A/N: Sorry for not posting sooner, been a hectic couple of weeks. Enjoy:)

Chapter 3—Rejected

The two men scanned the area until their eyes landed on me. Then they smirked. One of them had spiky red hair and big black eyes with a pick ax as a weapon. The other had two long scars down his face where a dragon had scratched his face. They were from Albian's assassin's guild. They were here for me.

"Look who we found, Pickaxe." The one with scars said. "It's Akira Bellfront. She's not supposed to be here is she?" he asked smoothly. Everyone's eyes turned to me. I felt Gray stiffen next to me.

"Oh dear, Brand, you're right. She shouldn't be here. Let's just hope she has the money she owes Albian. Otherwise things could get ugly couldn't they?" Pickaxe replied. I clenched my fists as Makarov drew in a sharp breath. He knew who Albian was, so he could fit the pieces together. I was caught.

"Why are you guys here? Did he send you?" I snarled. Both of them laughed and stepped inside. By now, the whole guild had realized this was not good news. They had paused in their conversation and were focused on what was happening in front of them.

"You bet he did. And you better hope you have the money. He ordered us to take you with us if you didn't. He kind of wants to talk to you himself." Brand said smirking. I clenched my fists.

"I need more time. It's only been three months since he told me about it. It's harder than you'd think to find jobs that pay five hundred thousand jewels." I said taking another step forward.

"Three months is more than enough. If you just took the jobs he offered you, you wouldn't be in this mess. But no, you had to go and grow a heart." Pickaxe snapped at me. I cringed as he raised his pick ax.

"Just come with us, quietly and we won't have to cause any trouble." Brand said. Gray suddenly stepped in front of me. I gasped as he took fighting stance.

"If you want her, you'll have to go through me." He hissed. I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him backwards.

"You idiot! Stay out of this, this is my fight!" I shoved him behind me and heard him fall along with the master. I stepped forward and my archive magic was activated.

"You can tell Albian to kiss my ass because there's no way in hell I'll go with you." The words began to scroll across my face and I started to concentrate.

Brand Frenzy

Magic: Summoning Nightmares

Trigger: Money

Strength: Controlling from Afar

Weakness: Close Combat

My hand closed around a dagger I had made appear out of thin air and I charged. Brand threw his arms out and magic circle appeared under my feet. I jumped and somersaulted in mid-air using a stored wind magic to avoid the nightmares that he was vesting on me. I landed right in front of him and struck hard. He groaned and fell over after the first two blows. I turned to Pickaxe and analyzed him as well.

Pickaxe Davis

Magic: Weapon Enhancement

Trigger: Money and Threats

Strength: Attacking First

Weakness: Unprotected Body

A shield appeared in my hand from my archives. I raised it as he swung his pick ax. It hit and I used a stored glue magic to stick it to the shield. I pulled the shield away from him and threw it behind me. I flew across the guild hall, taking his pick ax with it. A sword appeared in my hand and I struck him hard. He fell over, unconscious.

I stepped back, staring at the two unconscious men, admiring my handiwork. I was taught to kill but I had learned to control the urge to eradicate my enemies enough where I only knocked them out. My shield and sword disappeared back into my archives. The whole guild was silent. I turned around to face everyone. They all stared at me in awe. Gray had pulled himself off the ground and was staring at me in disbelief.

"What kind of magic was that?" Someone asked. I think it was Wakaba but I wasn't paying attention.

"It's a type of archive magic." I said looking at my feet. "It allows me to see my opponent's strengths and weaknesses and use stored magic and weapons at my disposal to beat them." I said softly.

"Where did you learn this kind of magic?" Makarov advanced towards me in disbelief and distrust. I looked up and looked him in the eye.

"You know." I said quietly. He exhaled and closed his eyes.

"I was hoping it wasn't true. How dare you set foot here? Your kind aren't welcome in this guild." He said menacingly. My kind? Does he think we're a race of some sort? But I wasn't going to disagree. I looked down in shame.

"I never meant to cause trouble. I'm sorry I ever came here. I'll leave now. I've been here too long already." I turned around about to head for the door.

"Wait! Akira, no!" Gray's voice pierced my heart like a knife. I closed my eyes and continued to exit. "Akira, please. You don't have to be ashamed of whatever it is you are. You found me for a reason and I don't think you meant any harm of it. Please don't go, I don't care what that was about. I only care about you." My heart clenched and a single tear drop fell from my face.

"No, Gray. She needs to leave. She needs to leave now. You don't know what she is and when you do I'm afraid you will lose all hope in her." Makarov's voice said soothingly.

"I don't care! Please just don't go. I just got you back." I heard footsteps and could only assume he was coming after me.

"I have one question before you go, Akira." Makarov said. I turned around to see him holding Gray back but staring at me with a grave expression. "How many people?" he asked. How many people? How many people have I killed?

