Fairy x Adventure

by Magnafeana

In a new era after the Alvarez War, Lucy, Natsu, and the rest of Fairy Tail not only face new challenges but watch as their kids go on new journeys, learn new powers, and battle new enemies and old! Join Luna, Nashi, and the upcoming generation of Mages on Fairy Tail and more on their never-ending adventure!

49. Adventure 049

Disclaimer: I do not own Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail nor any work professional associated with it. All original plots and characters are mine.

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In a land far, far away lies the kingdom of Fiore, a small, peaceful nation of 17 million, and a place filled with Magic found in every home, bought and sold in every marketplace. For most, Magic is merely a tool, a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, Magic is an art, and they've devoted their lives to its practice. These are the wizards. Banded together into magical guilds, they ply their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore. But there is a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest, one from which countless legends have been born. A guild that will no doubt continue to create legends well into the future. Its name...is Fairy Tail.

---

Last time, on Fairy Adventure, Nashi had a really rude awakening…or maybe it was a good awakening. Gale might have overdone it with the drinking… Okay, let's go with completely overdid it with the drinking. Young Man, what would your mother say to you if she saw you like this! Mirella and Bael finally meet face-to-face for her to realize Lynn was the one controlling her while Bael was waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. How messed up is her family? Aine and Lance seem to be reacquainting themselves when they meet this random little girl…but, to Lance's point, how did she get out there in the first place? Bleu and Luna are living in post-movie bliss as they venture for a late-night bite, but it turns a little sour when Luna realizes part of Gale's activities from his abandonment. Social media really does have the power to make people miserable, huh? Mary Jane and Igneel's own night adventure goes a little awry themselves, but don't worry. Igneel's got it under control…maybe? Nashi gets way in over her head and gets in touch with her Etherious side which triggers the Devil and Pazuzu. Talk about a love triangle. Aine and Lance are quick to find out that little girl isn't what she seems and, with Aine's health conditions, Lance really needs a strategy and fast. Things between Luna and Bleu spark fast with their first kiss. Aww, young love is so cute! I agree with Luna. It's best that she and Luke keep Gale's activities away from Igneel or the moment could be ruined. Igneel and Mary Jane have moments after a heartfelt conversation and some stargazing, but it makes you wonder… Does all Igneel want is friendship? After Gale's…activities, Julia is there to set him straight and pick up the pieces. Is she a good bestie or what? Etherious Nashi and the Ice Devil finally meet for sparks to fly…only for Pazuzu and Muta to separate them. Mirella's got her own business with Lynn and will waste no effort to hurt the sister who stole her daughter.

'I have to do this…for…them.'

Does this mean Kyler is back in Mirella's heart? Who exactly was Bleu contacting anyways…?

---

Shadows were comforting. They allowed you to hide the best and worst parts of yourself. They allowed you to commit sin in secret. They birthed power and promises and whispered your greatest fears. They could frighten you and calm you with the flip of a switch.

But then that light came in the distance.

Mirella dropped into the meadow with a hard grunt. She tried to get up, but her muscles protested. Focus shook and her eyes were drenched in silent noise as she looked to see dark, jagged spears had impaled her sides and her thigh. Gritting her teeth, she moved to the spike in her side.

One panted breath. Then a terse one. Then a final draw in.

She began to pull out the shard and bit her bottom lip, blood bubbled out. She could barely watch as blood gushed from the wound, unhappy it had been touched. By the time she got it out, exhaustion clawed at her, but she refused to follow it. Instead, she hovered her hand over the open wound. Darkness went to her wound and forced her flesh to be sewn. The shard in her leg was superficial and pulling out was a pain, but the stitches she made were not nearly as bad.

When she was able, she got onto all-fours and silent noise fizzled out. She swung her head around to see Asphodels all around her. She saw naked souls, all silent, never moving for their umbilical cord with the sky. But she did not care about them.

Getting to her feet nearly broke her stitches, but she pulled through. She got up and her eyes caught something. Shuffling closer, she inspected it.

Black blood.

Her eyes glowed in cold fury as they picked up splatters of blood making a trail.

Lynn…

She got to limping.

…I'm coming for you.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Ah utsukushii sekai

Utsukushii mirai

Utsukushii kehai no suru sono saki wa

Subarashii sedai

Subarashii kitai

Subarashii sekai

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

"Would you cut it out?!"

"Grrrr…!"

Muta grumbled as Etherious Nashi wriggled and squirmed within his grasp all squirrely like. Her teeth caught his ear and her not-too-sharp claws scratched his cheek as she tried to get back onto the ground. Muta gripped her tighter as he flew them into another hall, wincing at her bites and scratches. "Dammit, kit, I'm tryin' to save you!" he growled. "Not babysit you!"

Etherious Nashi got the better of him when she tipped heavily to the right for her foot to kick him in the throat. Muta immediately released her as he went crashing into a wall, wings disappearing. Etherious Nashi landed in a bundle of anger and wasted not another moment to rush away on all fours.

Muta rolled to his side, clutching his throat. He coughed as his eyes watered, but he moved a free hand to inside his kimono. He took out a dart gun and wasted no time shooting it.

PLING!

It struck Etherious Nashi's calf as she darted off.

Muta dropped the gun to tend to his throat. "Damn"—he coughed again—"kit…!" He got to his paws and massage his throat, swallowing experimentally He winced, but he would live. "Ugh…" He looked at the empty hall. "This is why I'm never having kits." Aqua covered him for a white lion to appear. He scented the air, jaw opening.

She can't be that far off… That stuff will relax her in a couple of minutes. Have to find her before they do.

Muscles bunching, he let out a powerful growl. Then off he bounded.

°•°•°•°

Etherious Nashi paused as she scented the air. She could feel the power of the Curse in the labyrinth, but she wanted to feel the wintry Curse she felt from before. She went this way and that trying to locate the presence and got nothing. Frustration tore her, but exhaustion burned her thighs and lungs. After a few more minutes of searching and getting all turned around, she slumped against the wall, tongue out and shoulders heaving.

She closed her eyes as she tried to rest for just a moment. Just a moment… And then she would—

Warm cerulean. A cheery grin. Kisses gentle and innocent turning into possessive and hard love.

"Angel."

Etherious Nashi shook her head with a growl. No. She did not know who this Angel was, but she was not it. She was powerful. She was an Etherious Demon. She was—

"Big sis!"

Loving chocolate. An eager smile.

"Evil bitch."

Mischievous onyx flecked in emerged. A fangy grin.

Kind honeyed-amber. A soft smile.

"N—"

"Ah….!" Etherious Nashi backed away to shake her head. Those voices, those eyes, those presences… They felt so fa—

No!

Etherious Nashi dashed away in a fit of desperation. The voices were mumbled, but they spoke to her in soothes and whispers and in… What was the word...? Kindness? She raced down another hall and shut her eyes to keep such warmth away. She did not want these voices and their love and their smiles. It was disgusting. It was pure. It was not her way.

Intense onyx. Golden chocolate.

Then… Why did that way feel so…right?

Etherious Nashi staggered when her legs and arms buckled. She panted as the labyrinth shifted, but she did not care. She had to keep moving. She had to find him. She needed to find him and have him finish what he started.

Chilling silver.

Never had she felt such an emotion when she came into existence. She had never felt so coddled. When she was born, all she knew was hatred and slaughter and blood and wrath. Then, curiosity took over, innocent and meek. But then…it was interest. She had never seen such a creature such as him. To be fair, she had seen very little in her brief life, but him…

Warm laps against skin. A huffed cry of ecstasy.

He was…magnificent. He was everything she never knew she wanted. He was her desire. He was winter and even his ice could not cool off her heat. She found herself craving more. Obsession. That was what it was. She obsessed over him. She wanted him to possess her, possess her soul, to steal her away from this—

"Angel…" A kiss to the corner of lips and a slight chuckle. "My Angel…"

Etherious Nashi could not hold it in as she vomited on the ground. It was too much. She could feel something prick against her darkness, something unwanted. It was trying to coddle her, ease her, tempt her into a life she had never known.

Had she?

"There you are!"

Etherious Nashi turned her horned head to see a white lion trying to get to her. Energy electrified her and she gave him a rebellious high-pitched snarl. Away she went in a dart and into another hall. She knew her energy would not last, but she needed to get away from this thing and find him. Find the one who would satisfy her. A dead end was her next turn, but she had no other choice. She could not dart back out, so she went in further. To her surprise, the wall was not a wall but housed two ancient stone doors with symbols she had never seen, yet she felt connected to them. She studied them in curiosity. What were these—?

"Get back here!"

Etherious Nashi tensed. She had no choice. She went to the door and tried her best to push one of them open. Nothing. Nothing moved. Gritting her teeth, she gathered the darkness within her and pushed.

SKRRRRRRRRT…

The door shifted.

A familiar scent caught her nose and made her pause. Could it…? Could it be…? Determination fueled her as her irises glowed sanguine and the door gave to her advances. Winter teased her with its breezes and something white was beyond those doors. Almost there…

Muta arrived at the end of the hallway and his gray eyes widened when he saw where Etherious Nashi was headed. "Kit, no!" He raced after her. "Come back!"

Etherious Nashi growled as she got the door open just a few more inches. She tried to worm her way through the opening she created and the moment she was free, she bounded away in the scent of aspen and darkness and winter.

…only to be smacked in the face by freezing winds.

Etherious Nashi could hardly keep her eyes open as the storm raged on around her. Her feet were freezing and her teeth chattered. All she saw was a blustering white with dunes. Her nose froze, her scents useless to her. Being barefoot and nearly naked was having its drawbacks.

"Kit!"

Etherious Nashi glanced back to see the white lion pawing through the door. She tried to get away as he roared, "Kit, get back here!" She dug herself further into the snow, but no amount of movement could stop her shaking. At one point, she tumbled down a dune of white and landed in the snow. She curled into herself, lips chapped and cracked, skin fading out. Her hair covering her eyes provided some semblance of relief, but not much.

The cold was eating her alive. It was survival of the fittest and those who could not adapt would succumb to death. Snow howled at her back while ice nipped at her feet, wondering which one to take first. It felt like her soul was trying to leave her body as her pants came off in icy puffs and her warmth was sapped away. Nothing could save her from this fate. The cold was her reaper.

"Kit!"

Paw steps hitting the ground.

Her eyes began to flutter shut.

"Kit, where…?"

Her eyes closed.

Her breathing slow. Her skin was turning into ice. There was nothing she could do now but wonder who she would see when she did. And as her eyes closed, cerulean settled over her darkness. As she gasped out her last breath, only one word came out, "Skaði…"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Fairy Adventure 049

Duel

ウィットとウィルとの戦い!善意あるハートが全てに勝る!

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Everything made sense to the Ice Devil in one moment when he heard the echoes of something so familiar, it physically hurt him. A storm blustered inside him like he had never felt, so freezing, so overwhelming, that he staggered and crouched low as it consumed his core.

Pazuzu was set with another round of att—

LUB-DUB.

Glazed widened. No… That power… He couldn't have… Through his glazed eyes, he could see it. He could see a mass of darkness and silver and blue swirl and thunder around him, eating up any extra space.

The Devil's jaw dropped an icy fog came from his mouth. When his mouth closed, a grin formed on his face, too large. "Malã'ika…" he chirped. "I hear you… I will come for you…" He stood with his wings at full expanse and felt his muscles bulging, itching to be put to use.

Pazuzu gritted his teeth. There's no chance in Hell he was given a name, but something changed. He lashed his tails. Never the matter. I just need to keep him busy. With the stomp of his tail, his shadows swarmed around. A black panther was created out of darkness and, with a roar, went for the Devil.

Icy-blue-silver gleamed. If he continues to stand in my way to get to you…—dry ice spread beneath his feet—then ending him will be simple! And he met the shadowed panther head-on with silvery-cerulean energy swirling in his palms.

BOOM!

---

The dinner was shabby at best and that was saying something. Truckers and high schoolers mainly and a couple from construction preoccupied the dinner and the waiters did not look all too thrilled about it. Gale and Julia were already seated with Gale enjoying a heart platter of breakfast food while Julia kept to her spaghetti.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

« This is Donny's, a 24/7 dinner that serves around the clock breakfast, lunch, and dinner! »

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Gale burped behind his fist before patting his stomach. "Just what I needed to sober up for my self-pity party," he joked humorlessly.

Julia frowned at him. "Well, I'd pity you, but I know better than that," she let him know. "You did the stereotypically 'sleep-with-a-random-hoe-to-get-over-her' cliché." A withering stare. "And I thought Galileo was dramatic. Like brother, like brother."

"Ugh. I'm actually turning into him." Gale made a bleh sound.

Julia pointed at him with a forkful of spaghetti. "Yup. Such a shame. Always thought you were the smart one." She inhaled her forkful.

"Thought so too," Gale muttered as his hands ran over his face and stopped over his mouth. He shook his head, spreading out his hands. "No excuses. None. Can't use the drunk excuse. Can't use the high excuse—"

Julia barked a sarcastic laugh. "I can just imagine how pissed she'd be learning you got high." Her laughter faded when he caught the look in his eyes. She settled down. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"I knew what I was getting into, Lady J," Gale said solemnly, voice quiet. "I knew what was at stake. And I blew it. And I…" He sighed. "I have to destroy it."

Julia set down her fork with care, eyes sweeping to her plate. "I can't watch you destroy yourself." Admittance. Guilt. Sadness.

"You won't have to," Gale assured. "It's between myself and Uncle Natsu. Not even my shitty old man can get me out of this one." Ruby turned grieving. "But, hey… At least I won't be like Dragqueen, right? I'll still have some sanity."

Ocean flickered up, then down again. "I'm sorry." Full of meaning. Full of guilt.

"Don't be." Gale's grin was death-like. "You didn't do anything wrong. I should've listened to you and to that Car guy. I dug my own grave. Time to lie in it."

Julia had to give him that. "True. And that's not helpful, but it's true. You did this, so you have to bear all the crappy consequences. But…" Ocean flashed with ruby. "Why did you do it?"

Gale let out a frustrated breath. "What can I say? Should I give the classic 'I don't know'? Should I blame the alcohol? Should I whine about how it all got to me, how seeing her actually fall all over a guy got to me, and how it hurt so much that I wanted to hurt her and it's killing me I crossed a line I shouldn't have?" His shoulders sagged. "Or should I be an asshole and blame her instead?"

"It sounds horrible when I say this," Julia murmured, "but I wish you hurt her in a different way."

"I know."

"She was starting to like you."

Gale's hands turned into fists. "I know."

"She most likely won't speak to you for a while."

"I know, I know, I know!" Gale seethed, slamming down a fist. He ignored the disapproving looks from two waiters and a mother as he ground his teeth. "Why the Hell did he have to be there for her? Why couldn't I have been there?" He groaned as he furiously rubbed his cheeks. "Putting aside my self-destruction, something's not right about that guy, Lady J. He was a total asshole—"

"Yeah, your opinion about him is void," Julia said, voice flat. She shook her head as her hand reached for his. "Listen, I'm all about you slamming the guy, but maybe—"

Gale's mind blanked the moment Julia's hand touched his.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

"—us?" came breathy concern. "What's wrong?"

A rainstorm blustered outside the car, but it was hard to see the drops through fogged class. The radio was playing a lights-off R&B song sensually like a lullaby in the background, but it was heavily ignored as the focus looked at the driver. Darkness shielded them both as the driver slumped against the steering wheel.

'What's going on?' Gale groused. 'Where the Hell am I?'

The focus watched as the silhouette shook their head. "We can't do this," came murmur.

Heavy worry flooded the mind alongside desperation, but beneath all of it, agonized pain played a song for the soul. "Why?" came immediate question. "Why can't we? I want—"

"No." Such firmness ought to be resented. "I'm telling you right now. That kiss, it was…"

Lightning struck.

Light flashed into the car and showed forest green.

Realization tackled Gale's mind. 'Wait… Isn't that—?'

"That was a mistake."

The scene switched to something more upbeat and filled with sweat and heat and beer. Thumping music hyped the scene and it was a blur of bodies. Careless laughter populated along with sloppy touches and kisses to flesh. The focus was pulled away for darkness to fill them, still sober enough to pass a test, but tipsy enough to go with the flow.

'No fucking way,' Gale gasped. 'That's Dash, but…'

"Lady J," Dash nearly slurred, "are you sure about this?"

Numbness was a close second to the slight sliver of regret building a case of itself. Before it got too big, a smile was back on, numb. Hands slid up Dash's chest as the focus nodded. "Absolutely."

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Gale blinked out of his stupor to eye Julia in astonishment. "You fucked Dash?" As Julia's eyes widened in panic, Gale tried to stand, nearly knocking over the table. "Julianna Mika Fullbuster, what the fuck?"

"Is everything okay here?"

Ruby was still pinned onto Julia as she turned to see the waitress was glancing at him. The waitress looked back at Julia as though silently trying to give her a way out. Julia put on a thin smile. "Everything's fine," she promised. "Please don't mind him. We'll make sure to keep it down."

The waitress nodded with her smile, but her glance to Gale was full of warning before she went away.

Julia turned back to Gale with cheeks tinted pink. "Gale," she said lowly, "sit the Hell down before you get us kicked out."

Gale slowly went back to his seat, but his eyes were glued onto her.

Julia glanced around quickly before saying lowly, "First off, how in the Hell do you know that? Secondly, if you yell one more time," she added when he opened his mouth, "don't think I won't leave you behind to walk your sorry ass home, so help me."

