good friends."

Lisanna stood there a moment, absorbing what Lucy said. "Were you ever more than friends? Like, did you date?"

"No." Lucy said, sputtering a little. "No, we didn't, we didn't do anything like that." She laughed a little. She tried to think of another subject to change to.

"Natsu told me some things." Lisanna said. "Some of the stories he told me, made me think that… maybe you had feelings for him. I don't know if Natsu was aware though." Lucy didn't respond, so Lisanna continued. "Anyway, I just want you to know that if you do, have feelings for him I mean, then I won't stand in your way. You can do what you want."

Lucy was so surprised by this that she forgot about any embarrassment or awkwardness. "What do you mean? I… I kind of got the feeling that you two were… I don't know. Together." Lucy looked down at the ground.

Lisanna looked at Lucy for a moment longer, and then looked away. She put her fingers to her eyes, and lifted her shades a little. She moved her fingers across her closed eyes and then replaced the glasses. Is she crying? Lucy thought.

"Lucy…" Lisanna said. "I like Natsu. In fact… I think I'm falling in love with him." Lucy was surprised by the bluntness of what Lisanna was saying, but waited for her to continue.

"I want to be with him." Lisanna continued. "But… he deserves better.. Not a monster. Like me."

"Um… I don't think you look that bad." Lucy said. "You're pretty. And your hands, you can cover them. And Natsu probably wouldn't care…" Lucy trailed off. She felt conflicted about this conversation.

Lisanna shook her head. "You don't understand. Its not just how I look. I've been thinking these last few days. When I was in Bosco, I did things… that I'm not proud of. I hurt people. I don't know If I can forgive myself. And Natsu… I want him to be happy. So, he deserves someone better than me. Someone who wouldn't do those things. Someone like you."

Lucy didn't know how to respond. She just stood there for a minute, as other people passed them by. "Lisanna, whatever you did, I'm sure you had your reasons. We've all done things we regret." Lucy knew it was kind of weak, but she didn't know the details, and Lisanna's offer to step aside for Lucy caught her off guard.

"Could we go somewhere a little more private?" Lucy said.

"Sure." Lisanna said. Lucy found a dark corner near an alley, and Lisanna followed. They were away from the crowd, and it was quieter. Lisanna removed her sunglasses.

"I want to ask you something." Lucy said. Since Lisanna was being so frank with her, Lucy decided she had to be direct too. "What kind of relationship do you have with Natsu? Be honest."

Lisanna hesitated for a moment. "I've spent a lot of time with him over the past few months. Not as much as I would have liked. But he and I… We got close. Maybe too close."

Lucy wasn't sure how to respond next. She wasn't expecting this conversation at all. If they were with a group, then Lucy would probably just pass the buck to someone else. But that wasn't an option here. She also couldn't just change the subject, given how upset Lisanna seemed. "Lisanna, I don't really know you, and I don't want to ask a lot of personal questions. But it seems like you and Natsu… well, you two seem close. And I don't think he's thinking about me right now. I've seen how he looks at you." Lucy trailed off. She knew she could be handling this better, but she was still young and inexperienced, and wasn't sure what to say. Not to mention the awkwardness. Lucy wasn't sure why she was saying this, since she didn't want Natsu to be with someone else. But she just felt compelled. She couldn't help looking away for a minute. She waited for Lisanna to speak. When she didn't, Lucy looked at Lisanna again, and noticed Lisanna's expression had changed, and she had put up her fists. For a second Lucy thought that maybe Lisanna had gotten angry at her. But then she noticed that Lisanna wasn't looking at her. Lucy turned, and saw who Lisanna was looking at.

Several yards away stood a man in a mask, carrying a stave. It was not Mystogan.

"Torq." Lisanna said. Lucy had never met the man before, but had heard of him.

"If he's here, then…" Lisanna said, looking around. She saw something coming from the alley. Two more men. Lucy saw a middle aged man, and a man with maroon hair and a cocky grin.

"Nikodias and Cobra." Lisanna said in a low voice to Lucy. "Cobra's a dragon slayer."