"Seven." I whispered. He drew in a sharp intake of breath and looked down. "I can't bring them back. I can't apologize to their families. I'm not saying it's not my fault. But since Albian's training ended, I refused to take on any job from his guild. I'm not proud of what I did. But it's the best I could do considering what I had to work with. Not everyone is as lucky as Gray to have found people who care." Makarov lifted his chin but said nothing.

I sighed and turned around, heading for the door. I stopped at Pickaxe and Brand's bodies. I looked down at the mark on their neck, identical to mine. It was burned into our skin by Albian when we joined the assassin's guild. I clenched my fists. How could I let him do this to me? Why was I so blind? I already knew the answer to that question. I just hated that I let my thirst for vengeance cloud my judgment.

In a fit of rage, I kicked Pickaxe in the side.

"Wake up, you infernal creep. It's time to leave." I hissed down at him. He groaned and his eyes fluttered open. He took one glance at me and scoffed, turning his head to the side in disgust.

"Get up. You can resent me later. Right now, we need to get out of here." I said again, shoving him over with my foot. He grumbled and sat up rubbing his head.

"What, aren't you going to let your little friends to finish us off? You certainly can't do it yourself you yellow-bellied drop out." I clenched my fists and crouched down so I was at eye level with him. I grabbed the scruff of his neck and pulled his face close to me.

"Don't test me, Pickaxe. You came to me with no grounds, threatening my life when you had no chance of carrying out your threat. You better do as you're told or I might change my mind about showing mercy. You certainly don't deserve it. Now, get up." I shoved him down roughly and stood back up. Pickaxe groaned again and did as he was told without another word. He lifted Brand onto his shoulders and we left, the silence behind me almost deafening.

Pickaxe followed me, limping with Brand over his shoulder. We walked down the crowded streets of Magnolia in a tense silence. I had no idea what I was going to do. I guess the plan now, was to go back to Eeldor and rejoin the assassin's guild. When I left, I wasn't able to take the mark off me. He had branded me with fire. The letter 'A' was burned onto my wrist. It was permanent. As was my link to Albian. I can't ever escape from him.

So I have to go back. I have to face the consequences he has in store for me. I gritted my teeth. I wish I had died when my village was destroyed. Gray had no need for me anyway. He was happy where he was and he thought I was dead. I guess I deserved this. I killed seven people. And willingly because I thought it would help me kill Deliora. Now I found out he's already dead and has been for years. What am I supposed to do with that information? It's like telling me that everything I've done in life was for nothing.

Pickaxe yelled at me to slow down as Brand started to wake up. I stopped and leaned on the wall of a building and watched as Pickaxe set Brand on the ground. He groaned and sat up, blinking rapidly. I rolled my eyes and looked away as realization dawned on him and he looked in my direction.

My eyes latched onto a little girl and a little boy playing together in the streets. She had her hair a small pigtails and he was teasing her and pulling on them. I smiled as they began to wrestle each other in glee. She pinned him on the ground and began to shove leaves in his face. They laughed together and their parents came around to take them away. I watched the little girl go, skipping away, free and innocent as ever.

I was like that once. Gray and I both were like that. We played together like that. Sometimes, others would join us and I would slip away, shy and concealed and unable to stand up for myself. I used to put my hair in pigtails just like her. My parents used to pull me away from Gray like they would a dog from his bone. How did I become so corrupt and despicable? I've never been mean-hearted. Not until the day when I realized that everyone I knew and loved were dead. And there was someone to blame. Deliora.

I still remember his roar and his stature like it was yesterday. I have nightmares about it all the time. I cry out in pain when I wake which is why I hate sleeping with others. I remember my room crashing down on top of me and my parents just being able to get me out in time. I was shoved outside and my house falling down only inches next to my tiny body. My parents still remained inside and they were crushed.

I remember looking up and seeing a ferocious beast that I couldn't describe in words ripping through the town mercilessly. I wanted to scream but my lungs were being compressed by a piece of wall from my house that had fallen on top of me in the chaos. Deliora left, leaving my town in ruins. I would've died if I had been there for much longer. But then, about an hour later, Albian and his men showed up and found me under the ruckus. If it hadn't been for them, I would have been crushed like the rest of my town.

Well, almost the rest. Save for Gray who happened to be on the other side of the town, getting rescued by better people.

Pickaxe and Brand shuffled up behind me, muttering something about how much they hated taking orders from me. I pretended not to hear their insults and started on towards the train station. Pickaxe fell into step beside me and stole a glance in my direction. I gave him a look that had bigger men cower in fear.

"What do you want, Pickaxe?" I hissed, my hand closing around a dagger from my archives.

"Why would you beat us up if you were going to come with us anyway?" he asked. Brand stepped in on my other side with the same inquiring face.

"I needed to teach you two a lesson of course. It's not up to you to decide when I come home. Besides, I would've stayed if you hadn't mentioned Albian. The master of that guild knew about me so I could no longer stay. And if Albian had sent you two buffoons after me, there's no doubt he'll send others. It was only a matter of time before he came himself."

"Smart girl." Brand said, teasingly. I rounded on him and his smug look faded as he took one look at my expression.