"I saw it," Gale told her.

Julia's confusion was prominent in her frown. "How?" she pressed. "I know for a fact you didn't come out that night—"

"I didn't," Gale agreed. "I just… Dammit, I don't know, Lady J, I just saw it, okay? I felt everything you did the second you…" He looked at his naked hands. "When you…touched my hand…" A theory began to brew.

"The Hell?" Julia was in disbelief. "That's not possible. You don't have any Psychic Magic—"

"Lady J, shut up for a second." Gale's eyes were racing on his hands. He studied his palms like they held more answers than one. "I'm an Earth Mage, nothing more. But this is the second…no, that's not right… This is the third time someone touched my hand and I saw things that weren't my own memory. You confirming that I did see you agree to have sex with Dash pretty much proves that even if that's still fucking gross."

Julia waved a hand. "Hold on a sec. You're telling me you saw someone's memories just by them touching you?" She shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense. By that case, you should've been seeing a bunch of memories from people during your sparring matches."

"Not if I'm wrapping my hands," Gale countered. "Unless I'm playing with dirt or studying my gem technique, my hands are always wrapped or in my gloves."

Julia let her fingers go to her temples. "You're not making the slightest bit of sense to me right now."

Gale slipped on his gloves to get to his wallet. "I know. We need to get to the closest library and stat because I'm about to have a brain blast Timmy Neuron style."

"Wha—? A library at this hour?" Julia watched him pull out some thousand-jewel bills. "Wh-Where are we…?" She saw Gale's look and grin. "No. Gale, no, I am not driving—!"

"Then, I will." Gale got out of the booth and held out his hand. "I'm sober, I'm wired, I need a library. Keys, please."

Julia groaned and took out the car keys. "Remember, this is Dash's car," she warned. "If you—"

Gale swiped them. "Yeah, yeah, go ten past the speed limit, no cops, no stops, blah, blah, blah." His grin was positively mischievous as he nodded for her to come out of the booth. "Let's roll." He paused. "Wait a second. Did he give you his keys in exchange for you to—?"

"Drop it!"

°•°•°•°

The library was something huge and complex with glass its main feature. Cars and bikes were parked with two security guards onsite at all times. The structure was only eight floors, but its girth was much more. The library staff was few this time of night with only one working receptionist who seemed to be a graduate student working on a scholarship. None too many milled about this late at night with a couple using individual study rooms to relax, eat a late dinner, and watch Webflix on their PALs. One other group study room was taken as three college students tried to pull an all-night for one of their last social work exams before their final. The common area with its open format was taken with lone drifters to some who came to enjoy food and read a good book.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

« This is the 19th Avenue Library located on Orchid State University. It's a 24/7 library for its students with each floor dedicated to a different major! Did you know they even have a wing for Magic? »

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Gale and Julia had set up shop at their own study table with open books all around them. Theories and theorems and theses were all around them with Gale at the center, meditating like it was all so very normal. Books slowly rotated around him with lettering glowing in Magic and peeling off to create an atmosphere around her. Julia kicked back on her Compact and listened to music, ignoring the show before her. Neither one of them seemed to be aware or seemed to care that passersby would stop and stare at what they were doing.

Gale descended when he was ready atop the table. The words zapped back to their books as their books fluttered back to the table. Gale leaped off with his mind reeling and he looked at his spread with crazy eyes and messy hair. "Unbelievable." He began to gradually pace. "No, not 'unbelievable'. Just improbable."

"I just can't believe we went from strangers to lovers to strangers in a…" Julia sang though she trailed off when she saw Gale. Headphones off, she paused her music. "Gale?" she tried. "Gale, what's going on?"

Gale began to mess with his heads. "If a hallucinogen is constantly dosed…" he muttered. "Psychologically and neurologically speaking… But, then, what about the bloodstream?"

"Gale Metalicanna!"

Gale pivoted to face Julia from across the table, ruby spiraling. "Then, it's not out of the bloodstream," he whispered to her. "Never entirely. Magic never leaves."

Julia growled. "Gale, I can't understand you when you go these tangents—"

"Magic." Gale's hand shook as he came around the table. "Magic, Julianna. Magic."

Julia sighed out her exasperation. "What? What about it?"

"Uh, um…" Ruby glanced around until he found it. He snapped his fingers and welcomed the dry erase easel hidden in the back of the hall. He went to sit Julia down before returning to the board. "Magic," he said again. He wrote the word on the board. "Mages, Magicians, Alchemists, Alkahests—we all have Magic, right? Magic is ingrained in our bodies for us to use. Hematologists have shown in studies that the ether in our blood stream when they did CBC studies with the control group being Spiritless."

He started to scribble. "So. In blood, the main cells are red blood cells and white blood cells or your erythrocytes and leukocytes, then you have the plasma and platelets. Right? But, then…then… You have your…" He snapped his fingers at Julia. When she shrugged helplessly, Gale answered for her, "Your aethrocytes or your Magic Blood Cells. While everyone is comprised of Ethernano, Mages all across the board are literal containers of the stuff with MBCs in our blood, Lady J. Our blood."

"Okay…" Julia agreed warily.

Gale continued: "When we use Magic, we're using that power inside us, the particles we store, and, in return, we produce more MBCs. Follow me?"

"I think so?"

"Good." Gale turned back to his board. "Because this is when things get weird. When we acquire a new Magic, it changes our cellular structure to essentially make sure our bodies can handle it. This is why physically knowing different types of Magic and not just spells in Magic Weapons and Tools is very dangerous and can even cause a Mage to short circuit. Mystogan knowing Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water Magic plus Heavenly Body Magic is honestly frightening if you take a look at how his body had to adjust on a molecular level. But take Igneel for instance. He knows Fire Magic which is basically the older sibling to Lightning Magic. The reason he can even use that Magic is that his structure didn't have to adjust too much. He probably had a slight arrhythmia for a couple of days, but as his body adjusted, it passed. Some Mages can learn a sister Magic, but there are always side effects to it such as insomnia or mood swings or even cardiac and respiratory issues that will pass.

"But let's go back to Igneel's situation," Gale redirected. "His Lightning Magic wasn't given to him. He was hit with it and his body was forced to absorb that much energy which caused him to nearly die. This is why organic forms can't live in Ether-dense area because surviving something like that can have detrimental effects. As a side effect to him being forced with Lightning Magic in his system, his structure change, he got a scar, and he was a little out of it for a while like a drug."

"A 'drug'?" Julia shook her head as Gale erased his board to begin anew. "Okay, what do drugs have to do with this?"

Gale began to write again. "When Mages use Magic just like when Curses are used or even Antimagic powers are used, we're given dosages of monoamines such as catecholamines which include dopamine and adrenaline, and indolamine such as serotonin, and phenylethylamine, and a new neurotransmitter called quintesamine. Doesn't matter what power you have. We get a healthy dose of this that pulls together neurotransmitters to allow us to defy common logic and let our minds use the expanse of Magic that our body contains.

"Now." Gale left his tree branch of chemicals to keep drawing. "On a cellular molecular level, all of those are important to Mages. Like I said, our structures adjust each time we acquire a skill outside our natural talent to make sure we don't accidentally kill ourselves. You asked me what this had to do with drugs? Drugs and DNA can go hand in hand. DNA can tell us why someone who tried shrooms hated it while someone else got thrown in a jail cell for being addicted. You have DNA and RNA. DNA basically stores all genetic information while RNA is just the messenger. But Mages have a special coating of ether on these. Whenever we acquire a new skill, our chains are thrown out of whack as they try to store this new energy and convert it into information."

"I'm not hearing about the drugs part," Julia drawled.

Gale nodded absently. "Right. Sorry. Off-topic. Drugs like hallucinogens like LSD and shrooms can harm the body on a psychological level if our genes allow it to. The effects on them can last a full year with anxiety and insomnia and high blood pressure and what have you. If our genetic makeup decides to take this new energy and thinks we can convert it into information and store it, we'll do it. We'll absorb the drug into our blood system time and time again because our genes thought it was a good idea. How Mages can learn Magic is that thought process. Our genetic makeup thinks learning this spell or this type of Magic is a good idea and opens the gates. Now, like any drug, there are side effects. Back to Igneel's case, his side effect used to be sweating easily and getting tired often."

"Oh, yeah…" Julia remembered. "He had asthma back then…"

"Exactly," Gale confirmed. "But when his body got used to that power and had fully adjusted, those side effects went away, just like when a druggie gets used to a dosage that there's no more effect. As he grows in power, he might experience side effects. His ADHD bouts may spike more."

"His temper." Julia rose from her seat. "His emotions are a little out of control because of a power influx."

"His body is trying to deal with this new energy, trying to convert it into information, so it knows how to cope," Gale explained.

Julia thought about it and agreed, then she shook her head. "Okay, that all makes sense, but I thought we were talking about you."

Gale nodded. "Right." He erased his board to start all over again. "In Margaret, Blondie and I met an ikenga named Syra. Ikengas are time Easter bunnies and are made of Time Magic. They appear where there are rifts in time to correct them and do so by time traveling. But to understand their time traveling, you have to understand time relativity. People have theorized how it can even work. In some movies, there's a single continuum of time which isn't true. It means that nothing can change, only perspective can change. The next would be fixed points in time which is what they call Destiny and Fate. Fate is your fixed point, okay? Fate is a point in time, that, no matter what you do, cannot be changed. You can change small things, but it is literally an inevitable event. Destiny is those small changes you can make. And then you have alternate timelines which are where MWI and multiverse come along."

"My head is hurting, so get to the point," Julia snapped.

Gale rolled his eyes. "Time is always traveling forwards," he told her. "A seedling grows into a sprout grows into a sapling grows into a tree that dies and goes back into the earth."

"I watched Dragon King. I remember the Circle of Life song very clearly," Julia said dryly.

"So going back in time shouldn't be probable because, logically, reversion is damaging," Gale went on. "Going back on a DVD actually harms it and scratches it. Going back in time is actually lethal to any living organism whether you're a Mage or not. Going forward in time is still considered horrible on the body but way less damaging because the laws of time are being followed. This is why when the Dragon Slayers came through the Eclipse Gate, they weren't killed. Their bodies adjusted to the structure accordingly, but"—he shook his head—"I have another theory on that."

"Wait… They came from what?"

Gale ignored her. "Moving on. Blondie and I learned from firsthand experience going back and forth in time while watching Dimaria. Dimaria suffered greatly for using Time Magic to go into the past and, to correct this wrong, Time took away her time, making her older until she died." He paused. "Well, shit, maybe that's how Uncle Gray's sister died."

"Focus, Gale!" Julia snapped.

Gale shook off the stray though. "Right, right, anyways, um… So Syra took Blondie and I back and forth in time along with the Time Ripples we jumped through. Dammit!" he suddenly cursed, startling Julia. He set his hands on the table. "Why didn't I think of this before?"

"Think of what?" Julia fretted.

Gale ran fingers through his hair. "Blondie and I went back and forth in time but, logically, that shouldn't have happened. We should've died. Our bodies are not structurally sound to jump that many times. It's not feasible." He snapped his fingers. "But that's when I figured out how that's even possible." He went to his board. "See, having those moments with you and Bleu and that chick and Blondie's dreams… It got me to thinking. Time and Space Magic are essentially so powerful that mastering them is highly catastrophic to you. In one way or another, people who have tried to do so have died or given horrible fates. It's essentially, like, the heroin of Magic. The people who have a tolerance for it want more and more of it, but it consumes them into chaos. People who try to cheat Death normally get a lash back of becoming a reaper instead and so on. You feel me? If that's that case, Blondie and I cheated time, stopping hundreds of deaths. So why weren't we cursed?

"Then, my mind got to going about Syra and drugs," Gale mentioned. "I thought the pet rabbit was shifting us in time at random, but everything had a purpose. She was sending us to fixed points in time that would have happened no matter what. No matter what, Blondie would have gone back to Margaret and I would've landed in Minstrel to meet my family. That was always meant to happen. She protected us under the laws of time and, therefore, it was logical for us to go back into the past. But what didn't make sense was us using the Eclipse Gate to get home. When Syra disappeared, was it intentional? We were so busy trying to stay alive and make it back home, that I didn't even consider it."

"What are you saying?" Julia questioned.

"I'm saying that Syra disappearing wasn't at random," Gale told her. "It was necessary and she no longer was. She gave our bodies the ability to convert Time Magic into information that we can use and store. She singlehandedly changed our molecules for us to soundly travel. She brought us to a fixed point in time that was always going to happen, but Bluenote was trying to change that fixed point in our continuum. By the time we were finished correcting it, we had already structurally adjusted to time and her job was done. Us breezing to our continuum's present was nothing." He tapped the marker to his chin. "But we should've known better than to think we could just jump through time and think that was it. Time Magic stayed in our system like a drug. It remained in our bloodstream because our genes said so."

"But…your Magic Scan—"

"Wouldn't have picked it up since Magic Scans work for irregular Magic our bodies haven't adjusted to," Gale answered. "Time Magic is imbedded into us now, even if we can't control the outcome of it. But now I know how it manifested." He looked at his hands. "The Time Magic converted itself into something like déjà vu, I guess, or retrocognition or maybe even hindsight. Whomever I touch, I can see their pasts. Just glimpses though, nothing major."

Julia put it all together. "Which is how you found out Dash and me ha—"

Gale held up a hand like he was trying not to vomit. "Mmm-hmm, yep, exactly, let's not finish that sentence." As Julia snickered, he broke into a frown. But I know my body hasn't adjusted to it completely. I'm dealing with a new power. I should've seen the symptoms. My insomnia, my jitteriness, my mood shifts…"

"Do you think Luna—?"

"Oh, absolutely," Gale confirmed without needing to hear the end of that question. "She's having more aggressive bouts, mood swings, heightened appetite…"

"Or that's just her and she's going through puberty," Julia put in.

Gale was already shaking his head. "I know, but it feels different. Something about us feels…different. But it's hard for scientists to see the difference in children since our minds and bodies are always physically and hormonally changing, so catching the difference between a Magic effect and growth effect is damn near impossible without some guesswork. They try not to do anything until our mid-twenties when we're mostly developed." He plopped down on his chair. "Meaning even if I did bring up my theory, I doubt someone would take me seriously."

"Seriously?" Julia blinked, incredulous. "You really think no one would believe you?" She pointed at his board. "Look at that! That was so much expository, I'm pretty sure you broke all of our readers!"

"I drew that, thanks, I know what it looks like," Gale said, tart. "But the neuro-psych behind this would be difficult to prove. This theory is attempting to explain a law with minors, Lady J. And, outside of that, Blondie is the only other test subject to my theory."

Julia held her chin between her thumb and pointer finger. "And if she wasn't wanting to speak with you, she definitely won't now."

Gale stood up, abrupt. "But I've got to try." Voice resolved. "I need to know." Ruby found ocean. "Will you help me or not?"

Julia tried to hold the intensity of his stare, but she ultimately looked away and Gale cheered. "Fine," she snapped, "but I'm driving this time. And we're stopping for Starfox."

---

Bedtime was almost upon Natsu and Lucy. The lighting was low and soft kisses were exchanged. Natsu laid at Lucy's side and enjoyed each kiss he was gifted, his hands lazily roaming her body. She pulled away with a little giggle, though Natsu did not stop, his kiss shifting to her cheek with a grin. "Natsu…!" she whined, putting a hand on his naked chest.

"C'mon, Lucy, I'm starvin' here," Natsu teased. "We never get this much alone time at night and I"—he propped himself up for heavy onyx and shy chocolate to meet—"want to use every second on you."

It was not hard to blush when a man said that. "I can't believe you can make me feel like a virgin all over again," Lucy murmured, trailing over his face with her eyes. "You were never this smooth back in the day."

"You make me sound so old…!" Natsu complained.

Lucy chuckled. "Well… You are getting up there… Maybe I should go for a younger, cuter m—H-Hey! Wait! Natsu!" She found herself at the mercy of her husband as he put her wrists above her head and settled himself on top of her. She struggled but only half-heartedly to get out of his firm grip. "I was only teasing," she pouted.

"You better," Natsu growled at her with a fangy grin.

Lucy looked up at him through her lashes, mischief in her eyes. "You know… If I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure there's whipped cream and chocolate syrup in the refrigerator." She lifted her chin. "But at your old age, you might not want to—Nnngh!"

Natsu had cut her off with a rough kiss and a free hand cupping her cheeks. When he released her, heated onyx showing emerald appeared to burn into heavy-lidded chocolate. "I'll be back," he told her sternly. He let go of her cheeks to reach for his scarf. As he tied her wrists together, he murmured, "When I get back, you'll learn not to call me 'old' again." He leaned closer to press a softer kiss on her bottom lip. "You know what to call me." He released her with one last heated look and a lustful growl before leaving the bedroom to go into the living room and kitchen quarters.

Lucy sighed, pressing her thighs together. She bit her bottom lip. How does he make me feel like this every time?

As her thoughts took her down a sensual road, she barely noticed a flicker of shadow. It was the second flicker that something horrible dropping in the pit of her stomach. She sat up with caution. "Natsu?" she called. Her eyes cataloged as much as she could about the room. The low lighting, the turned-off LV, their suitcases, her keys… Nothing was out of place. Nothing that she could see.

