Dear Readers,

Desna owns the Pradesh Family. Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail. Is this news to anybody? :P

All hail my beta: GoddessxNyte2

Enjoy!

After the memory started, Lucy found she couldn't witness it again. Couldn't relive it. The way he brought the recollection to the surface was like she was right back there, in the middle of those emotions, feeling every bit of pain all over again. Maybe it was different for the others. Or she hoped so, at least.

But for her part, she… just couldn't handle it again. Nor the looks of pity she was sure she'd get from everyone else.

So, she asked Kaleb to kindly remove her from the link, and left. Maybe the physical distance from everyone else while they witnessed the single most painful moments of her life would keep her from feeling that pain all over again.

It didn't work, but she found that looking out over the Grass Sea while trying desperately to forget her interaction with Fallen Star was better than watching everyone witness some of her weakest moments.

Zen, he handled it… very poorly. If there was any question that their magic was still connected, well, there was no longer any doubt. He felt his magic stirring under the surface of his skin, fluctuating as he witnessed the woman who'd saved his life being tortured. Halfway through the memory, he'd grit his teeth and asked Kaleb to remove him from the link, because he was certain if he didn't find a way to release his magic he'd do so accidentally, and destroy the home he'd found with his family.

Kaleb, witnessing the memory in full for the first time, was pale and his fists were clenched, but he nodded anyway and released Zen's mind from the link. The former gladiator escaped out the back door quickly, immediately running toward the beach so he could release his magic safely.

Everyone else managed to last the entire memory. Once they'd seen Makarov cast Fairy Law and the memory faded from their minds, none of them found it easy to digest.

Xally, she'd seen countless battle wounds while working her healing magic, and during her training to become a doctor, but…witnessing it happen first hand, to someone she had recently come to truly like and greatly respect, it made her sick. Literally. She ran to the bathroom to expel her breakfast.

Bickslow was taking it the worst, and really, that made sense. He'd known her the longest, after all. And he'd blamed her for leaving, had been so angry when she told him the truth, that she'd lied to everyone to run off out of some misplaced sense of guilt.

Now? Still, she could have found another way to handle it, but… he couldn't blame her for making the decision she did. How could he? He'd seen the plan form in her mind, seen how guilty she felt for everything, how much she wanted to spare them further pain. How determined she was to get stronger, to protect everyone.

Maybe she was wrong, but she'd been through hell, and all she wanted when she came out the other side, broken and hurt, was to protect everyone else.

Bickslow didn't wait to chat with everyone about the information they'd gotten. He left. He had to find a cosplayer, to apologize for how he'd judged her. To give her a hug and tell her that he understood, and would stick by her side from here out.

Vander, for all his joking and making passes at the woman, had come to respect her. How could he not? He'd walked into a devastated, bloodied battlefield that had been almost entirely her doing, and walked out with the brother he thought they'd all lost. And just a year ago, she'd been weakened, broken, bloody, and bruised herself, and had protected her spirits even when she was sure it would cost her own life. Vander was a terrifying mage when given proper motivation.

And he'd just been handed the only motivation he'd need in order to find this guild she'd been looking for. If he wasn't sure he wanted to help take them out before, he certainly was now.

Emzadi was heated. Literally. Trying to hold onto her magic, fighting it in a way she'd not had to in years. Cris seemed to be in a similar state. Both decided that claiming the woman as kin couldn't wait much longer - their dragons were being particularly demanding about it now, and neither could find a reason not to. They'd just witnessed how far she would go to protect her family.

Erik would have been literally spitting poison, but thankfully, he'd heard it before. In the late hours when her nightmares took hold and she shouted in her sleep. He'd asked her about it, and similar to now, she'd showed him what had happened. She pulled her magic from maintaining her bonds and let the memory flow through her mind.

He'd melted every tree they came across for three miles. Now, though, he was doing what he could to make sure the two raging dragons didn't destroy the entire mansion by dragging them both out of the house until they could find Lucy and claim her.

Arman didn't dwell on the memory, and neither did Farron. They were unbelievably angry, but they did what they do best: get things done. Arman walked to his office, Farron just steps behind him, both calling in favors to track down the dark guild. Arman… may or may not have been getting things set up for when it was all over, so he could get Lucy's name cleared.