"He is?" said Lucy, a tinge of worry in her voice. "I'm guessing they're not just here to chat. What are the chances we can beat them?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Lisanna said.

"I can hear you, you know." Cobra said, stepping forward. Lucy reached for her keys. Cobra smiled. "I wouldn't, girlie." Lucy kept her hand at her keys, but didn't make any immediate moves. Since Lisanna was more familiar with them, Lucy decided to wait to see what Lisanna did.


"Lisanna, it is good to see you again." Nikodias said. "You left so abruptly. We were worried about you, and Natsu."

Lisanna felt tempted to make a sarcastic comment. But sarcasm and witty retorts were never her thing, so instead she just glared. She noticed that Nikodias was holding a lacrima.

"Ah, you noticed." Nikodias said. "You see, I actually wanted to talk to you reasonably. I didn't come here for violence, I just want you to understand that you are making a mistake, and would be better off coming back with us."

"I don't think so." Lisanna said. She still wasn't feeling clever, so just left it at that. Nikodias held up a hand.

"I know that you and I never spoke very much, and you probably wouldn't want to listen to me. But there's someone I think you may want to talk to." He raised the lacrima a little. The surface began to change, and suddenly the image of Boudica appeared inside it.

"Lisanna, there you are." Boudica said. Lisanna hesitated. She hadn't expected this.

"I'm not going back." Lisanna said simply.

"Don't be so quick to say that. You're confused." Boudica said.

"No, I'm not! Stop telling me how I feel. I left with Natsu to get away from you and come back to my family."

"You think those people care about you?" Boudica asked.

Lisanna shook her head. "I don't care what you say. I'm here now, and you're not. You can't hurt me."

Boudica raised her eyebrows. "First of all, I never said that I wanted to hurt you. And second…" At this point, the lacrima flickered, and the image dimmed. The image went blank. But then, Boudica appeared again, not in the lacrima, but standing in front of Lisanna. She stood there, arms folded, looking down at Lisanna. Lisanna gasped, and backed up a step, almost stumbling.

"You…" Lisanna said. Lisanna looked at the form of Boudica, and realized something was off.

"Its an illusion." Lisanna said.

"Not an illusion." Boudica said. "You are speaking to me. It is true though, that I'm not physically present."

"How…?" Lisanna said.

"It doesn't matter how. Just know that my power has grown since last we spoke. But I don't want you to feel threatened. I want you to come back to me. To us. I know your siblings are important to you. We could still work something out with Mirajane. Maybe even Elfman."

Lisanna put a hand to her head, and then shook her head. "No. I don't believe you. I won't listen to your lies anymore."

Boudica frowned. "Lisanna, I never lied to you."

"You told me Fairy Tail was evil, and that my brother killed me on purpose." Lisanna was attempting to keep her voice restrained, but there was a noticeable edge to it.

"I told you that Fairy Tail had gotten in trouble with the magic council and broken several laws, which is true. I told you that your brother killed you, which is also true. And if I said it was on purpose, then I only based that off of your own words and feelings."

"That's… not true." Lisanna replied.

"Leave her alone." Lucy said.

"You've been confused ever since you came back." Boudica said, ignoring Lucy. Lisanna's expression was torn somewhere between hurt and anger. Lucy walked up and stood in front of Boudica, or rather her image.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." Lucy said. "She doesn't want anything to do with you, so go away."

Boudica now looked at Lucy. "You bother me, child." Out of the corner of her eye, Lisanna noticed Torq begin walking towards Lucy. He held his stave. Lisanna knew what that meant.

"Lucy." Lisanna said. Lucy turned and looked, noticing Torq. She backed up a step, closer to Nikodias. Torq hesitated. Lisanna knew that Torq could use his magic in a certain radius (so long as he had the stave), but with Lucy so close to Nikodias, it would be risky. She decided that running might be a good idea. Torq's empath magic was debilitating, and Cobra was a dragon slayer. If it were just Torq alone, they could probably take him. Maybe even Cobra alone, they might stand a chance. But both together?

"How about I take care of this?" Cobra said.

"No killing." Boudica said.