As she studied, she failed to see behind her that a shadow had risen up onto the back wall. Her eyes went to the LV and it was then she had seen a mass of darkness gather before a glint of metal. She sprang into action and rolled off the bed just as she missed a swarm of darts that pierced the bed. Gritting her teeth, she looked up to see a mask appear from the shadows. A mask she remembered… "Chase," she hissed.

Chase sunk back into his shadow for copies of his shadow form to float about the room. "Lucy Heartfilia… You are being summoned."

"The Hell I am," Lucy growled. "And I'm a Dragneel now, jerk!"

The Chase replicas converged into one for Chase to come out from his shadow stuck to the wall. He eyed Lucy with darts between his knuckles. "You escaped me in Veronica… You won't escape me again. Come forth my hungry darts…"—he flicked his darts out from between his knuckles—"and feed!"

Lucy ducked down and weaseled her way to the balcony. She was quick to pull her hand back when a dart tried for her. Without fail, she slid open the door and squeezed onto the balcony. "Natsu!" she called as she went to the edge. She wasted no time jumping from the balcony to get to the street level. This time of night was particularly quiet with the bars pretty far away. She avoided the darts coming for her with each sprinted footstep and did her best to weave. Her index finger twirled for gold Magic to appear.

"Rasalas!" she chanted.

A lioness appeared, translucent and gold and full of glinting lights. She stood her ground to defend her mistress as a shadow darted closer and closer. Rasalas began to growl as the light within her grew and grew and grew until her fur exploded in light. Lucy shielded her eyes as though a flash bomb had gone off. The shadow could not take the light and Chase was forced onto solid ground, kneeling before such celestial beauty. He felt his connection to the shadow waver and shielding himself with his cloak was not enough. He was being forced back, back to where he came from.

"Lucy!"

Lucy looked up to see Natsu landing at her side. "Natsu!" Relief found her as he pulled her into his chest for an embrace.

Natsu put her head into the crook of his neck, but he watched as Chase was breaking at so much light. "I thought he got arrested," he rumbled. "What the Hell is he doing here?"

Lucy peeked and called, "Rasalas, that's enough."

Rasalas sapped the light back into her chest with a hefty growl. Natsu wasted no time stalking over to Chase and grabbing him by the shirt. He raised a fist full of fire with promise in his eyes. "What the Hell do you want with Lucy?"

Chase remained unblinking. "I'm not here for you," he said, voice grave. "Lucy Heartfilia is being summoned." His eyes slid to hers. "The calm acquiesce of a capture…? Or the terrifying thrill of being prey… Choose."

Memories hit Lucy like a freight train and she bit her lip from letting her emotions get to her. "I'm not prey and I'm not going to be your captive," she replied in a steady voice.

"This ain't Veronica," Natsu snarled. "Guess the authorities let you escape after what you and that mockery of a guild did to that country—to our friend." His fire increased. "But you're not getting away this time."

Chase watched him. "I'm not here for you," he repeated.

Natsu bared his teeth as emerald threatened to overtake his eyes. "Quit saying th—!"

SHING!

Natsu looked over his shoulder to see Lucy's wide eyes. Both of them looked down to see a dart had gotten to her thigh. Eyes widened, Natsu felt his grip loosen on Chase as Lucy fell to her knees. "Lucy!" He looked back to see Chase was slinking back into the shadows. That did not matter. Lucy mattered. He rushed to his wife to see Rasalas had already pulled out the dart and spat it away. "Lucy," he breathed. He dropped to his knees to hold her. "Lucy, are you okay?"

Lucy shakily nodded. "Y-Y-Yeah, but…" Her eyes went to the unforgotten dart. "I don't know what that was."

Natsu was careful as he reached for the dart. He sniffed it and disgust made him wrinkle his nose. "Midazolam," he sneered, "but he masked it with lavender and poppy seeds." He threw the dart and Rasalas growled at it, but he looked into the alleyway to see it blank. Even the thrown darts were gone. He could not help it when he showed fang. Dammit.

---

Hushed giggles came from the darkness of Mary Jane's room with only one light coming from underneath the covers. Lance's broom had been set on the wall while Igneel and Mary Jane hid beneath her covers with cards in their hands for Uno.

As Mary Jane put down a reverse card before setting down a blue number two, she could not help her silly beam. "No way!" she admonished.

Igneel tried to choose between his blue cards or his wild card. "Seriously!" he promised. He settled on his blue number five card instead. "To this day, I'm pretty sure my pops isn't allowed to go to that Bullseye."

"Uno!" Mary Jane cheered with one card left as she skipped Igneel's turn. She set down her last card with an eager squeal and a clap. "Uno out! Yes! I won!"

"Again?" Igneel mocked as he threw down his cards. He pouted at her. "I feel like you're cheating, MJ…"

Mary Jane laughed as she gathered the cards. "You say that because you're a sore Uno loser," she chided, sticking her tongue out at him for good measure.

Igneel lifted an eyebrow with a playful growl to match. He wiggled his fingers at her. "Sore loser, huh?" he drawled.

Mary Jane tried to back away from him. "Igneel… Igneel, play fair… Igneel, no—! Ah-ha-ha!" She lost control over her movement and the cards flew from her hands when Igneel descended upon her in tickles. "Igneel!" she gasped through a laugh. "Igneel, my parents—he-he!" They'll—ha-ha!—hear us!"

Igneel relinquished her, but his eyes told his smugness. "You conceded, you lost," he sang.

Mary Jane caught her breath with a look at him. "Sore loser," she teased. "Another round of Uno?"

Igneel shook his head as he stretched. "Nah. I should be getting home, anyways." He brought out his Compact to check the time and winced. "Yeesh. It's about two in the morning. I definitely need to get home." He crawled out from the covers to get off the bed, missing Mary Jane's disappointed frown.

"Do you really have to?" Mary Jane found herself complaining. "I thought we were having fun…"

Igneel grinned at her with that happy-go-lucky look as he slipped on his slides. "Definitely having fun," he agreed, "but if I'm not there when my parents get home, I'm done for. The curfew at my house is whenever my parents get home, I should be there." He noticed the forlorn look in Mary Jane's eyes and approached her. He brushed back the locks of her hair behind her ear. "Don't get all sad on me or you're going to make me feel guilty and want to stay the night. Not awesome, MJ."

Mary Jane's smile was wry. "Is it not working?" At Igneel's chuckle, she bounced on the bed. "Come on…!" she pleaded. "Just a little more fun?"

Igneel sighed. "MJ…"

An idea popped into her head and she was trying hard not to squeal at her genius. "Oh! Oh! We could do one of those sleepover things!"

An odd look crossed Igneel. "You want to do…a sleepover?"

Mary Jane eagerly nodded. "Yes! We could have so much more fun!" Her frown came back. "I'm not entirely sure how sleepovers go, but I'm sure I can look it up and figure it out!" She noticed Igneel look away from her and tried to catch his eye. "You'll stay," she hoped softly, "won't you?" Something was familiar in his look… It clicked and she backed down. "Or is this…about her?"

"I've…never slept over with another girl besides her," Igneel confessed, timbre quiet.

Mary Jane bowed her head and her locks of hair tucked so gracefully behind her ear slipped out to cover her scarlet eye. "Right." One word; such regret. "I'm sorry. Please forget I said anything. Maybe you should go."

"Maybe…" Onyx swung back to take in Mary Jane as she made herself look small. "But I don't want to."

Mary Jane jerked and was surprised gentle onyx was there to greet her, not a hint of pain. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Igneel moved back onto the bed. "I want to stay with you and have a sleepover. You said you've never had one… I want to make that right. Everyone should have at least one sleepover and I know all about them."

"Oh… Okay." Hesitation still gnawed at Mary Jane, but she warmed up to her idea again. "What do guys do for their sleepovers?"

Igneel grimaced. "We're not doing anything guys do at a sleepover," he said, firm. "We're doing things Igneel and MJ do at sleepovers which is watching anime and telling stories and having MJ cheat at Uno—"

"Quiet, you," Mary Jane jested, bumping his shoulder. "I like the anime suggestion. Do you want to finish that cyberpunk anime?"

"Let's finish that because I want to start watching Overlord after that," Igneel told her. "Or maybe we could watch the docu-series on the Fire Force!"

Mary Jane giggled as she got up to get her PAL. "Conceited much? Watching a series about Fire Mages? Really, Igneel?"

Igneel kicked off his slides to slip back onto the bed. "Hey, my pops was the one to inspire those Mages, all right? Forgive me for thinking that's awesome," he said in his defense.

Mary Jane shook her head as she knelt on the bed. "Get excited because we're totally going to watch Doctor Stone next. There's a one billion percent chance of it."

Igneel dramatically gasped as he touched his heart. "I'm turning you into a filthy casual," he croaked. "I'm so proud of you, my otaku MJ."

Mary Jane rolled her eyes to settled down onto her side of the bed. She popped her PAL onto her stomach to get to Lolimation up and running. As she passed the PAL to Igneel to sign in, she said, "Do you think Peter likes anime?"

Igneel paused in typing in his username. "Why do you ask?"

"Just thinking out loud," she supposed. "Today was so magical with him, y'know? I've been trying to think of things we could do together and since you've introduced me to anime and I really like it, I want to share it with him."

Igneel finished signing on. "Oh yeah?"

"Mmm-hmm. But then I realized…maybe it's not such a good idea…"

"Why is that?"

"Because he's not you."

Igneel blinked down onto Mary Jane who was focused on the PAL. She continued: "I mean, yeah, it'd be great to watch anime with him, and maybe we will, but this is something you and I do, y'know? It's our best friend thing." She looked up at him with a sunny little smile. "And I don't want to share that with anyone else."

Igneel was at a loss of the right words. "R-Right… Sure…"

Mary Jane blinked before pointedly glancing at the screen. "Anime…?"

Igneel shook himself out of his stupor. "Right, right, right. Anime." He went back to his most recent series and started the episode. A commercial came on for a Magia Princess movie with the main protagonist tying back her hair as she looked into the warring ocean.

A sly grin. "Although…maybe seeing princess movies could be our—"

"I'm gonna stop you right there with a big Hell no."

Mary Jane giggled and rested her head against his shoulder as the episode picked up from where they left it. She became snatched into the plot while Igneel had turned to watch her. There was nothing special about what she was wearing or doing. He just…watched her.

First sleepover, huh?

When Mary Jane yawned, he murmured, "You can sleep if you want to. I mean it is a little bit past two and all…"

You always told me to sleep instead of watching over you.

"No." Mary Jane stubbornly kept her eyes open. "I want to stay up with you and have fun. I ruined our night out, after all. This is the least I can do."

No, you didn't. You gave me hope. Hope I shouldn't have.

Igneel sighed. "Fine, fine," he relented. "Don't blame me if you get all cranky in the morning." I know you won't. You never woke up cranky. You woke up ready to seize the day.

Mary Jane hit his chest with the back of her hand. "Shut up and watch anime, you brat."

I can't. I can't watch it. I have to watch you. What if I blink and this all goes away and this is actually a dream?

Igneel gave her a squeeze as he let his head rest against the top of hers. "Yeah, yeah, MJ, whatever you say." I'll follow your every command if you want me to…if you'll let me stay this close…

Mary Jane coughed before mumbling, "Hey Igneel?"

"Hm?"

"I'm really glad you're my friend."

Igneel could not help it when his face turned and his nose was buried in her hair. "I am too." I'm so glad you want me in your life again.

Mary Jane found her eyes betraying her as they began to close against her will. "Promise we'll"—yawn—"be friends…forever…"

"'Forever'?"

Mary Jane nodded against his chest as she wriggled into a more comfortable position. "Mmm-hmm… Because forever seems like an awfully big"—she yawned again—"adventure…"

Igneel paused the episode for his eyes to close. "I promise," he whispered to her. "I promise forever."

Sun-bleached blonde bathed in the moon's gaze. A chest rising and falling. A fresh scar peeking on skin.

Igneel tightened his hold on her. I'll keep my promise to you—his eyes cracked open and wild emerald showed—forever.

---

BOOM… BOOM…

Lance hissed in an exhale as he hid amongst the rubble with Aine's back against the rock. He tried to take a peek, but he was forced back off when another explosion hit. Inwardly, he was seething. I can't get a clear attack on her. She keeps aiming explosive attacks to keep her covered.

His eyes darted to Aine. Shoulders straight, head tilted back, she was trying hard to keep her breathing steady. The smoke was not easy on her.

I need to get her out of here, Lance determined. She won't withstand this much longer.

He took Aine in his arms and she fluttered open her eyes. "Lance," she breathed. "I…" She began a violent coughing fit.

"Save your breath," Lance hushed, "and hold on tight." He hesitated when another explosion went off, but the moment it died down, lightning wound around him. He bound through the smokescreen with his lightning whipping out to crush debris. Direction was not difficult when he could feel the electromagnetic pulse from the temple, but the explosions did not help whatsoever. An unexpected explosion had Lance stumble and fall, but he made sure he swiveled so his back took the brunt.

Aine coughed and her eyes watered as she looked at him. "La-Lance," she rasped. "Are y-you oka—?" She coughed again.

Lance's static went off in warning. Startling her, he pushed her to the ground and covered her with his body. Explosions went off left and right and his ears would never forgive him for his. But he refused to release Aine as fire and debris rained around him.

Who the Hell is this girl? Lance gritted. How can she be this murderous? Jade flicked down to Aine to see her shaking beneath him. Kid or not, I can't let her go on like this. He let lightning course through his hands. It's obvious my lightning isn't going to help. Long-range is my strength, but I need to get up close and person with her. Even if I did get the close, I have that feeling in hand-to-hand combat, she'd take me down. Whatever power she has…it's similar to a Demon. And to beat a Demon…

Jade narrowed. Let's just hope this works.

He relinquished Aine to stagger to his feet. Eyes closed, he ignored the explosions to focus within himself. It's there somewhere. I felt it before. I can feel it again. I just need to concentrate.

BOOM…

He clenched his fists. Lightning showered him in its cyan close and illuminated his skin and hair. Concentrate harder.

BOOM…

A shadow passed through the strands of lightning. Gritted teeth. Cyan began to swim in darkness. Fists tightened.

BOOM…

Black static bounced around Lance, but an agonized growl escaped him.

Static overtook the focus, but it was clear that the inside of a church was before him. Destruction expanded about him, but the focus gazed at a wide-eyed Igneel being blown back as black lightning fried him. The scene glitched to Igneel crumbled on the ground, too damaged to try and help himself.

He convulsed as everything hit him at once. Black lightning burst from his body and went in every direction. Eyes opened and consumed in black as he threw back his head and let out a scream. Streaks of lightning shot from his skin.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Aine coughed again with her head on a rock. Eyes peeked open to see Lance shouting his pain as shadowed lightning rained fire. Lance… She reached out a hand. Lance…

Mischievous jade. A charismatic grin. "I love you."

Pounding hurt Aine's head, but she wanted to reach out to him. She needed to. Lance…

A disappointed frown. "I… We can't keep this from him," came echoed whisper. "He deserves to know that I…that we're together."

Lance doubled over with his fingers digging into his scalp and tears leaking from his black eyes as he screamed.

Aine was slow in picking herself up. Everything hurt and something behind it all wanted her to sleep and forget everything. But she could not just sit by and do that. Dark chocolate focused on Lance even if the world felt like it was tipping. "Lance," she rasped. "Lance… It's okay…"

Warm fingers brushing back her hair. A chaste kiss that bloomed into something more. A rush of electric excitement, the thrill of it all.

The girl leaped back before a wave of lightning could kill her. Her hands poised, darkness brewed between them when she caught something within the smoke. Eyes caught Aine stumbling to get to Lance as his black lightning consumed his every thought. For the first time in this fight, she hesitated and lost touch with her power. Something in this scene… Something about this was too familiar…

Aine did not care that lightning whizzed past her. Some of it singed off the ends of her hair. Her eyes were focused on the man before her and that was where they would stay. She called for him. "Lance…"

Lance could barely feel himself shift and he did not want to face her. He did not want her to see how easy it was for this power to control him and terrorize him. He did not want her to see how messed up he had become. But he could not resist the pull and turned to look at her with anguished black eyes.

Aine's smile for him was soft and sincere.

A giggle. "We're going to get in so much trouble!"

A playful wink. "Trouble's my middle name, little fox."

"I know who you are," Aine murmured as she approached him. "It's okay, Lance."

Lance tried to back away. "SSSSSSSStay away from me!" he told her in a distorted hiss.

STEP.

Aine was in front of him.

STEP.

She looked down at him.

STEP.

Her smile widened. "You're the one who always saves me."

Her knees buckled.

She fell against him.

"So this time," she murmured into his ear as she shakily brought up her arms, "let me"—a warm magenta glow sprung from the space between her and Lance—"save you."

Magenta exploded.

The nightmares, the visions of Igneel near-dead—magenta washed over them like a dream. It ate away at the shadows in lightning to expand its warmth and intensity until every bolt was consumed in a deep pink glow. The girl had never seen such power and, in her confusion, she did not notice a bolt of magenta come close until it hit her. Static clacked against her body and made her head hurt. In her pain, she could not find the strength to stay and bounded off the ledge. Lance, however, had no choice but to stay. Magenta outlined him and protected him. The black in his eyes was eaten away until his jade reappeared. Bewilderment overlapped the feeling of being coddled and loved.

"What…? What happened?" he mumbled to himself. He looked down to see hands slipping away from his chest. The Magic he felt blanketed his own was gone. "Hey… Aine, what?" His eyes widened when he turned around.