"Don't take this the wrong way, your punishment for what you did to me and my friend is not over. Oh, no. it has only begun." I said menacingly. I was only half joking. But they took it seriously. As they should. They fell back behind me like two dogs with their tails between their legs.

We arrived at the train station in silence as we walked up to the ticket box. Brand went and purchased three tickets to Eeldor scheduled to leave in an hour. Then they both went to the bar on the other side of the station leaving me alone, sitting on a bench and watching the people walk in and out of the station. I started to play with my magic out of boredom.

Jenny Macintosh

Magic: None

Trigger: Bad Hair Day

Strength: Prom Dress

Weakness: Absence of Makeup

I held in a snigger as a girl with a really frilly dress walked by me, giving me a nasty glare as she passed. I smirked and watched her trip over her own dress. She straightened herself out and continued to walk as though she was above everyone else.

Maybe this was a bad way to use my magic. I was abusing it and using it for my entertainment. But I could never find it in me to care. All my life, I've only had this magic as my comfort, my entertainment. Albian used to tell me that the magic I practiced was the most unique in the world. He used to say that I could only scratch the surface of its power. So what was stopping me from using it as much as possible to tap into the true extent of its power?

At least, that is what I told myself.

I looked up to see Pickaxe and Brand staring at me. I sneered at them and they immediately looked down. We grew up together. I knew most of their quirks and flaws but it never hurt to use my archives just to be safe. I hated them so much. They gave me so much grief because I got private lessons with Albian. They didn't like the fact that me, a little girl picked up from a rundown town, got private attention from the master himself.

It was surprising though. I never knew why Albian took interest in me. And I was the only one who used the same magic as him. But there was nothing of him in me. At least, I didn't think. I wasn't a cold-blooded killer like him. Yes, I have killed. But I had a conscience. Sort of.

I raked my hand through my hair. Enough thinking, Akira. It's bad for you.

I felt their eyes on me again as soon as I looked away. They were probably wondering why I was even in Magnolia in the first place. Why did they find me in the most powerful light guild in Fiore anyway? But they didn't need to know. No one could know. If Albian ever found out about Gray he would use him against me. He knew I had a soft spot in my past.

I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head as my archives activated my self-defense mechanism when I sleep. My body sometimes activated itself when I needed a shut down. Sometimes, I wouldn't even know it was happening.

I woke up half an hour later to the sound of someone yelling at me. Words scrolled across my vision instantaneously. I sat up and a dagger appeared in my hand. I grabbed the first piece of fabric that was, surprisingly, only a mere six inches away and pressed my knife against it.

"Whoa! Whoa! Relax, Bellfront! The train's about to leave. Just thought you should know." Brand's hoarse voice rang though my ears and I took hold of myself before I did any damage.

"Fine. Next time, wake me from as far away as possible. You know how I get." I hissed unmercifully. He stepped back as I released his coat. Why was he so close to me in the first place? He knows about me. It didn't matter anyway.

I stood up and shoved him backwards, giving him a death glare before stalking past him. Pickaxe stared at me silently as I walked by him. I rolled my eyes, slightly annoyed at their attention. I walked up to the platform and gave the officer my ticket. He passed me and I boarded the train.

I picked a seat in the back of the car close to the window. I leaned against the window and looked outside, waiting for the train to start. Pickaxe and Brand sat across from me. They avoided my face with everything they had but still stole glances at me every now and then. They were pathetic.

Finally, after another twenty minutes, the train left the station. I started to think about what Gray was doing back at the guild. I was pretty sure the master was telling him all about me and my horrible lifestyle. He probably hated m now. Not that I blamed him, I would hate me too. I still remember our days together as kids. We were only eleven when Deliora attacked. I spent a decade with him, growing up with him.

Loving him…

Tears pricked the back of my eyes. I blinked them back, trying to get ahold of myself. I couldn't lose control now. Not now, not ever. Yes, I loved Gray when I was merely a child. I could never love him now. Not only could I never love him, but he could never love me. Not now, not ever.

The train was well on its way, and Pickaxe had already stocked up on snacks from the food cart. They were pigging out on some candy when the train jerked backwards. Everyone gasped and I grabbed my seat to keep me from falling. The train jerked once more before slowing to a complete stop. My eyes narrowed as we sat, waiting for a notification.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we pardon any inconveniences, but the engine room is having some technical difficulties." A woman's voice echoed through the train. "It will be a few hours before they allow us to depart once more. We have stopped in the town of Caldera. Please feel free to visit the sights while we are in town. Once again, we apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused you." She informed us. I rolled my eyes and stood up.

"Well, looks like we're going to be here a while. May as well make the most of it, right?" Brand said, standing up with Pickaxe. I let out a frustrated sigh.

"Let's just hope Albian doesn't mind this slight delay." I said, more to myself than to them. I looked outside and sighed.

God, I hated how this was just dragging itself out. I wanted to get to Albian to finish what I started already. It's about time I quit thinking and faced something.