"I know." Cobra said. "And he wouldn't let me take Cubellios here either." He said, pointing a thumb at Nikodias. "But even with those restrictions, this should still be easy."

"So, this is who you really are?" Lisanna said, looking at Boudica.

"You're forcing my hand." Boudica said. Cobra advanced towards Lisanna. She prepared to transform.

"Your animal shapes won't help you." He said. Lisanna hoped he was wrong. Suddenly, she heard a sound. It was Lucy. She saw Lucy struggling against Nikodias, who had grabbed her.

"Let me go!" she said.

"I'm afraid you're getting in the way." He said.

Lucy kicked him in the leg, causing him to let go. She then quickly used one of her keys.

"Loke!" she said. He appeared in front of her.

"This guy bothering you?" Loke said, standing before her once again. Nikodias stood facing Loke. He reached into his shirt for something. Loke didn't wait to see what it was and punched the man in the face, hard. Nikodias fell to the ground. An angry, guttural sound could be heard nearby. It was Torq. He suddenly started running towards them, and held up the stave. As he lifted it, Lucy used her whip to hook it, causing Torq to stumble. He struggled, trying to release the stave from the whip. Loke rushed over and kicked the stave, breaking it in two. Torq looked confused. Before he could react, Loke punched him in the stomach, causing him to stumble back. Loke followed it up with a jumping kick, hitting Torq in the face, and smashing one of the lenses he wore over his eyes. Torq howled and fell to his knees, clutching his face. Blood began to seep between his fingers.

"Good job Loke!" Lucy said.

Boudica's expression was one of pure anger. She looked at Lucy, and Loke. "You'll pay for that, little girl. You and your pet."

"If only you were here right now so you could actually do something." Loke said, egging her on. Lucy laughed smugly.

Boudica turned to Cobra, and pointed at Lucy. "Kill her, now."

"I thought you'd never ask." Cobra said.

"I won't let you." Lisanna said.

Cobra laughed. "I can take you both. But if you want to try stopping me, that could be fun too."

Lisanna thought of a form to take, but kept second guessing it, especially considering Cobra's abilities. Meanwhile, Loke started circling around Cobra. Cobra tensed, getting ready to attack. And then…

"Hey, stop right there, all of you!" someone said nearby. Everyone stopped and turned. On the street stood several people in uniforms. Rune Knights.

"Put your hands in the air and identify yourselves right now." One of them said.

"You're going to have to leave now, I'm afraid." Boudica said to Cobra. Her tone sounded displeased.

"Ah come on, I'm not worried about them." Cobra said.

"You worry too little." Boudica said. "Take my family out of there now."

"Yeah, sure." He said, disappointed. "Maybe next time." He said to Lucy, who glared at him. He moved over to where the injured Torq was.

Lisanna moved close to Lucy. "Hey, who are you?" a knight said in the distance. They began moving closer.

"They might recognize me." Lisanna said.

"I guess running isn't an option?" Lucy said.

"I have another idea." Lisanna said. "I'll change into a different form."

"How will that help?" Lucy asked.

"Please trust me. And don't get scared."

"Scared?"

With that, Lisanna swiftly began her change into an animal form. One which would hopefully help her. The two of them had moved back slightly into the shade, so the knights couldn't clearly see yet. Lisanna changed, and when Lucy saw it, she did feel scared. Part of her was even tempted to run, but she stood her ground, as uncomfortable as it was. As two knights approached them, they looked at Lucy and Lisanna. Or rather, they looked at Lucy holding a rat. A large, green rat. Lucy looked uncomfortable, and a little sick.

"What are you doing here?" One knight said. "And why are you holding that thing?"

"Me?" Lucy said. "I was just minding my own business, taking my… rat for a walk. Then these guys attacked me."

The Knight looked a little skeptical, but before he could question her further, Cobra launched a cloud of venom at the soldiers. The ones closest to him screamed, and the others all turned their attention to him and brandished their weapons. Cobra retreated with Nikodias and Torq, and the knights pursued. Lucy didn't wait another second. She ran. She ran as fast as she could back to the guild, holding Lisanna while trying not to drop her or think about her current body. When they were just a block away from Fairy Tail, Lucy stopped, out of breath. Lisanna transformed back.