A shadow fell.

Aine landed in a crumpled heap with a bloody nose and eyes rolled to the back of her head.

Panic made Lance move as he scooped her up. "Aine…" Jade watered. "AINE!"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Fairy Adventure

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Lance rocked her back and forth with a near-sob escaping his lips. "Aine…" he whimpered. "Aine, baby, please wake up… Wake up for me, baby, please. Please, Aine."

Nothing.

Hot tears streamed his cheeks and his sniffles grew louder and louder. Openly weeping might be seen as unmanly to some, but now was not the time for masculinity if that was the case. "This is all my fault," he sobbed. "I couldn't protect you! I-I-I-I couldn't—…!" Burying his face into his hair, he muffled his cries. "I love you so much," he vowed to her. "I wanted you to become Misses Dreyar someday, baby, please… Please come back to—"

His eyes rolled to the back of his head.

His muscles went limp and had no choice but to drop Aine. His body fell back, collapsing in a tangle of legs.

CLANK… CLANK…

A rattle of chains.

A shadow hovered over both of them before shackles came down on both of their legs…

…and they were dragged away.

---

The prison cell felt more like a room of shadows. Whispers of Curses and death and destruction wrapped around Kyler as his nightmares feasted on him and his deepest fears. Still, he held strong strapped to a cross like the Almighty with nails in his palms and in his feet. Blood stained white slowly dripped from his wounds with his head hung, loose locks framing his face. His wings had been pierced on either side of him like he was a butterfly on display. No matter. He kept his eyes closed and his mind sharp as he chased away the voices of the shadows with a singular image.

Gold eyes. Pouting lips. Skin touched by the sun and tanned by Nature.

Kyler did not flinch. "So what brings you to my lowly prison cell, Demon?"

Bael stepped from the shadows and did not bat an eye at Kyler's naked form. "I'm impressed," he admitted. "I've held an Enoch in these cages before, but she couldn't take it and begged to be killed. In the end, I convinced her of suicide. It's satisfying taking a life, but much more satisfying driving them to insanity and killing themselves, don't you think?"

Kyler kept his eyes closed. "Not really. I've always been on the side of preserving the peace and celebrating life."

"Which is why it amazes me that my own flesh and blood would fuck you."

Kyler tried not to tense, but he could not help it.

Bael saw that and grinned. "What? Like I wouldn't know my favorited daughter hooked up with you? Come on, now. I'm old, but I haven't lost my touch." He took a clawed finger and tenderly dragged it down Kyler's wing to pluck a feather. "I know you haven't."

"Get to the point," Kyler asked for, timbre neutral.

Bael watched as the white feather crumbled into ashes underneath his touch and gaze. "All right then." Gold settled onto Kyler. "Did you love her?"

"I still do."

Bael hummed in thought. "Even though she's part Demon?"

"I love every part of her and accept her for what and who she is." Turquoise was revealed and glared into gold. "Any more questions?"

"Yes. Just one, though." Bael let his claw slip to Kyler's chin as he tipped up to get in the Enoch's face. "Would you like to meet her daughter?"

Kyler hesitated.

Bael pulled back. "I see," he offered. He leisurely strolled around the cross. "I could show you, you know. I could show you where she went after Lemuria. I could show you how she fled. I could show you what she did. I could even show you the birth of that precious little granddaughter of mine." He plucked another wing, but it faltered to ash under his touch. He paused in his steps as though allowing anticipation to build. "I can even show you who she was conceived with." He eyed Kyler and how meditative his face looked. "But it just seems you won't bite."

"No," Kyler agreed. "Let's get this straight. Mirella might be your blood, but she was never your daughter. And no matter what, I'll love Mirella's daughter just like I love her."

"Of course," Bael said smoothly. "Such a fickle species, you are. Loving something that isn't yours… It's so much easier to kill the kid and start over."

"I would expect a Demon to think nothing less," Kyler replied, clipped. "What do you want from me? I was having a wonderful dream before you walked in."

Bael lifted his chin. "Good thing you're up because you're free to go."

Turquoise narrowed, silent.

Bael lifted a brow. "Don't believe me?"

Silence.

Bael shrugged. "Listen, Enoch, as much as you think your existence is important to me, it's really not. Not even Mirella cares. The deal between her and Lynn was to kill you in order for her to get her daughter back and, well, look where you are."

"Still alive," Kyler muttered.

"That's true," Bael agreed. "You're more alive than we wanted, but who cares? This is a little catfight between my future heir and Lynn. Point is, your existence doesn't really benefit me in any way. You'd be a good fuck, but that nasty Angel part of you is stronger than your mortal side and I'm in no mood to get purified fucking your ass." He shook his head. "Live or die, I don't really care. But, if you like, you can leave."

"And then what?"

Bael laughed. "Ah, yes, you're right. What do I want for your freedom? Nothing much, really. It's quite simple. And, honestly, you'll do it anyway. You'll leave the room and have a few options. You can find Mirella, find the Etherious Princess, or find your cat. More than likely, you'll choose the princess which is great for me. You see"—he let his claw draw down Kyler's chest without breaking skin—"I have a little bit of a thing for my Ymir, but the most devastating part is he's resisting me. And I don't exactly like that."

Kyler laughed. "A Demon being rejected? I've lived to see the day."

Bael rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, Ymir isn't having some trouble keeping his dick with me and not inside hot, tight, wet pussy," he said bluntly. "Not that I blame him. She's young, but the young ones are my favorite. But it looks like she has some sort of power of him that makes him resist my naming. So, here's what you'll do. You'll track down Nashi Dragneel who, by the way, found her Etherious identity and won't even know who you are. You'll probably try to piece the human in her back together, but you'll have to fight my Ymir since he'll be trying to fuck her now more than ever. And right then…"—his mouth went to Kyler's ear—"I'll fuck her right then and there before killing her… And Ymir won't have any more issues resisting me."

Bael pulled away to see glowing turquoise burning into him. He smiled, amused. "Now there's the look I've been waited for." He went to pat Kyler's cheek, but he hissed when light and purity snapped at his palm. Healing himself, he glared at Kyler. "Enoch, you don't have much of a choice in the matter. You're free to do as you please. Kill familiars, kill Lynn, fuck Mirella for all I care. But, at the end of the day, you'll be doing exactly as I wanted." He turned his back on Kyler, but before he left, he added, "And by the way, don't try to play cute and save everyone here. Whether Mirella likes it or not, she's going to have to make a choice. And her answer won't involve you or these mortals."

And he left.

Kyler blinked as the stakes driven in his feet and his body and wings evaporated. He fell onto the ground, but he caught himself, landing on a foot and a knee. Hissing when his wounds did not like that, turquoise wrapped around him and closed the holes made in his body and regenerated his lost feathers. The wings flapped experimentally while he stood. Covering himself was nothing short of him creating a toga for himself and turquoise scanned the prison. Bael had left a hole in the ceiling, but Kyler did not trust it.

No matter what I do, I'll be playing into his hands. But he's right. Nashi is the one I need to look after. She's the most vulnerable. His wings carried him off the ground. But with my blood in her veins, she has a better fighting chance. He flew himself to the hole in the ceiling to find he came out in nothing as he thought. Old stone surrounded him in a cave with torches barely lit and vines and moss and weeds growing wherever necessary. Beyond the stone and dirt was a vast ocean of black with no light to guide the way. The only thing that was there was a ferryboat and a creature wrapped in tattered robes that shielded his eyes and face and wraps on his hands and a pole to steady him.

He looked down to see the hole he came out of was closing until the dirty floor was left. He touched down with his wings folded into his back and he approached the ferryman. He lifted an eyebrow. "And I suppose you're supposed to play Charon?" he asked.

The ferryman let out a breath. "The Unholy Lord has given you a choice. Select your payment." He laid out a hand.

Kyler looked to see two coins had blossomed within his hands. Both coins contained the reversed pentacle with an ouroboros surrounding it. The first had a symbol in the middle of an amulet-like wand with wings surrounding its head. The second coin had the symbol of the skull with a sword shoved through the top and out of the mouth. He smoothened his thumbs on the grooves, but there was no thinking with his decision. He dropped the coin with the amulet into the outstretched palm.

The ferryman took the coin and it disappeared within his cloak. "All aboard."

Kyler settled onto the ferry and they were off. The ferryman glided them across the sea of black with the only light coming from the lamp at the tip of his boat. Kyler looked over to see the water was contaminated with souls, the face of their soul of despair and of gross death. "What are these?" he whispered.

"These are the souls the Unholy Lord no longer wants," the ferryman rumbled. "These are the souls of past lovers and past children."

Kyler could not hold back his revulsion as he looked away from the water. "That Demon is truly vile," he growled.

Loving gold. A carefree smile.

Kyler could not help but think, If Mirella wasn't as vital to Bael…would she be in there too? Would her daughter? No. He perished the thought. I can't think like that. Mirella's alive. He won't kill her. He wants her too much and her daughter is too big of an asset.

Light was approaching and the ferryman steered them to it. The light was birthed from a tunnel on the water and Kyler recognized the symbol above it. The same amulet symbol on his coin. The ferryman stopped the boar just before the cave and lifted a shrill finger towards the tunnel and its light. "This is as far as I go. You have paid the toll. You cannot take back what was given."

Kyler stood up and tested his wings. "Thank you," he offered. He took gently to the skies and dove towards the tunnel. Don't worry, my sister-in-wings. I'm coming for you. His wings closed around him as he went headfirst into the light.

…and was immediately battered into winds and snows and ice.

Kyler was grounded before he could another meter and found snow trying to bury him. Turquoise glowed around him to warm him and a wing came around to shield his eyes from the blizzard. All he saw was white upon white with nothing left. Nashi's in this storm. And Muta… Oh no…

Kyler took his first steps into the blizzard. "Nashi…! Muta….!" He called. "Where are you…?"

But only the howling winds were the ones to answer.

---

STEP… STEP…

Mirella lumbered through the meadow and did not care what she stepped on or who she stepped through. Exhaustion was trying to wear her down, but her eyes followed the blood trail.

STEP… STEP…

Gold was blank and bleary as she tried not to break her stitches. Her mind was only on one thing. Have to…find her… Have to…find her…

STEP… STEP…

CH-CH!

Mirella stopped.

Her ears pricked and gold narrowed as she studied around her. Ethereal bodies surrounded her with no chance of escaping, but she could have sworn she heard that rustle. Gold glowed as the air around her darkened. The souls around her still glowed in this darkness, but she saw a corrupted soul hidden with them.

I've found you…

With a snarl, Mirella allowed vectors of darkness to expand from her palms like missiles locked on a target. Satisfaction excited her when she heard screams from the explosion and she tried to haul herself to the site. When she got there, Lynn was shakily on the ground with hair frazzled, eyes wild, and curled into a ball. Mirella could not help but smirk. "Oh, Lynn, I thought you liked big and explosive?" she tutted. She snapped her fingers and another explosion bombed Lynn, making her shrilly scream.

Hatred glared through Mirella's eyes as she saw part of Lynn's leg remain from the explosion. "How about some more?" She snapped again.

Part of Lynn's hair was singed off.

SNAP.

Burns crusted on Lynn's skin.

Mirella poised herself for another snap when Lynn cried, "Wait, please!"

Mirella paused as Lynn looked up at her sister with tear-filled eyes and blood from her mouth. "Mirella, please," Lynn pleaded. "I did what I had to do! He would have killed me!"

"You deserve to be killed!" Shadows flared up as black swallowed her eyes and let gold stay behind. "You let him manipulate you like every other bitch! You manipulated me!"

"You wanted him to kill me!" Lynn screeched back. "You wanted me to die!"

Mirella snarled at that and snapped again. She kept walking as she watched Lynn's skin nearly be charred off. "I wanted to escape! I wanted to live life with my daughter the way I wanted! Not under the thumb of a fucking Demon who only wanted to commit incest! I wanted to be free!"

"You used me to get to your freedom!" Lynn shouted.

"No, Lynn!" This next explosion would be the one to finish her off and both of them knew it. Shadows and darkness charged around her as she gathered the Curse within her. "You used me to get yours!" Her thumb and pointer rubbed togeth—

A shadow fell between them.

Gold widened.

No… No, it can't be…

She drank in the sight of the little girl before her with turquoise eyes in teardrops and dark brown hair lengthy and untamed. She was covered in rags and badly fed, but she… She was alive.

…and she was protecting Lynn.

Lynn managed a smile through her blackened lips. "Meet my daughter, Mirella," she purred. "She'll do anything to protect her mother…even kill you."

Mirella could not believe it. How? Why…? But it was the truth. Her daughter was poised to lunge for her the moment Lynn said the word.

…and there was nothing Mirella could do.

Rage fueled her again as her hand went to her side and a teardrop stained her cheek.

SNAP!

BOOM!

---

It was loud where she was and she knew that. The beat was so old school that she knew her parents could have danced to this song in her youth. Well, maybe. Honestly, her parents did look young for their ages, so she was not sure.

Bodies were either on the dance floor or on the sidelines. It was more popular to grind than ever and you could smell the perspiration and arousal in the air. Some had that look in their eye like they loved the smell, they loved the movement, they loved it all. Others were disgusted and turned to conversation or some party games. Never Have I Ever seemed popular alongside beer pong and doing shots.

"Hey… Having a good time?"

The focus turned to see—

The scene dissolved into one that was scarily accurate and familiar. Light filtered through the cracks of the wallboards and dust and wood filled her nose. Tears came to her as fear froze her at every angle. "No," she heard herself say through the darkness. "Please, c-c-can we go back now? I don't…"

"Seriously?" Anger fueled with expectation and disappointed when it was not meant. "You were pretty down just a second ago. And I mean you're wearing that skirt for me anyways."

A swallow, though her mouth was dry. The focus could only see a silhouette, but she felt everything. She felt how trapped she was, how dark it was, how her options were little and few. "I'm sorry," came a squeak. "I just don't feel ready—"

A snarky laugh. "Really? You don't 'feel ready'? You were the one sending me nudes like a slut and begging to be my date tonight. You were the one who wanted to make out." Beer-drown breath huffed onto her lips. "I say that makes you 'ready'."

Shame arose within her as clumsily lips slid onto hers. Was it true? Did this mean she was ready? Uncertain made her stomach queasy, but her throat felt too narrow for anything to come up. Hands grabbed her without gentility, but she let it slide when her fear gripped her legs. It was only when she felt being shoved back, she found her strength again. Useless hands raged against him, but he would not budge.

"Pl-Please stop," came whimper. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this. I d-d-d-don't want to—"

"You want it," came snarling coax. "You wouldn't have dressed like that if you didn't. Trust me."

"No." Small, pleading. "No, please." Louder, beseeching. "Get off me!"

Glowing cerulean in one eye and icy-blue-silver in another. "Angel!"

She woke up, but it did not feel like she truly did. She found herself in snow, but a parka and boots kept her warm. Mountains in the distance were thick with winter's blessing, but she did not feel like she was in winter. The sky was tainted an inky black that tried to eat away at the sun and diminished the stars to nothing. Her eyes caught onto a small cabin at the edge of the woods that held the mountains. Smoke came out of it meaning life, meaning a person. She found herself drawn towards and her feet carried her closer.

'Where…am I?' she wondered drearily. 'What's going on? This place… Something's wrong it.'

SKITTER.

She looked over her shoulder, but nothing was there. It was just the night and her.

SKITTER.

She whipped her head around, but again, she was alone. Her paced picked up.

SKITTER. SKITTER. SKITTER.

Feet broke into a sprint to the cabin. She could not help it when she looked over her sh—

Eyes widened.

Masses of darkness had rolled from the forest to pursue her. Glowing gold was its eyes as it chased after her in a grotesque mass that looked feline. She pushed herself harder as the cold began to sting her and bite at her. The cold she longed for was betraying her. She could feel ice burns sear her skin as she got closer to the cabin. Faster… Faster…

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!

She made a fool's mistake to look back.

The darkness was on top of her.

"Ice-Make: Wall!"

Ice jutted out of the snow to separate her from the darkness. The mass roared its anger, unable to bypass the shield. She kept running and tried not to look back when she heard something shatter behind her. Her eyes were focused on the person who stepped out of the cabin with dark wings on his back and black clothes shielding his body, even his eyes. He looked in flight and sailed straight for her. He dove down and his eyes were focused on her instead of the mass trying to swallow her. He did his circle to swoop down with his arms ready for her.

She hurried as quickly as she could and offered no resistance when he swept her off her feet. Clinging to him, she tried to get a—

"Don't look."

She looked at his face. Such tension in his muscles. His eyes were focused on the cabin. "Don't," he commanded. "If it sees you're giving it attention, it gets more powerful."

She nodded and buried her face into his neck. Then, everything happened so fast. Darkness tore at them both, trying to grab them or at least throw them off their flight path. But her savior did not care. The moment the cabin was walking distance, he went low. The door to the cabin open, inviting and warm, and he did not care how tight the fit was. He angled them. "Hold on!" he shouted over the darkness' wrath.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!

Dark wings curled around them both as he let go and let them slide into the cabin. The door slammed behind them with a bang that shook the entire cabin. She shook as her savior released her and retracted his wings. He swiftly went to the door to lock it and made sure to close his curtains.

"We're safe," he assured. "It can't get to us in here. As long as we don't pay attention to it and stay in here, we'll be safe." He looked down at her. "I'm so glad you're here. I've been so worried about you." He took off his hood and his goggles went to his forehead. Steely cerulean melted into relief and affection. "Hi, Angel."