Kaleb found himself impressed with Lucy's conviction. He had held something of a grudge against her for having hurt his brother so profoundly, but he didn't any longer. He knew Bix didn't resent her either. Right or wrong didn't matter, she'd made her decision to protect them. Kaleb… couldn't say he'd have made a different decision in the same situation. In that aspect, he and Lucy were similar. They'd take pain if it meant their families were spared of it.

"Van," Kaleb started, "You have any ideas about that guild?"

Across from him, in a rare show of seriousness, Van shook his head, "No. Not yet, but we'll find them," the shadowquip's expression turned playful, "You couldn't find Stella, but you're bound to have better luck with an entire guild."

Kaleb rolled his eyes.

Lucy watched from the balcony as Zen left the house a few minutes after she had. He glanced in her direction, taking in her form briefly as if to reassure himself that she was really there, but made no move to approach her. He gave her a nod and she felt his magic as his wings manifested, and he took off toward the beach and started attacking the air.

If she wasn't so emotionally exhausted, she might have joined him. Oddly enough, over the last year she'd found that training was actually… satisfying. Something she never thought she'd be the one to admit. But it gave her a clarity she craved when the world around her got crazy.

Instead of joining him, she just closed her eyes and focused on Aquarius' magic. Feeling the water a hundred yards away, and letting its natural flow and calming feeling relax her.

"Cosplayer," she heard Bix speak up behind her. She'd known he was there, but didn't want to face the pity she was sure she'd see on his face. She made no move to respond, but did take a step to the side to give him room on the balcony to join her. He did so.

"I… I'm sorry."

She glared at him, ready to tell him off for feeling sorry for her, but the look in his eyes threw her off. He didn't look like he pitied her, he looked… upset with himself?

"I judged you, you know. When you left. I didn't believe it all, not really, and when I got some distance from the situation I didn't believe it at all. But I was pissed. At you, for leaving me and the rest of us behind. For whatever the fuck it was you decided was more important than the family we'd all built together."

"Bix, you had every right-"

"No, Lucy, I didn't. You know why I always valued your friendship so much?"

Lucy smiled, "Because I'm awesome?"

Bickslow's serious expression cracked, and he gave her a tongue-lolling grin, "That, too. But really, it was because you were one of the few people who didn't judge me. For my culture being so opposite of Fiore's, or for my magic, or for my fucked up sense of humor. You just accepted me, no questions, ya know? It was the same for the rest of the Legion. But…" he turned serious again, "I judged you, but after seeing that, I get why you left. And I'm sorry I didn't give you the benefit of the doubt."

The celestial mage smacked him lightly, "I did try really hard to make an enemy of myself, Bixy. Don't beat yourself up. Let's just call it even, yeah?"

He pulled her into a crushing hug, a hand on her shoulders and the other on her head, pulling her into his chest, "Yeah, alright, Cosplayer."

The rest of the day, Lucy was given a reprieve from questions. She talked to most everyone individually, but not for long. She was too deep in thought, planning her next move, to really focus on a conversation.

She did find it odd that she didn't see pity in anyone's eyes, but she was extremely grateful for it.

It wasn't until she retreated back to the guest room that she caught up with Erik. She'd just finished a bath and put on a T-Shirt and pajama shorts when he walked in her room.

"Hey Tink," he greeted, grabbing the hairbrush from her hands and taking over the task.

He gave up after a second and tossed the hairbrush across the room. Lucy laughed, retrieving it and settling back on the bed, "What's up, Cobs?"

"Just wanted to say, I'm proud as fuck."

She raised an eyebrow, "About Peregrande?"

He shook his head, "Nah, I mean with that 'sexless sleazebag' from Fallen Star."

Lucy's eyes lit up, "Oh! I completely forgot to tell you about all my mid-torture insults! I was so excited to tell you about it, too!"

He grinned, "Yeah, pretty impressive 'Phemus. I remembered today. The first time I heard about it all I was too pissed off to mention it, but I was particularly fond of 'cock-gobbling twat'."

Lucy smiled at the praise, but pointed out, "You know I have both eyes now, right? 'Phemus doesn't work as a nickname anymore, genius," she made a point to blink both her eyes.

He rolled his own, "Listen, I'm not dropping 'Phemus just because it doesn't apply anymore. You'll always be a giant, sheep-herding cyclops to me, and you may as well get used to it."

She flicked a rubber band at his face. Again.

"Ow! Shit! Where the fuck do you keep getting those?!"