"Did we do the right thing by running?" Lisanna asked. "Maybe we should have stayed to help."

"You said before that you were a fugitive, right?" Lucy said. "That's why you didn't want them to see you."

"Yeah. Still…"

"Besides, they ran away, so there wasn't anything we could do unless we decided to chase after them. I guess we could have."

"No, you're right." Lisanna said. "That probably would have ended badly." They both just stood there for a moment. "Thanks for helping me escape."

"Don't mention it." Lucy said, seeming distracted. "We should probably get back to the guild now." The talk died there, and they both made their way back to Fairy Tail to tell everyone what happened.


Levy looked down on the quiet street below, the cool wind gently blowing around her. She had never been to this part of the city before. It was a quiet part of Magnolia, but also a lonely part. Not many people lived there anymore. Not because it was dangerous, but more for mundane economic reasons. The houses were nice (or had been at one time), and fairly large, but a fair number of them had been abandoned for some time. Including the house Levy was standing on. She stood on the roof, observing the deserted street below. Levy and Mystogan had been out together for the better part of the day. And now, he had led her here, to this place.

"Somehow I pictured you living in a cave or forest somewhere." Levy said. "But this makes sense too."

"I wouldn't exactly say that I live here." Mystogan said, standing behind her, on her right side. "I stay here sometimes, when I need to rest someplace in Magnolia. But there are a few other places I stay as well, farther away."

Levy turned to look at him. His mask was off, and his blue hair swayed slightly in the wind. "You always sound so formal, and serious." She said in a half teasing tone. "You need to lighten up a little."

"Maybe you're right." He said, looking out at the city. "There's just been so much that's happened over the past year. It hasn't been a happy time."

Levy walked over to his side. She followed his gaze to the street vaguely lit by magic lights, and the overgrown lawns and trees around. It made for a kind of cozy atmosphere with just the two of them there. Although, if Levy were there alone then she'd probably find it a little eerie.

"I know." She said. "It's been hard. But its not good to just dwell on dark stuff all the time. You've got to try to enjoy life a little."

He turned to face her. "I am." He said. "That's why I brought you here."

"Oh." She said. She suddenly felt a little self-conscious. "What did you have in mind?" she asked with some nervousness.

He smiled. "I just wanted to show you this place. I've never brought anyone here before. Its not really my home. The house has been abandoned for a few years now. So, I just use it as an occasional sanctuary. But if you ever want to come back here again, I can show you inside."

"I see." She said. She stood there for a minute, thinking over his words. "You know, it's getting a little late now. I think we can…"

"Go back to the guild." He finished for her.

"Actually…" she said. "I was thinking…" She took a step forward, but mis stepped and stumbled. Mystogan caught her, holding her arms, and pulled her upright.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks. That's what I get for wearing high heels." She said. Only because I'm so short, she thought silently. When she looked up, she noticed Mystogan looking directly at her. He still held her. Their faces were close. Levy blushed a little. They both seemed to be lost in the moment, just looking at each other. And it seemed like they were moving closer. Levy realized what was about to happen. Her first instinct was to pull away. But she remembered her own words. You've got to try to enjoy life a little. She decided to just go with that last thought, and not think about it any further. Before she could second guess it, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

She closed her eyes, and made an effort not to think. After a moment, she didn't need to make an effort, as she couldn't think about anything else. Just the sensation. It wasn't the most elegant or passionate kiss. But it was their first kiss, and that made it special. Levy felt the air moving around her. Moving surprisingly hard, actually. She pulled back from Mystogan as the wind started blowing more strongly than before.

"Wow!" she said. "I mean, it's gotten pretty breezy, huh?" Levy looked him in the eye, although she could feel heat rising in her face. This was new for her. At the same time, she felt the wind blowing through her skirt.

"It looks like its time to head back." He said.

"I actually wouldn't mind seeing inside the house. I mean, if you feel like it." She made an effort to sound casual, but found it harder to maintain eye contact. Mystogan appeared to consider for just a second, and then nodded.

"I didn't think you would be interested." He said. "But I'd happy to show you around." He led her over to a stairway leading down to the entrance.