She blinked as surprised trapped her.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

"Gary."

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Muta blinked his shock when the name tumbled out of her blue lips. The cave he sheltered them in was pitiful, but he knocked down any threatening icicles. A fire had started for them to keep them warm and it had dried out his fur, but it was still working to dethaw his charge. Nashi lay blanketed in his grey kimono with her horns still in place, but they were smaller than before. Muta in his normal Exceed form abandoned the stew he had set to rush to her with the vial. He uncorked it to part her mouth open.

"Here you go, you silly kitten," he murmured as a few drops went into the back of her throat. He massaged her throat to ensure she swallowed it before capping the vial.

Muta stepped back and sighed. "Oh, geez… We've really done it now." He looked on into the blizzard. Kyler… Get here before she does.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Nashi could not believe her eyes when Gary helped her to her feet. "B-But… How…?"

Gary scratched his cheek. "Long story short, I don't really remember anything outside of me letting my Devil take over in the real world. It must've happened only a few minutes later, but I felt his horniness and then his panic and anger and then…nothing. I was trapped inside my mind and cut off from reality." Cerulean darkened. "That's when Hell happened. I don't remember how much later it was, but something must've rattled my Devil. That shadow-whatever tried to consume me, but I locked myself in the deepest part of my soul before it could get to me. I tried fighting it, but it was growing too strong and I couldn't risk being consumed."

Nashi shook her head, still in disbelief. "I just… I can't believe you're here," she whispered. "I… I…"

Gary frowned. "Angel? Angel, what's—mmmph!" The kiss caught him off-guard, but he reciprocated within a moment and held her close. He let her go as they both came up for air, foreheads against the other. His grin was from ear-to-ear. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

"Just that I missed you," Nashi breathed, "and I'm sorry."

"Wow. Angel must've missed me if she's confessing like this," Gary teased, watching as Nashi's blushed under his gaze. "But I like it when Angel's honest. I missed you too," he soothed. "It just concerns me that you're here. You don't feel like an illusion."

Nashi squeaked when Gary took the chance to squeeze her ass. "Gary!"

Gary chuckled lowly. "Definitely not an illusion."

Nashi glared at him, but her smile broke it away. "Perverted dog," she chided. "I think we both feel real enough to know this isn't an illusion, but…" Questioning fell on her face. "But why am I here in your soul? It just doesn't make sense."

"Our connection, maybe?" Gary theorized. "We do have a pretty strong connection. But with me so cut off from the world, I just don't know. What's been going on out there anyways?"

Nashi blew out an exhale. "A lot," she admitted. "More drama than Dazzler's exes put together."

Gary winced and helped her out of her coat. "Tell me about."

Nashi nodded and the coat fell from her shoulders and off her. "It's a long story," she warned. "It's—"

"What I do think you should do is have an honest talk with Gary about what you feel comfortable with sharing." Honest jade stared into the focus. "I'd definitely tell him what happened in that paradox. With Galileo, that's up to you if you want to tell him or not. You decide, okay?"

Nashi paused with her boots gone as Gary finished hanging up her jacket. He noticed her tension and tilted his head. "Angel? What's wrong?"

Nashi closed her eyes. Inhale. Exhale. "Gary," she started in a small voice, "there's…there's something I need to tell you."

Gary stepped up to her as Nashi turned to face him. "Angel, it's okay," he soothed. "You don't have to tell me—"

"It's not about…that," Nashi put off. "We just…" She fumbled in her words. "We just need to have an honest talk about what I'm comfortable with sharing. And, with us being stuck in your soul, maybe…maybe now's a time as good as ever."

Gary took her face into his hands. He searched for any inkling she was forcing herself. "Angel," he murmured, "don't do this because you have to. Do this because you want to."

Warm curled against cold as hickory stared into cerulean, self-assured. "I do," Nashi assured. "I really do. I… I think it's time we had that talk now. You deserve it. Yes, Gary, you do," she plowed on when he was shaking his head.

"I don't 'deserve' anything if it means you telling me a part of your past," Gary argued. "Your past is yours, Angel, not mine. I love you for you and I accept everything about you. You deserve that. If you want to tell me something, then I should be honored you're giving me that sort of gift, okay?"

Nashi did not know whether to cry or to laugh. "You're such a hopeless romantic," she jested as her eyes watered. "Why are you so nice to me?"

He gathered her into his arms and let his winter calm her summer. He kissed her temple before burying his nose into the crook of her neck. "Everyone deserves love and kindness, Angel," he murmured to her like a lullaby. "I know terrible things happened to you, but I want you to be reminded every day that it doesn't matter what anyone else says or thinks. You deserve love and kindness."

DRIP.

Nashi's hand shakily went to the back of his jacket before clutching it for dear life. She let herself get lost in his comfort for a few moments before pulling away. Wiping away at her tears, she mustered up a weak smile. "C'mon. A lot has happened. You might want to conjure up some whiskey for the story I'm about to tell."

---

Luna's room was dark, but the moon shed its light on her as though to bid her safe dreams. Icarus had curled up on the foot of her bed in his husky-malamute form with his tail over his nose. Luna twisted onto her other side, still asleep, with her hair in a haphazard braid and her bracelet from Shenlong firmly on her nightstand. She twisted again to the other side before flopping on her back with her eyebrows furrowed.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Luna was focused on where she was and nothing made sense to her. She found her existence floating a blizzard storm, but she did not feel cold. She looked down to see white outlined her translucent figure.

'What…? What's going on? Where am I?'

"You don't stand a chance against me, Cleric."

Luna turned to see a woman speaking. She looked as cold as the blizzard must have felt with her icy skin and hair and eyes. A monster with the main body and torso of a bear, but the rear, hind legs, and antlers of a deer was at her side. 'Who is that?'

"I…"—pant—"won't lose"—"to you…"

Luna looked ove—

Her eyes widened.

'Nashi?!'

Her sister, it was. Nashi did not look like her Divine Soul nor her Divine Soul Seraphim. She had never seen this version of her soul before. She had gauntlets with blades and a thick breastplate. Her skirt came with a loincloth that had a winding serpent stitched upon it. She had even grown a scaly tail that missed a few scales and her wings were two, but they were bright with fire touching them. Her helmet was different than her others. It held a muzzle with teeth and had horns at the top like a crown. The gold stained on her armor had lost its glitter.

Luna felt sick. 'Oh my gosh…'

Blood and bruises battered her with her loincloth tattered and her right-wing bent at an angle. She heavily relied on her golden staff to keep her upright, but one blow would knock her over. The cold was starting to be more aggressive as it iced her left-wing and her left leg.

'Nashi,' Luna whispered. 'Nashi, no…'

The woman did not even smile as she gestured with her hands and shards of ice lifted up with their blades at the ready. "You already did."

Luna tried to rush for her sister. 'No—!'

SHING!

SPLAT.

Horror filled Luna's eyes as her mouth opened, but she could not make a sound.

Magic burst into the air before dissolving back into ethernano.

Nashi lay in a flayed heap of blood in skin with her eyes open in terror. Her body twisted at such an odd angle; one could vomit from seeing it. Armor gone, she was left in a shirt and loose pants that did nothing to defend her from the cold. Ice had pierced her stomach, pierced her legs, her arms, her heart, her head. Bleeding came slowly and trickled out, tainting the virgin snow with its malice. Her skin was already pale, but it looked like all the color in her body was being sapped out without question.

Luna could not look away as her chest felt heavy and her breaths more rapid. Her mouth opened, but she was not allowed to make a sound. 'No… Na-Nashi, you… No… No…' Her eyes shut as everything around her broke away and shattered and she was being thrown into darkness. 'NASHI!'

"You don't stand a chance against me, Cleric."

Luna popped open her eyes to see the blizzard waging war before her with the iced woman with her back to her and her reinbear at her side. Haunted eyes saw a bloodied Nashi down on one knee with her and her staff broken in two. Another creature was in the snow, a white Exceed in their Battle Mode. A chunk of their neck was gone and winter was trying to bury it.

Nashi could not help but cry. "Muta," she wept. "Muta, why…?"

The ice woman stroked the fur of her pet. "Don't cry," she commanded, voice clipped. "He's just an object. He's replaceable."

Nashi gritted her teeth. "'Replaceable'? How dare you." Getting to her feet was its own war, but she managed and did not care about her bleeding arm. "You bitch," she seethed. "You think life is replaceable? You disgust me!"

The reinbear growled at that.

The ice woman did not care. "Then you can join him. Onna, have a snack."

Luna wanted to scream as the reinbear charged for Nashi. 'No! Nashi, no! Get away!'

Fear routed onto Nashi's face as the reinbear's teeth went straight for her neck.

Luna felt nausea and tears drown her and she could not tear her eyes away. Each scream, each moan, each rip of flesh—she could see and hear everything. It was like she was facing a punishment she could not escape and felt herself collapse mid-air. Her throat choked as she let out a noiseless sob.

'Please stop,' she beseeched. 'Please stop it! Stop!'

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Screaming jolted Luke from his slumber with his Magic on edge. Whimpers and pleas came next and he rushed of his room sans his glasses. He made a dash for Luna's door and swung upon the door to see Luna thrashing with tears streaking her eyes. Icarus was incessantly whining and pacing the bed.

Luke ran to the bed with eyes full of worry. "What happened?

I don't know, Icarus lamented. She was peaceful before, but I feel her horror and I can't wake her. To Luna, he settled at her side. Please, Pup, be calm. I am here.

Loke came into the room with a stare for battle. "What happened?" he demanded.

"We don't know," Luke fretted. "Icarus, off. Uncle Loke, stand back. Let me take a look."

The moment Icarus got off the bed, Luke got to work. He went into his full lotus position of mediation—legs crossed with both feet resting on his thighs. His hands went to their classic meditation mudra position with his right hand resting on his left, thumb-tips lightly touching. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and his shoulders relaxed. His whole body did.

Gold blossomed beneath him with his Magic Circle encompassing the entire bedroom floor. Magic fluttered around his body and clung to him like a second skin. He felt it brush through his hair like a breeze and lift him off the ground. Inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale… Darkness tunneled his mind until it was all that existed. Perfect.

The chanting began:

"Mere dimaag kee aankhen kholo

Mere dimaag ko spasht karen aur mere aathaven chetana ko kholen…"

White blossomed into the darkness, tormented and anguished.

"Khula…!"

A dot of gold came onto Luke's forehead, only the size of a bottle cap and nothing bigger. But it expanded as his Magic Power rippled in gentle waves. A third eyes emerged of Magic, open and stoic. Loke and Icarus could not hide the shock and awe on their faces as they felt Luke's Magic wash over their physical forms.

Is this…? Loke wondered. Could he be…?

Luke's eyes snapped open for gold to overtake them.

"Ālaya-vijñāna!"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The focus was dark at first and fell of stinging heat. Disgust and guilt and grief barreled into one and overrode every sense, even preservation. The need to die outweighed the need to flee. Existence was futile when harboring so much pain.

"It's a pity you think you can win against me, Cleric," came stoic sneer. "Especially when you already lost."

'No,' Luna whimpered within her mind. 'No more… Please. I'm begging you! Please!'

Spit. A huff. "Don't act like you've already won, evil bitch," came panting snarl. "I'm still alive."

'No…" Luna cried. 'Nashi, please…!' Darkness cracked open to see nothing but snow and wind. They could barely keep the focus open to see a battered Nashi in her armor with her back on the ground and her hand trying uselessly to stop the intense bleeding of her shoulder. 'Get up,' Luna sobbed. 'Get up!'

An ice woman in her qipao came over without a flaw on her. She looked down upon Nashi's exposed form without a smile on her face. She took no pleasure nor displeasure in carrying out her order. "Yes," the woman evenly agreed. "And then you weren't." She twirled her fingers for a spear of ice to appear and—

SHING!

A fierce shriek. 'NO!'

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The spell broke with his Magic zapping back into him and his mind's eye shut abruptly. Luke fell to the ground with tears in his eyes and his lungs burning. Icarus went straight for Luna while Loke knelt beside Luke.

"Are you okay?" Loke worried. "What happened?"

Luke coughed and rubbed away his nose with the back of his arm. "I-I-I…" He tried to explain it, but there was no point in beating around the bush. "I think I just saw Nashi…die."

Loke's eyes widened. "You saw what?"

Luke took Loke's offer of help to grasp his hand and spring back to his feet. "Yeah, I…" He coughed again and filled his chest with air. "I saw her die, but…" Honeyed amber went straight to Luna and watched her cry and shake and whimper. "But if felt…so real…"

"It had to be a nightmare," Loke concluded, but Luke was shaking his head.

"No, it… It wasn't that," Luke countered. "My Storehouse Spell lets me connect with people and their consciousness intimately if they don't have a block, right? Well, connecting with Luna… That 'nightmare' felt too real to just be that. And there was this power. It didn't feel like Luna's Magic, but it was a part of her somehow. What's wrong?" he added in question when Loke went ridged.

"Nothing," Loke tersely spoke. "I just need to check on something." He gestured to Luna. "Try doing a meditative spell on her or something. Calm her down. We can't risk waking her up."

While Loke fled, Luke hurried to be at Luna's side. He climbed onto the bed with Icarus worrying and trying to keep her from hurting herself. Luke shushed Icarus' whines to pull Luna into his hold. He did not mind when she resisted and acted out. Magic touched his fingertips and he took to massaging her back. "Ho'oponopono… Momentai…" he murmured to her, eyes closing. "Ho'oponopono… Momentai…"

°•°•°•°

"And you're sure you don't want me to stay in the car?"

Gale walked up the walkway with no fear of the dark and the Compact pressed to his ear. "Lady J, I'm fine," he promised. "If I need to come back to your place, I'll just walk. But I think I should be okay. Blondie and I… We have some stuff to catch up on and it might take some time."

Julia snorted from the other end. "It's not like its two in the freaking morning or anything," she muttered as Gale reached the house, but he skirted past the front porch to walk to the back. "Which reminds me… Who's going to let you in?"

Gale grinned. "I'll improvise," he jested as he rounded to the backyard. His eyes went straight for Luna's window. "Dragqueen was onto something about window entrances. I'll take a page from his book and patent it."

"Oh, God, if you get caught—!"

"Oh, would you relax?" Gale hushed. "I'll be fine…!"

"I'd believe that if I knew you were one-hundred percent sister sober."

Gale frowned as her as he went up the deck steps. "I ate, didn't I? Pretty sure I pissed an ocean too."

"TMI, asshole," Julia cursed. "You said it yourself, Mister Smart Ass. Drugs have their half-life of twenty-four hours going on and, as much as you sound sober, we both know the addies you probably took before our little library trip is the result. And you still smell like if beer could throw up. Hi, self-destruction, how are ya?"

Gale rolled his eyes as he got underneath Luna's window. "Yeah, yeah," he whispered. "Listen, I gotta bounce. I'll text you all the girly details later for teatime or whatever." He ended the Compact call and put the device in his back pocket. He kept his mouth shut as he let claws of marble from his knuckles. He went to the wall and pulled back his han—

"Defacing"—Gale startled himself into a near panic attack—"private property is still a misdemeanor."

Gale whipped around to see Loke standing on the grass with his shades resting on his head and his eyes clearly not in the mood for bullshit. Still, Gale smiled as he dismissed his claws and scrambled to rectify the situation. "Oh, that?" He laughed it off. "I wasn't going to—"

"Save the shit, Redfox," Loke dismissed. "Trust me when I say I did my fair share of sneaking in and out of a lady's bedroom to provide my service. But this lady isn't looking for any services you're offering." His nostrils flared. "You reek of a bar and a frat house. That's not a compliment."

Gale gave up on trying to be aloof and decided honesty was his best bet. "I need to see her," he confessed. "It's important. I think I figured out something, but I need her help to make sure."

Loke's brows went into a scrunch. "Can't you hear her distress?"

Gale blinked. "No, I…" He listened, then. He really listened. It was faint, but he heard whimpering. "I mean… I think so?"

"Makes sense." Loke climbed up the deck steps. "Senses are tampered down to a regular human since you're screwed up." He bypassed Gale to get to the backdoors. "Go home, Gale. There's nothing for you here."

Gale surged forward with challenge in his ruby eyes. "I need to see her!" he insisted. "Please, sir, I—!"

A hand caught Loke's arm—

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The rain had set fire.

Explosions had gone off without warning to the point where the sound felt muffled. It was like the ears rejected to hear such loud noise again. Silhouettes burned in the flames or lay dead on either side of the focus. A sharp man in his red armor had gone into rigor mortis and it was clear. A female was on the other side with a child tucked away into her breast, the mother's eyes wide and her tears long since dried, her child silent. Ash stung the nose with the sharp smell of dirt and the metallic of blood and urine. Nothing felt right, but that was because nothing was right.

The focus went in and out as they unfolded their hand to reveal a fleck of silver. The silver took the form of a k—

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

A lifted eyebrow was the answer after Loke pried Gale away from him. "What you need to do is get sober and go home," he hissed at him. "Your senses are messed up because you would've felt the magical distress in the air and look at you. You're a wreck and you should leave."

"I'm not leaving without seeing her." Gale would not back down on this. "Please. I can help if you give me the chance—!"

Loke huffed. "I don't have the time for this." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine," he said with heavy reluctance. "You can come in and stay the night. Lucy would kill me if I let some crossed kid wander the streets alone at two in the morning." He climbed the rest of the way up the deck to go to the back door with Gale following him inside.

The second Gale was inside, he could feel the intensity of Luna's Magic and her emotions. It shook the air and made him feel something horrible would happen in the pit of his stomach. He even noticed some of the picture frames on the wall were trembling under her stress. Loke led him up the kitchen stairwell as the Magic felt so dense as if it could shift the world with one nudge. The bedroom door was open and all Gale had to do was cross through it. But he hesitated. Ruby took in Luna's sobs and muffled begs and the way she fidgeted within Luke's hold of her.

Blondie, Gale whispered. What happened to you?

Luke peeked up from his meditation to see Gale and honeyed amber narrowed. "What the Hell are you doing here?" he demanded to know. "Aren't girls going wild without you?"

Gale stepped into the bedroom without a witty retort as a comeback. His focus was on Luna. "Let me—"

"No." Luke's answer was quick and aggressive. "She needs family, not some guy still trying to get sober." When Luna's whimpers grew louder, Luke tended to her with his Magic. Honeyed amber risked a glancing glower in Gale's direction. "Leave us alone."

Gale took a step forward, but Icarus leaped out of the bed to stop him. He transcended into his true form with teeth bared and claws at the ready. He projected his thoughts into the world for both Luke and Gale to hear. Leave now, human, he snarled with threat creeping within each word. You will not touch my cub.

Gale opened his mouth, but it was Sycaña who growled, How dare you stand between my drake and his moon. Who are you to do such a thing?

Luke was the only one taken back when Gale's amulet appeared overtop his shirt with emerald glinting in anger. Icarus snapped his teeth in agitation, tail down. I am my cub's protector, Mother Dragon. He chose his path. I am bound to protect my cub from it.

"Dragon?" Luke murmured another mantra when Luna shook her head in a sob. When her sobs quieted back down to whimpers, he eyed the amulet bestowed unto Gale. "That's a Dragon? But how—?"

Gale groaned. "Luke, please, shut up. I'm a new-type Dragon Slayer, but no one knows about it except the current Slayers and Blondie here, so keep it on the DL, okay?" He turned his sights on Icarus. "I get it, Icarus. You have to protect her and, hey, I don't blame you. I'm internally hating myself and I regret what I did, but I did it and no amount of 'I'm sorry's is going to make up for it. But that girl right there needs me and you know it. I'm the only one who can calm her down."

Icarus did not stop the rumbling in his chest.

Sycaña's thought wafted over everyone. You said his name is 'Icarus', Little Gem? A Star Spirit named Icarus… Yes, I believe one of the Star Dragons spoke about you and your…abrupt end with your own mate.

Icarus straightened; ears flat against his head. I will let that slide out of my respect and condolences to the loss of your race, he allowed. Mother Dragon, you once had drakes of your own. You would do the same as I—!

Even as a mother, I know better than to keep my drakes from their half, Sycaña spat. I protect my horde with my life, but I do not have the right to go between them and Sorrelo would agree. You defend this Heartfilia as it is your duty, but she is in pain and her soul needs consolation. My drake can give it to her. So I suggest you step aside before I allow you to experience a mother's resolve. And believe me—a thundering snarl rippled out and shook the room—even in this form, I still have power.

Icarus went back to glaring at Gale, but he reluctantly stepped aside. When Gale passed him, Icarus made a show of teeth. One wrong move and your Mother Dragon will not be enough to save you, he hissed.

Gale ignored him as Luke got up from the bed. Without Magic aiding her, Luna was left to her own to thrash and cry. Luke put a hand on Gale's shoulder with warning in his eyes. "Do what you can," he commanded, "but don't do any more than that." Releasing Gale, he went to stand by Icarus.

Gale toed off his shoes before climbing into the bed. Cradling her was like second nature as he wrapped himself around her. She resisted at first, but he was firm in his hold. "That's it, principessa," he murmured. "I'm here. There's no need to cry. I'm right here. Good girl," he praised when Luna slowed in her movement, only twitching. He rubbed her blanket-covered shoulder. "That's it. Nice and easy," he coaxed. "You're safe now. I'm here."

Luna's whimpers quelled into sniffles as she lay limp against him.

Gale kept his eyes on her as he said, "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll stay the night here."

Luke was about to snap and Icarus began to snarl, but it was Loke who piped up, "Fine."

"What?" Luke spun around to confront his uncle. "What the Hell! Why—?"

"We don't have that many options," Loke reminded, though he looked aggravated of the situation in which he put them. "Gale's the best bet to keeping her calm and from hurting herself and I don't want him walking home still screwed up. I will be the one to explain things to your parents, but for now, I suggest you go back to bed. Igneel still hasn't come home yet and I honestly doubt he will, but, in case he does, we need to be ready for anything." He clapped Luke's shoulder. "Come on. Bed."

Luke threw another glare at Gale. "I don't trust you."

"I don't either."

Honeyed amber widened, though Gale did not look into them. Ruby stayed firm on Luna. "Even if we can't trust me as a person, trust me as a guildmate."

Luke slowly nodded as though he had something to think about and left the room. Loke looked at Icarus. "Are you going or staying?"

Icarus shifted to his Dog Form and went back onto the bed. After circling his spot, he plopped down at the foot of the bed with his tail over his nose. That was his answer.

Loke went to the doorknob and forewarned, "I'm keeping the door cracked open. If I hear anything suspicious, I will not hesitate to kick you out." He started to close the door, then he paused. "For what it's worth, Gale… At your age, you're doing a better job than most would." He left after that.

Gale snorted softly to himself. "At my age, people worry about their body count," he murmured, "nothing about this." After a beat, he added, Sycaña?

I am here.

You know…you didn't have to defend me like that.

Yes, I did, Sycaña firmly believed. Spirits are protective and loyal to the humans they bind themselves to. It is as admirable as it is sufferable. If you were any other male, I would not have fought so hard. But she is your moon as you are the sun.

What did you mean about Icarus and his mate?

Sycaña sighed. When I was a drake like you, my sister would tell me extravagant stories of the stars. She held an interest in them. She told me a tale of the rejected wolf who worshipped the sun instead of the moon and how badly it went. I thought it just a tale…but now, I am unsure.

Gale went quiet for a few moments. Either way…thanks for doing all that. I'm sorry I had to reveal my secret.

The prince will say not a word. She sounded so certain. He has secrets of his own he cannot afford to expose. Your secret will be well-kept with him. Dragons have an eye for that sort of thing.

Gale's chuckle was muted. He basked in Luna's beauty as the moon's light touched her. I'm glad I could get her to calm down. His mind went down a darker road as he went to his bare hands. With just one touch… I can see into a person's past. Ruby went to Luna's small hand peeking out from under the covers. I could see what happened between them…with just one touch… He found his hand shifting closer to hers. I could easily find out if he took the chance I never did.

His hand paused. It curled into a fist.

No. I shouldn't. He reached into his pockets for his gloves and slipped them on. Whatever happened…I lost my right to get upset. And I… I have to accept that. He let Luna go briefly to fish out his Compact. Curling back around her, he went to see notifications had blown up his Compact. The group chat was going wild with Dash and Amber apparently rumored to have slept together and fought for the hundredth time. Tesla had put her foot down and everyone was coming back to her home for the after-party and good food. He saw a message from India asking if he was still up, but he dismissed it. He went to message Julia instead.

« Staying the night. Don't wait up. »

Julia did not waste time with her next message.

« Is she okay? »

« She was having some vivid nightmares, but I got her to calm down »

The bubble popped up, disappeared, and then popped up again.

« Are YOU okay? »

Gale paused in his reply.

« No…but I will be. Don't worry about me, okay? Worry about me kicking Dash's ass for sleeping with you in a moment of vulnerability »

« Gale… »

« Look. You're not okay and that's fine. But just… »

« Don't keep it to yourself, okay? I'm here for you. If you need to stay over at my house, stay over. My parents don't care. Whatever you need. »

Gale smiled.

« Thanks, Lady J. Just don't think we're not getting out of this you and Dash talk »

« Fine. Then we're having a talk about – what was it again? Oh, yeah, Dragon Slayers and some Back to the Future bullshit? »

Gale groaned to himself. Shit. Did I say that?

« That was the addies »

« Conversation over. Get some sleep. Make sure you don't fuck Dash again »

Julia laughed at his text message and sent him a picture of Shawn with his diet root beer with TEA as the captain.

« Yes, Father, no more sinning with Dash »

« No promises on Cane though… I have heard rumors he puts the ora ora in ara ara»

« WOMAN! »

« Niiiiiiight~ »

Gale rubbed his face before locking his Compact. "Woman's about to be the death of me," he muttered as he set his Compact on the closest nightstand. He cuddled with Luna closer to his chest and shut his eyes. Aloud, he said, "If I wake up and find out you pissed all over my shoes, don't think I won't hesitate to force Blondie to never give you another belly scratch within the next week."

Icarus snorted. Like you can back that threat.

As Gale made himself more comfortable as the big spoon, no one noticed his Compact lit up with new messages.

⌜MESSAGES

Unknown Number

Hey so… This is Raven from the party. We pity hooked up? You were pretty crossed lmao⌟

⌜MESSAGES

Unknown Number

One of your friends gave me your number an um⌟

⌜MESSAGES

Unknown Number

and um* lol⌟

⌜MESSAGES

Unknown Number

Since we're part of the lonely-hearts club, maaaaybe you'd want to meet again? Like a date bu…⌟

⌜MESSAGES

Unknown Number

Let me know! And I'm def down for another hook up if you go down on me lol Night!⌟

---

SHING!

Pazuzu sprung away with his eyes mauled and one of his tails gone, but he had no chance to rest when the Ice Devil bared down on him. He took this opportunity to allow the panther formed from shadows to missile from his body and swarm around the Ice Devil in a sphere. He staggered as he tried to keep himself upright. He could see the Devil's Curse fighting against his own power.

Dammit, Pazuzu cursed. Why is he fighting me so hard on this? He doesn't even have a name!

CRASH!

The sphere broke with the Ice Devil panting. Silver invaded his eyes as he dropped back to all-fours, wings flexing. The floor beneath him was quickly turning to ice with his touch, but he did not care. A roar shook the tunnel and dislodged loose dirt as an icy image of a winged Hellhound surged forth.

Pazuzu let go of his own shadowy panther to face it head-on. I would've thought his human side would have woken up by now! So, where is he?

BOOM!

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Gary sunk back against the cough with thoughts running through his head and silence surrounding him. Nash sat on the edge of it with her hands digging into her thighs and a pensive look.

"Huh," was all Gary gave.

"Yeah," Nashi whispered. "It's a lot, huh?"

Gary looked at the ceiling. "It is," he agreed, "but I'm glad you told me all of it." He peered at her to see her staring intensely at her lap. "Hey…" His arm wrapped around her shoulder. "Angel, I am glad you did. What's with the face?"

"You hate me," Nashi blurted.

Gary was instantly bewildered at that. "What?"

"You have to hate me," Nashi insisted. "I cheated and I—!"

"Wait. Slow down," Gary calmed. "Angel… You didn't cheat."

Nashi whipped up her head with a protest on her lips. "But I—!" Her eyes widened when a kiss was planted on her lip. She sunk into it and found herself a little woozy when Gary pulled away. "Wh-What was that for?" she mumbled.

Gary grinned, satisfied. "Every time Angel says something stupid, I'll kiss her," he decided.

Nashi puffed a cheek with a roll of her eyes. "Gary."

"Angel," he mocked back. When she huffed and looked away from him, Gary would not allow her the chance. "Angel, I'm not mad and you didn't cheat. Your memory was erased. Yeah, I wish you didn't nearly have sex with some guy you met that day and maybe…" His eyes dropped down. "Maybe I am a little jealous of it. But it's not your fault. It's me being stupid."

Nashi was the one to make him look at her. "It's not stupid," she insisted. "If you flirted with another girl, I'd—!" Red crawled up her neck until it covered her face.

Gary's grin was too wide and very happy. "Is Angel going to admit she'd get…jealous?"

Nashi turned away and tried to ignore how hot she felt and the smoke puffing from the top of her head. "N-N-N-No," she denied albeit weakly.

Gary laughed. "It's okay. I'd like to see Angel get jealous," he decided. "It'd be sexy to see you stake your claim on me."

Nashi sobered up and saddened at that. "Speaking of that… I'm sorry that…"—her voice went quiet—"that he Branded…me…" The second Gary kissed her, it was shock that made her pull away. "What was that for?"

"Angel's being stupid again," Gary chided in a singsong tone.

Nashi crossed her arms. "Fine! I'm not sorry then!" she declared hotly. "Excuse me for having some common courtesy! Do you know how pissed off Skade wa—?" She shot the pained look on Gary's face and panicked. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"N-No, I…" The tips of Gary's ear turned pink. "Can you see that again?"

Nashi tilted her head. "Say what again?"

"Y'know…" Gary blushed even more. "His name."

"His…" Nashi blanked. "Oh, my God, his name. I… Wait, did I…? No," she shot down. "That couldn't have been…" She thought about it…and thought about it…and thoug—

She gasped.

"Okay," she started, "please don't hate me! I…! I don't know what came over me and the memories are a little hazy, but—!"

"No one's…ever given him a name."

Nashi paused to see Gary looking down at his lap in a bit of shame. "No one," he repeated. "Even I didn't think about it. He was also just 'Devil' or maybe even 'bastard', but a name?" He shook his head. "No one ever did…"—cerulean connected with hickory—"before you."

Pink dusted Nashi's cheeks. "W-Well…" She looked away from him. "It's not like I meant to do it… That other me… The Demon me… She did it, in a way…"

"It seems like Angel's Demon and my Devil have a thing for each other," Gary said smugly. "I told you, Angel. It's a match made in Heaven and Hell."

Nashi could not help but laugh and chuckle at him and shove his shoulder. "Don't even," she warned in good humor. "I didn't mean to go all…Demon. Heck, I barely remember it! I just remember being horny and then being extremely cold and then…well, you, I guess."

"Yeah?" Gary lifted a brow, but his eyes were focused on his lips. "Tell me more."

Nashi misunderstood his intent as she rushed out an explanation. "I don't know, man, it was just so freaky. Y'know? Is this how it felt for you? I mean I don't even know what to really think or feel and I know I'll have to tell my parents and Papa's going to freak out and I—Oh!" Surprise stunned her when a kiss caressed her neck. "Oh…" She shivered when another one was placed on her pulse. Her eyes fluttered shut as more kisses descended on her. "Ah… You're…distracting me," she ended up moaning.

"I'm not," Gary whispered as he drew her hair to one side to puff chilled breath against her skin. "I'm listening. Keep talking, Angel."

Nashi found herself caving into his touches and kisses, leaning her body towards him. "I… I-I don't know what to think," she struggled to get out. "I… Gary, I…"

Winter's breath fanned her ear. "Keep going…"

Nashi could not help it when her arms wrapped around him to pull him closer. The need to be close, for skin to be on skin was unbearable. "I can't think…"

"Sure you can." He kissed the corner of her lips. "Say what you're thinking, Angel." Dark encouragement full of expectation.

"I'm… I wa…" Like something hit her, hickory snapped open and she was shoving Gary away from her. "Hold on a second here!" she gasped out, flushed red. She knew that look in Gary's eyes and hated that she was deeply thrilled by it. "We can't do this!"

Gary cocked his head. "We can't?" He almost sounded like a disappointed child. "Well, why not?"

"'Why not'?" Nashi repeated. "We're—! Well, you know!" Offense was her only defense. "I-I mean—! Well…!" She got it. "Souls! I'm in your soul, right? The deepest part of it? Isn't this unethical? Or improper? I could be an illusion for all you know!"

Gary laughed at that. "I know you're not. My illusion wouldn't be talking if she were here."

Nashi puffed her cheeks. "Gary, this is serious!" she hissed.

"I am serious," Gary promised.

"No. You just want to get off," Nashi snapped. "Do you even care about the situation we're in?"

Gary's smile was bitter. "This isn't the first time I've had to retreat deep into my soul…and it won't be the last."

Nashi humbled herself at that. "I'm sorry," she offered, sincere. "That was out of line. I'm just…so scared of what might happen. I feel like everything is so out of my control." She looked away from him. "I was so worried about everyone and I was powerless to help. I never want to feel that again." Fingers tilted her gaze back to him.

"You will," Gary told her. "Feeling powerless? That's just being human."

"You never feel powerless—"

"I do."

Nashi's eyebrows rose. "Really? When do you feel like that?"

"I feel like that every time we're on an assignment," Gary admitted to her. "Every time you're in danger because of me… I feel so goddamn helpless and it kills me when I see you or any of my family or friends hurt. That's why we train. Yeah, we might feel powerless, but we work hard to overcome that to protect the ones we love. And in turn, they'll protect the ones they love." Cerulean captured hickory in his intensity. "I'm going to protect you with everything I have, Angel. I don't ever want you to doubt that."

Nashi might have shaken her head, but her eyes stayed on him. "I'm going to protect you too," she murmured. "That's a Heartfilia Clan promise. And we never break our promises."

That broke down every hesitation and Gary moved forward for their lips to meet.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The Ice Devil used his claws to re-steady himself from the blow on his shoulder. He spat out blood as his silver eyes transfixed on Pazuzu. Winter's Curse swirled around him as he braced himself for another a—

Silver lessened for icy-blue to appear.