Levy followed Mystogan into the house. She felt a little weird about this, since he was technically a squatter there. Still, if no one had officially lived there for years, then it was a victimless crime. That's how Levy rationalized it. When they first entered, it was dark. Mystogan lit a candle on the wall, partially illuminating the room. It somehow seemed larger inside than it did outside. There was a large living room, and close by was a kitchen. The floors were hardwood, and there was a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It wasn't a mansion, but it was the sort of place you would need a good living to afford.

The opulent appearance of the house was offset by the fact that it was very sparsely furnished. As far as Levy could see, there were only a couple of chairs, a table, and not much else. There was a bedroll near one of the walls, which suggested that there wasn't even an actual bed there. Levy walked around the room, appreciating the size of it, even if there wasn't much else to appreciate, what with the lack of light and furniture.

"So, this is where you live." Levy said.

"As I said, I don't actually spend a lot of time here." Mystogan answered. "I come here when I feel I need to stay close to the guild. Its not that I don't have any money saved up. But I've had to hide my identity for so long now. I don't think it would be a good idea for me to own property, or stay in one place too long. But it seems like lately I've been breaking that second rule."

Levy turned around and faced him from several feet away. "Well, I'm glad you did. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten to know you. And we probably wouldn't be here right now. I'm glad I got to spend some time with you."

Mystogan looked down at the floor with a heavy expression.

"What's wrong?" Levy asked.

"If I'm being honest, there were a few times recently when I considered leaving again." He said. "Not because I don't enjoy being with you. Its more out of self-preservation. Maybe that's selfish. But that's how It's been for me for so long."

Levy listened to him. She wasn't exactly surprised by what he said. In truth, she had half expected him to leave at any time, even though she had grown to enjoy his company. But now, she was starting to feel like maybe that wasn't good enough for her.

"I guess I'm selfish too then, because… I want you to stay." She said. "I know there's a risk. But maybe the magic council will be too distracted with the current crises to care about you."

"We can't count on that." He said.

"And even if they do come for you…" she continued. "We'll just convince them that you're not Jellal Fernandes. He's dead. You shouldn't have to pay for his crimes."

"I agree, but I can't say it would be that easy."

Levy approached him slowly, looking up at him. "I can't make you stay. I know it's your choice."

Mystogan looked at her, emotion creeping into his usually stoic face. "If you ask me to stay, then I will."

Levy's eyes grew wide, knowing the weight of this. "Can I be that selfish?"

"We've agreed that we're both selfish. This time you can be selfish. I'll be selfish later."

She smiled. "Then I'm asking you to stay."

He reached his arms out and put them around her. "Then I will, for you." She hugged him back. They stood there for a long moment. They started to pull away, and then looked at each other. They moved back in, kissing for a second time. And then again.

"For as long as you want." He whispered.


Several hours had passed since Lisanna and Lucy's adventure in town earlier. It was now dark, and most people in Fairy Tail had heard about what happened. Natsu was angry naturally, and wanted to fight. But there was no telling where the attackers were now. Lisanna didn't even know if they were still in the city or not.

Lisanna was sitting up on the second floor of the guild, looking down at the activities on the first floor. Something she had taken to doing regularly recently. In this case, she was at least partially watching Natsu, who was down on the first floor, being anti-social and brooding alone. Lisanna wanted to go down and be with him, and comfort him. But there was something holding her back from doing so. She recalled her conversation with Lucy earlier. Even though she barely knew Lucy, she had told her private thoughts that she had kept hidden, even from Natsu. Lisanna had felt the need to tell someone, and it was somehow easier saying it to Lucy than to Natsu. Ironically, she found herself wondering what he was thinking.

Natsu suddenly looked up, noticing her. It looked like he wanted to talk to her. She waved at him, and then wandered off away from the railing. She headed back to her room. She felt bad about not saying anything to him, but she wasn't ready to talk to him yet. Only recently, she had planned on professing her love to him. But now, she felt she might have to say something altogether different. She still needed more time to think things through. She knew that whatever she ended up saying to him would change things between them for good.