Winter's Curse disintegrated as the Ice Devil staggered. For once, he did not feel envy and wrath vying for his attention. He felt…something so scarily familiar. Something was resonating deep in his soul and he could feel it. It was a different winter than his, but it was just as strong. It was filled with peace and kindness and kinship. It felt like…

A word slipped out as the Ice Devil's eyes were cleared of silver.

"Brother…"

Pazuzu paused to watch the Ice Devil. Did he say…'Brother'?

°•°•°•°

Bael tensed. Overlooking the party that began to get heated, he looked like the king of the word. But something was nagging at the nape of his neck and something ugly stirred inside him.

"Are you all right, sir?" The voice came from the woman on his arm who looked had fair skin of yellow with tentacles for her.

Gold intensified. It can't be… His fists clenched. That little bitch is trying to steal him away from me! Roughly pulling himself away from the woman, his gaze swept over the sea of people. As he did so, his shadow detached from him and formed a duplicate of its original maker. "Go," he snarled. "Get my Ymir."

The shadow slipped back onto the floor and darted away.

A grin slid onto his face. Oh, little princess… You're going to get punished for trying to take my Ymir away from me…

°•°•°•°

Pazuzu dared stepped closer to the Ice Devil on all fours. "Are you okay, cub?" he rumbled. "Can you speak?"

The Ice Devil crouched low. "I feel…odd," he confessed. "My human… I feel my human again." He touched his heart. "In here again. Brother."

Pazuzu lessened his aggression at that. "I…didn't know you considered the human as your brother. For a Devil to have family… It's not common."

"Human is family." The Ice Devil pierced Pazuzu with a look he did not think the creature was capable of—vulnerability. "Angel is…family." When Pazuzu looked away, the Ice Devil tilted his head. "Old Devil has a family?"

"Once," Pazuzu supposed. "Before I was turned into the monster I am, I had a family. I had a world. And I loved them."

"'Love'?"

Pazuzu looked to see the Ice Devil testing the word on his tongue. "What is…'love'?" the Ice Devil wondered in childlike innocence.

Pazuzu did soften at that. "You will know," he promised. "You will feel it"—he placed his paw on the Ice Devil's chest—"in there."

The Ice Devi looked down at his chest once more. He could feel his human's winter intermingling with his own like before. The snarls and gurgles and snaps were melting away for something he felt like he had not heard in a long time—silence. He felt Gary's Magic in the background like before, a comforting presence in these times. He did not feel as alone. He felt…whole. But there was something new he had never felt before. He felt… He felt… "I feel Angel."

Pazuzu's eyes widened. "What?"

"Angel"—Ice Devil tapped his chest—"is in here. Warm. I feel her warmth and light. It feels…"—softness coated him—"nice."

Pazuzu did not smile but his head butted against the temple of the Ice Devil. "Enjoy the feeling, cub. Many of us will never get the opportunity." They're bonding faster than I thought. If that's the case….then maybe we still have a—

SKITTER.

Pazuzu's eyes snapped to the shadows and took to defense. Like an angry father, he used his body as a shield for the Devil. "Don't move, cub," he commanded lowly. "We have an uninvited guest."

The Ice Devil rose to his feet with a growl shaking his chest. "I feel him in the shadows." Howling, he went off: "Come out, Demon! I know your disgusting presence anywhere!"

Silence.

"Oh… Is that how you treat me?" came purr.

Pazuzu and the Ice Devil watched as their shadows were stolen from them. Every shadow in the tunnel was taken to become a mass like no other. The mass went into the physical world. It depicted something frog, then a feline, but it eventually settled on a man. Gold eyes appeared from the darkness and a smile too big and too white to be real. "Here I thought we had something good together."

"I let you control me once," the Ice Devil spat. "I will not let it happen again."

Shadowy Bael chuckled. "They're always so cute when they resist, don't you think so, Pazuzu?"

Pazuzu bared his teeth in a sneer. "You are not my Maker. I have no respect for you."

Shadowy Bael shrugged. "Fine. I'm not here for you." Gold turned to the Ice Devil. "I'm here for him. My Ymir."

The Ice Devil groaned and shut his eyes. Like a dog who heard a whistle, he slammed his head into the ground in a whine, shaking it. His whole body shook and whines to growls flew from his mouth. Pazuzu stood at his side. "Fight it, Devil!" he urged. "Fight ba—!" The command was lost when he was slammed up and into the ceiling. His body fell to the ground ungracefully and he struggled to get back on his feet.

Shadowy Bael looked at him in disinterest. "This doesn't concern you." He flicked a hand.

Pazuzu snarled when shadows swirled around him. To the Devil, he roared, "Fight against him! You are stronger than this!" He lept to his right when a whip came down and shattered the ground. "Remember your human! Remember your Angel!" He narrowly avoided Death once again. "Remember your family!"

Eyes opened to reveal silver.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Nashi was half-naked when Gary pulled away with a groan. She fretted over him as he held his head in agony. "Gary," she worried, "what's going on? What's wrong?"

Gary moaned again. "It's my Devil," he grunted. "Something's…not right…" He fell off the couch, hunched over and agonized. "I feel him struggling… He's in…so much pain… Nnngh…!"

Nashi moved to comfort him when something drew her to the window. She withdrew the curtain a peek. Hickory widened. The darkness was closing in on their safe haven and fast. Smug gold eyes zipped to the window and Nashi quickly covered it. "It's the Demon," she whispered. "He must be trying to control your Devil." She dropped beside Gary when Gary keeled over in pain. "Gary, you have to fight this," she encouraged. "Please! I can't lose you two!"

"I'm…trying," Gary growled out. "Difficult… Urge is…strong…"

"What can I do to help?" Nashi asked him. "Tell me what I can do and I'll do it."

"Let me…hold you," Gary grunted. "Please. We feel…stronger…with you…"

Nashi nudged herself into Gary's arms and did not mind when his grip tightened on her. He buried his face into her neck, tense, but she embraced him just as fiercely. Her eyes shut as she sent out her prayer. 'Please let them fight this. I can't lose them. I won't lose them. I won't.'

Something blossomed between them.

'They mean so much to me. I won't lose them like this.' Her eyes opened. Black swallowed the whites of her eyes, but rather than red, pink glowed as her eyes. 'They're mine.'

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Shadowy Bael flinched when he felt something he hated feeling—rejection. He glared at the Ice Devil as the creature thrashed its head. Panting hard, it looked over.

A peek of cerulean came through silver to glare into gold.

"No," Shadowy Bael refused to believe. "That stupid Etherious can't have more power than a king!" His size swelled to his head nearly hitting the ceiling, his wrath coming off in waves. "You're mine! Mine! You're mine, Ymir!" Pleasure took him when he saw the Ice Devil freeze the floor below him. "You serve me! You answer only to me!"

Pazuzu struggled to get to his feet when shadows crushed more weight than they showed onto his back. "Fight!" he shouted to the Ice Devil! "Remember who you are—Gah!" The weight increased. "Remember…who…you…fight for!"

"Me!" Shadowy Bael bellowed. "You fight for me! You will always fight for me! Ymir"—the Ice Devil snarled as silver seized his eyes—"answer me! Who is your master?"

"B-B…" The Ice Devil howled as he reared back. Frantic, he ran to a wall and hit his head against it. "N-No!" he roared. "Con…trol…! Control for…family!"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Gary felt Nashi withdraw before she physically did. "Angel?" he called. He saw through squinted eyes as she stood. "Angel, d-d-d-don't…! Where—? Nnngh!"

Nashi ignored him as she went to the door. She opened it without any hesitation and stepped onto the porch. The shadows were gathering and waiting to flood the haven. She did not care. She stepped down the steps and onto the snow.

Gold glowered at her. "He is mine," came fervent hiss. "I will consume your soul too, impudent girl."

"No." Her voice rang strong. Spine straight, posture right and ready for war. "He's not yours."

Glowing pink burned into agitated gold.

"He's mine."

Nashi charged into the darkness.

A wild squeal tore the air before the shadows dove down…

…and swallowed her whole.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The Ice Devil stopped.

Shadowy Bael grinned even wider. "Yes, Ymir. Come to Daddy. Your blood beckons you to be with me."

The Ice Devil backed away from the wall.

Pazuzu wriggled from underneath the weight of the shadows. "Fight it!" he pleaded. "You have to fight!"

Shadowy Bael chuckled as the Ice Devil moved in front of him. "Oh, little kitty, you're a bit too late for your spiel… Because you see…"

The Ice Devil lifted his chin.

Pazuzu looked on in horror.

Black swallowed the Ice Devil's eyes with silver remaining to see.

Shadowy Bael lowered his size to match the Ice Devil. "…he chose the right side." He laid a hand on the Ice Devil's shoulders. "My sweet Ymir… Kill the panther and I'll make sure you won't be able to walk in the morning," he murmured into the Ice Devil's ear. "I leave how you kill him to you as a gift." He released the Ice Devil.

The Ice Devil staggered his first stepped…

…then his second…

…then his third…

…then he stopped.

And Pazuzu had no time to react when the Ice Devil charged.

°•°•°•°

Muta worked as quickly as he could to tear off scrapes from his kimono and soaking it in the snow before rushing over to Nashi. Even unconscious, she withered and sweated, face contorted into Hellish thought. He lay another soaked cloth on her body to cool her down before dipping the bowl into the stew and adding more drops from the vial. He forced her mouth to part as he dribbled the brew into her mouth.

"Damn kit," he grumbled, but the worry was there. "Why'd'ya have to go and mess up the plan, huh? Turning Demon… Falling unconscious…" Once Nashi had effectively swallowed her portion, Muta set down the bowl to transition back into his lion form. He shielded her from the cold with his body heat. As he hunkered down, his ear twitched at her mumbled grunt. "What next?" He flicked his tail when Nashi gritted her teeth. A sigh left him. "Oh, you stupid kit… What could you be dreaming of now?"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Nashi had never known such darkness. That was a lie. She remembered this sort of darkness as she powered through it. 'This feels like the same darkness I felt when I was shoved into the portal back when we fought Orias,' she realized. The darkness had a way of reminding everyone that the unknown was real and imagination could be a deadly force. The shadows played tricks on her with faces and whispers and maybe a soft tune that was off-tune and would fade in and out. Nashi could feel herself falling darker and darker into it and everything within her hurt as she did.

She tried to shield herself with her arms, but it was useless. No matter what she did, the darkness would swallow her. To her disbelief and horror, she could feel parts of her body being eaten by it. 'It's… It's trying to take me!' She shut her eyes. 'No! I can't go like this! I need to save them!'

'Then you will, Little One.'

The darkness hissed at her and gave her back her body the moment a religious pink covered her. She felt protected, but most importantly, she felt… 'Seraphim?' Her chest burned. Eyes flicked down in amazement to see the symbol of the Seraph glowed on her chest. 'How…? How can you…?'

'I am always with you, Little One,' Seraphim told her in kind. 'Getting in touch with the Etherious inside you had disconnected me from you. But my soul is always in resonance with yours and forever will be.'

Nashi hugged herself with a smile as though she was hugging him. 'Thank you for being by my side,' she appreciated. 'I'm sorry I didn't listen. I never thought that this would happen.' She looked around and flinched when a corrupted soul fluttered past her. 'Are we…?'

'No, Little One. While we are not in the soul of the Demon, we are in the Curse he is using to control the Devil,' Seraphim affirmed. 'From the amount of darkness, he is an old and powerful Demon.'

Nashi shivered. 'Gary was telling me the Demon's trying to consume them to have complete control. Their souls have to be here… I just wish I knew…' An idea came to her. 'Seraphim, you said I have the power to connect and find souls. Do you think I could use that here?'

Seraphim went quiet for a few beats. 'It is possible. But without organic life to sustain the link, I cannot say.'

'Well, I have to try, right?' Her eyes closed and she let herself aimlessly float. 'I just need to concentrate… I need to remember what they feel like… They feel cold, but it's more than that. Gary's cold feels relaxing and sweet and protective. He feels so kind… And the Devil's cold feels a little aggressive, but it's careful, like he's trying to be careful to make sure I'm not hurt. They both feel so…safe…'

ZING.

Eyes slowly opened to reveal pink. 'I found them.' She swam through the sea of black. Nothing bothered her. Not the floating souls that wept and screamed for a body to host. Not the whispers telling her to die. Not the gurgles telling her to kill. She felt something and that feeling was guiding her way.

A spark caught her eye.

Swimming towards it faster, she felt them before she saw them. The souls were separate, but it was their resonation that bothered her. One pulled away from the other and their connection was weaker than ever. The souls were orbs with little flame tips. One naturally drifted closer to her as if seeking comfort. Its hue was light blue with a flicker of black, but it was nothing concerning. The second she held it close to her heart, she shivered and she knew why. A smile would not be helped.

'This one's cold and maybe a bit weary… But I know the feeling anywhere. This is Gary's soul,' Nashi named. 'I can feel him struggling and his worry… But under all that worry is so much pain… Maybe if I…' She shook her head. 'No. I can't look deep into his soul. That's an invasion of privacy.' She looked towards the other soul and her concern skyrocketed. She extended a hand to corral it into her care. The soul looked silver at this point with black at its core, but the hint of red was all the more worrisome. 'A bit rough around the edges and worse for the wear… This is my Devil's soul,' she deemed. 'But I can feel the Demon is trying to corrupt him fully. Seraphim… What do I do? Gah! I didn't even think that far!'

Seraphim piped in, 'If I recall from the snippets of the Black Mage versus the Fairy Heart, it was her love that—'

'Seraphim!' Nashi snapped, ignoring her heated cheeks. 'We don't have time for that 'love is the purest form of Magic' bullshit! We need a solution here!' She worked her jaw. 'Think, dammit! Now would be a really good time for Igneel to swoop in with some anime-whatever reference! Or Luke to come in with his fancy spells or even Misty! Or what about Luna with her whole cleansing, purity Magic?' She shut her eyes and kept the souls close. 'I'm out of my element here. I just… I just want you guys to have your own free will. I want to see you in the real world and to explore it without any fear or pain.'

Her eyes flew open when she felt the shift. She looked down to see the red on the Ice Devil's soul was slowly going away until nothing was left. Excitement filled her. 'O-Okay! Um… I want to see your studio and watch you be inspired for your painting!'

The red vanished.

The human soul brightened.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Pazuzu braced himself. He had nowhere to run. He had nowhere to hide. With the weight of a shadow on his spine, he would not move because he was not allowed to move. His ears flattened and he grounded himself as the Ice Devil went full speed towards h—

The Ice Devil abruptly stopped.

Shadowy Bael frowned. "Ymir, the Hell are you doing? We all like the anticipation and the thrill of the kill, but now's not the time to play games."

The Devil did not move.

Pazuzu's ears slowly rose as he watched the Devil. What's going on? Why isn't he trying to kill me?

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Nashi squeezed her eyes tight as she tried to let her imagination run while. 'I want to take you to see movies with me!' she desired. 'I want to go to lookout point and make out with you and just be gross young adults because that's what we are! I want to do a bar crawl with you!' She giggled to herself. 'I think I want to see you drunk. Wouldn't that be a treat?"

The human soul hummed.

A glint of icy blue sparked in the Devil Soul.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The Ice Devil could just barely hear it, but he did. Amongst the whispers and the snarls and the gurgles, there was something sweet there. He had to shuffle through the noise to hear it, but once he did, he wanted to listen forever.

I want to be with you when you ride a motorcycle, came hushed wish. I want to try new restaurants with you and pay the cheque because you do it every time and I feel a little annoyed I never pay.

Static coursed through his mind, but he saw the image behind it. He saw a sunny smile and eyes he could get lost in. Ma…lã'…ika…

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

'I want to go to the library with you and study,' Nashi wished. 'I want to stay up with you into three in the morning just to talk. I want to be with you when you have bad dreams.'

Icy blue was at the core of the Devil's soul and took back control from the silver.

'I want to watch you make us dinner like you always told me you would,' Nashi thought. 'I want to show you that I'm not here because it's convenient. I want to be the one to protect you and you can depend on. I want you to share your burdens with me.'

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Shadowy Bael found his size grow as his wrath filled him. "What the Hell are you waiting for, Ymir? Kill him!"

Pazuzu's ears flattened, wary, when the Ice Devil lifted his hand. But rather than use his Curse, his hand touched…

…his heart.

Frost puffed from the Ice Devil's mouth. "My name…is not…'Ymir'."

Shadowy Bael might have been caught off-guard by that statement, but his rage was quickly back. "Yes, you are!" he snapped. "You're my Ymir and I order you to kill him!"

The Ice Devil kept his eyes closed and ears pricked as he could hear that sweet voice whisper in his ears.

'I want to keep feeling safe with you. I want to come to you when I'm feeling sad or even happy. I want to be your partner and your equal.'

"No," the Ice Devil growled lowly. "I am not yours." He turned around. "I am not Ymir."

Shadowy Bael staggered back. "No…"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

'I want to spend the day with you,' Nashi whispered as she pulled the souls even closer. The glow around her brightened and brightened until she was the sun. 'I want to get to know you, Gary…'

The human soul brightened.

Nashi turned her attention on the Devil's soul. '…and you… My Devil…'

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

"My name…" The storm of the Curse swelled around him and flew out his hair, lighting up his eyes.

His ice-blue eyes.

At that moment, he could feel Nashi's presence surround him, feel her light swallow his soul. He could see her ethereal figure coddle his soul in the darkness with her power. It was like he was being welcomed home. He could hear her voice join alongside him as he stood up to Bael like David to Goliath.

"…is Skade!/My Skade…"

Shadowy Bael did not know what hit him when something fiercer than a Curse and colder than winter exploded. With a screech, the shadow version of the Demon shielded itself until ice became to freeze it over. Without given the chance, the shadow was condemned to a frozen fate until the light in its eyes died.

°•°•°•°

Bael grunted as a headache formed on his right temple as his shadow returned to him. "Damn. He's pussy-whipped," he muttered. "I like a challenge, but this one is starting to piss me the fuck off." He rubbed his forehead. "Mammon!"

A bovine creature appeared on their hind hooves and a fierce mane of red hair. "You called?"

"I'm getting pissed off and you don't want me pissed off," Bael growled. "Fucking Ymir is pussy-whipped. Find the girl. Bring her to me to fuck. Do whatever it takes." He took a breather, but it was clear the sin of wrath was apparent in his eyes. "I need the Berserker docile. Make it happen."

Mammon bowed. "Yes, My Unholy Lord. What of Lynn?"

"Mirella will kill her," Bael dismissed. "I don't give a shit if she's dead or alive, but if she is in my sights, she's my kill." He began to walk away, loosening his tie. "And make sure when I get to my office, there's a pair of lips waiting to wrap around my dick." Gold swirled in fury. "I need to let out some rage."

°•°•°•°

"Mmmm…! Ah…!"

Muta's eyebrow twitched as he watched Nashi. The girl had grown pink with a well-satisfied smile and her legs rubbing together beneath the shelter of his kimono. He growled as he nudged her. "Kit, quit movin' like that," he gruffly ordered. "Geez… Why are humans so troublesome?" He looked out into the snow.

C'mon, kid, where the Hell are ya? I could really use some help around now…

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The moment Nashi opened her eyes, she did not know she could see so much…pink. It was everywhere, but that did not bother her. It was just so peculiar she was surrounded in this much pink. 'Ser… Seraphim?'

'I am here.'

Nashi took a look around, but she was surrounded in such warmth. 'Where are we?'

'I have a hunch,' Seraphim told her. 'I believe we are now in the connection between you, the human, and the Devil. When a Dark One is created and named, they have a bond with their Maker just as we have with our deity.'

Nashi blinked around. 'But I don't understand… What happened? What did I do?' Her eyes felt heavy. 'And why do I feel so tired?'

'You did something rare, Little One—your will overpowered a Demon's,' Seraphim praised.

Nashi could not believe it and even with her exhaustion, she had to know. 'But how? I thought me being a hybrid and him being an actual Demon puts me at a disadvantage.'

'It should have,' Seraphim agreed, though he did not sound as troubled as she. 'He is an old Demon and established. Not much is known about Etherious Demons since your father was a new type created from a man Cursed by a god. And yet you, Little One, managed to chase out his control.'

'I don't think I did anything special,' Nashi dismissed as her eyes closed. 'I just wanted them to be free. I wanted them to have a say in their lives, y'know? Because they deserve the same courtesy I was given.'

Seraphim chuckled. 'Sleep, Little One. I will guard your soul for the night.'

As Nashi drifted, she could feel winter welcome her back into its arms. She curled into it with a smile playing on her lips when she heard a whisper on either ear, each whisper a different voice but equally warming. 'We're home.'

She could not help it as she smiled. Her eyes watered in happiness. 'Welcome back.'

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Pazuzu knew the weight of the shadow was gone, but his fur was half-frozen before he could move again. The winter that raged was gone and had exploded onto the walls. Snow and ice coated every inch of the hall and floor and ceiling. Never had such a display rattled him until today. He was shaking as he stood.

What the Hell…? What just happened? He remembered that spirited pink glow. Could she have really been behind that?

His eyes went to the Devil who stood at the center of it all with his head held high and nothing to hold him back. Pazuzu gathered himself and used his claws to keep steady on the ice. "Skade?" he called carefully, mindful to use the Devil's name. "Skade, what the Hell was that?"

Pazuzu saw the side of Skade's grin. "I came home."

Just like that, Skade collapsed as his Curse cocooned him…

SHATTER.

…and left behind the human.

Pazuzu was wide-eyed when Gary was on the ground with his black hair and the tattoo on his back. But that tattoo had changed. Black scarred him still with the horned creature with one eye, but a new symbol had appeared. Light pink wove behind it in a triquetra.

He has it, Pazuzu whispered. He has the mark. She is his Maker. She actually did it. He hovered over the unconscious human. I wish I could have explained everything. He dipped down to shuffle Gary into his arms and stood on his hind paws. Brother-in-darkness or not, I have a job to do. And I'll do whatever it takes to finish it. With the roar of the panther, Pazuzu disappeared in his own cloak of shadows.

---

BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…

Natsu did not care how the passing CNAs whispered their sympathies towards his plight. He had stayed as close as he could do the hospital bed without disrupting any of the wires. He held her hand as Lucy slept with her IV drip and Natsu's scarf as her pillow. Nasal cannulas—oxygen tubes—had been given to her and connected to the nearby oxygen tank. The door had been nearly closed with a little leeway left for passing staff, but Natsu kept his conversation to a minimum.

"You're sure it was him?"

"I wouldn't be callin' ya at three in the morning if it wasn't," Natsu growled lowly. "I saw what I saw and I smelled what I smelled. Gray, it was Chase and there's no doubt about it."

Gray swore. "Dammit. I was so sure that stupid guild was disbanded and put on trial. How could he have escaped?"

"I don't know and I don't care." Onyx had flickers of embers in them. "He hurt Lucy. He has Hell to pay for."

Gray went quiet. Then, he asked, "How is she?"

"Breathing," Natsu offered as lame description. "They have rotating staff coming in to check her vitals and all this other medical crap. Said the stuff is long-acting or whatever. Lucy should wake up around noon if we're lucky. They were worried about her heart rate. It dipped down a lot and her breathing went shallow, so she's on oxygen. They warned me she might have some memory loss from a good thirty minutes before she was hit. As I said, we got moved to some decision unit. Knowing Lucy, she'll be ready to kick some ass the second she's up."

"That's Lucy," Gray chuckled. "Always gung-ho about something. You called the brats?"

"Called Loke. Nashi's still out and same with Igneel. I left them both of them a voicemail." He made a face. "If your kid is harassing my princess…"

"Unlike you, he was raised right, you freak," Gary defended. "Nashi should be fortunate he was. She's in good hands."

"Don't make that sound worse, you jerk!"

Gray ignored him with a breath. "Did you feel something? The question came out like a hushed secret, "Did she—?"

"Yeah." Natsu tensed at that. "I felt it, but I didn't want Lucy to think anything was wrong. Damn," he cursed. "First, Igneel. Then, Luke and now, Nashi?" He shook his head. "I swear if your kid—"

"Would you relax?" Gray demanded. "Gary didn't do shit, so cut it out. You're just gettin' worked up that you weren't there to stop it. It was unlikely she'd even have an Etherious side to her the second she could control divine souls, Natsu. We couldn't have predicted this no matter what you think. She and Luna inherited a lot more from Lucy."

Natsu snorted. "Yeah, but it seems like I'll never forget they're still half mine."

Silence was on the line.

"This isn't game over, Natsu." It was rare for Gray to sound so calming. "This is just a different path we have to roll with. We had plans for this. Once they come home… Maybe it's time you start explaining this, at least, to Nashi. She deserves it. And Gary doesn't like playing oblivious. Neither do I."

Natsu drew out a long breath. "I know. I still need to figure out how to break this to Lucy. This isn't fair to her."

"Hey." Sharp, snappish. "Don't go all cold feet on me now, Flame Brain. You swore to me—!"

"I'm not thinkin' about that, so shut up already," Natsu grumbled. "I'm just thinkin' of how different things could've been if I wasn't so much me."

Gray laughed. "For starters, she definitely would've hooked up with me—" Natsu's deadly growl made him hoot even more. "Chill, man, I'm just messing around," he soothed. "We both know you still would've kidnapped the poor woman. It's sickening seeing how much she loves you. Maybe if I brought up the whole one-year separation—"

"I could do that to you, you know!"

"Yeah? Please, go right on ahead. My wife would pounce all over me and tease me ridiculously with how much I wasn't getting while I was away. Your wife? Hell no, she'd kick your ass out on the couch if you're lucky."

Natsu pouted as he looked at Lucy's sleeping face. "Lucy can be so cruel sometimes," he whined.

"Let's just hope none of your kids do that," Gray told him. "I'm getting a little fed up with our past catching up with our kids." You could hear him brushing back his bangs. "I really thought after Zeref and the White Mage and the Gods and everything with Shiki and Becca, we'd be done. Now our damn kids are fighting our battles for us. This isn't right. We should be at the frontlines."

"We are," Natsu muttered darkly, "just in different ways." Onyx flicked up to see a CNA peeking her head in apologetically with her machine behind her and the cardio sonographer. He signaled for her to come in. "Look, I already called Loke about everything, but would you mind—?"

"Juvia and I will swing by tomorrow with Silver," Gray finished for him in promise. "Don't even worry about it. Need me to fill in Gajeel?"

Natsu thought on that as he shuffled back to let the CNA work. "No. Well, on second thought, yeah. I'm still not sure why or how Nashi turned, but something's not right about her job. She wouldn't have turned unless she was in serious danger or was too curious for her own good."

"On it." Three beats passed. "I'll say this once again. As much as I hate admitting it, you and Lucy are good together. It's obvious how much you care for her, Natsu, and she loves you back. With everything you two went through and what you have now? You're doing just what I wanted you to do. You're taking care of her. I wouldn't trust her to any other man."

Natsu gave a chuckle. "Startin' to sound like a big brother there, Ice Princess."

"Someone has to look at for her," Gray retorted not unkindly. "She'll always be my kid sister and as her stand-in brother, it's kind of like my job to make sure I give her away to the right guy. And that's you. So stop being so down and depressed about it. When she wakes up, you better love the Hell out of her and bring her home. If you don't, trust I'm coming after you. Slayer versus Slayer all out."

The challenge made Natsu's eyes gleam. "Heh. I look forward to it." He ended the call to peer up at the CNA. "Hey, you," he called, "how's she looking?"

The cardio sonographer was studying the results of the EKG. "Her heart rate's going back up, so we can say her bradycardia is in remission."

The CNA piped up, "The blood labs take a little bit longer to sort out. The hematologists who specialize in Magic won't be here until the morning. Once she's up, we'll have her do a urine sample. The floor physician will come in with her resident to let you know anything more, but my guess is the psych team will move in with a psych eval to see if a speech therapist is needed to help with any memory loss." She noticed Natsu's pained look and offered a genuine smile. "Cheer up, sir. My son has been such fans of you and your wife and I've seen you two in action. She'll recover fast. I mean how can she not when she has a man like you waiting for her?"

Natsu grinned abashedly at that. "I think I'm the lucky one here," he jested. "Thanks for being so great, you guys."

The cardio sonographer beamed as they tried to wriggle out of the room with their machine. The CNA adjusted the drip before heading towards the door. "It's no problem at all. Please press the nurse's button if you need anything or if she wakes up." She made sure to close the door enough so a sliver of space kept it from being closed completely.

Onyx swept back to Lucy's face. He brushed away strands of blonde to lean over and kiss her forehead. "You've been by my side for so long that it feels like you were always there," he murmured to her, "so please let me be by yours when you wake up."

---

Kotoba ja umaku ienai omoi wo

Kimi ni uchiakeru to shitara nante

Tsutaeyou?

Saisho de saigo

•

Itsuka issho ni kaetta michi wa

Watashi ni totte tokubetsu na omoide

Wasurenai yo

Sayonara memoriizu

•

Haru ga kitara sorezore no michi wo

---

TO BE CONTINUED…

Well, well, welcome to the world, Skade! We're so glad you're here! But I'm really starting to wonder Pazuzu's allegiance here. To see where he stands, find out on the next Fairy Adventure!

---

"Come again!"

Lillian's Homemade Ice Cream Parlor was open until five in the morning and everyone loved that. Teenagers and young adults alike came out of the woodwork to sit down and feast on ice cream and milkshakes and sherbet. A sleeping little boy was in the arms of his father as he and a single mother enjoyed their ice cream. Rika came out from the back to speak to a coworker who nodded and gave a thumbs-up before Rika headed into the back.

A sigh crossed in frost.

Galileo stood on the other side of the street, the other side of the canal, wrapped in his jacket and misery. Hazel watched closely as Rika disappeared and waited in anticipation for her to come back. But he knew it would not happen for a while. He messed with his hair. "C'mon, dipshit," he muttered to himself. "Either go inside or leave."

His feet never moved.

Galileo let out a longer sigh this time. "I'm pathetic," he deduced. "Utterly pathetic."

"Sneak attack!"

Galileo was startled when someone leaped onto his back and was quick to throttle them off. He recognized the voice a mile away and a grin was already on his face as he turned around. "The Hell are you two doing out here?"

Cade and Orochi were standing opposite of him with a black apron slung over Orochi's shoulder and Cade's eyes a bit unfocused. Orochi clapped Cade's back. "Had a bartending gig tonight and he decided to swing by," he explained. "I decided it was best if I got him back to his apartment or else a bubbly red-head was about to make sure he saw her apartment."

Cade pouted and that was when Galileo finally noticed how alarmingly red Cade's face was. "I wasn't going to go!" he said in defense. "Dazzler would just hate me more geuligo naneun geunyeoga naleul dasi joh-ahaess-eumyeon johgess-eo...!"

Galileo blinked at Orochi who shrugged. "Drunk Cade means Josean-Minstrish," he reminded.

"Dazzler…!" Cade lamented. "Wae nal miwohae? Eung? Nan imi naega han il-e daehae na jasin-eul jeung-ohae. Mianhae…!"

Galileo raised an eyebrow. "You're talking about T'oree, you mean?"

Cade scrunched up his nose in confusion. "Ani…" he rolled off his tongue. "Dazzler… Y'know… The sparkly one with the pretty eyes that glare at me all the time?" He placed a hand melodramatically over his heart. "The one that broke my heart and shit? Daejeulleo…?"

Galileo lifted both eyebrows. "Wow, he is drunk," he concluded. "Good idea to walk him home, but… Isn't his apartment, like, on the same floor as Dazzler's?"

A wince. "Yeah," Orochi supposed. "Well, we're on the floor above anyways. He can take the guest bedroom." He kept a firm grip on Cade to keep him from wandering off when the Knight Mage began to rant about how he hated Dazzler hating him. Orochi jerked his head towards the ice cream parlor. "In or out?"

"Out." The answer was too quick, but Galileo did not care. "I was just taking a walk to clear my head, but maybe I should've gone down to the bars."

"Nah, you wouldn't have wanted to do that," Orochi assured. "College students are coming home. It's a living nightmare, man. Frat boys are the children of university life. I'm not excited to head to the parlor tomorrow night. I can just hear the drunk giggles." He rolled his eyes.

Galileo smirked. "You're just mad you're not gettin' any."

Orochi snorted. "What, not getting any wild party girl? Yeah, I'll pass." He adjusted his grip when Cade tried to wander again as he ranted in his native tongue. "How's Oli? Haven't really seen her since we came home. Has she really been that busy?"

Galileo frowned. "I don't know," he admitted as though the answer bothered him. "She's been out a lot and I barely see her at home… Anytime I see her, she tells me to butt out, so I couldn't really tell you." At Orochi's perturbed look, Galileo had to know. "Is something wrong?"

"Not that I can sense." Orochi's shoulders sagged. "Well, one way or another, she'll tell me anyway. I've just been worried about her is all."

"I'll let you know if anything changes," Galileo promised, though his eyes strayed to the ice cream parlor just for one more peek. "I better be going. See ya." He began to walk away.

"Later." Orochi thought the better of it. "Hey… Galileo?"

Galileo paused.

"You and Nashi good?"

Galileo let out a half-smile. "Yeah, man. We're good." He raised a hand in farewell as he walked away.

Orochi shook his head. I can still sense your pain… He roughly grabbed Cade's shoulder and brought him into a walk. "All right, that's enough from you," he decided. "You need a tall drink of water and a good night's sleep."

Cade whined. "But I want to see her!" he argued. "I was good! I didn't flirt with any girl at the bar! Why can't I see Dazzler? Mianhadago malhaeyagess-eo…!

"Excuse me?"

Orochi and Cade were both thoroughly surprised when a strange stopped them in a long trench coat and an accent that came from Melandia, the wide vowel sounds tipping them off. Orochi's grip on Cade was a silent command to stay put. "How can we help you, sir?"

"Sorry to botha' ya in the middle of the night," the gentleman started with his tapped r, "did you say…'Dazzler' was the name of ya friend? As in 'Dazzler Lafayette'?"

Cade shrugged off Orochi's hand with a glare thrown at the man. Suddenly, all those drinks had no effect on him as he sized up this stranger. "Who wants to know?"

The man chuckled. "Hold ya horses there, Drunky McMonkey. I'm not here to hurt ya friend," he guaranteed. His pale eyes flicked around the street. "I was told D lived in these parts. Just wanted to know if that was true." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Seems a little bit more…tame than I thought she'd like." His smirk broadened. "She did a good job hiding. Place is stuffed with Mage Magic."

Cade scowled, but Orochi beat him to speaking. "I'm sorry, but who are you? Who are you to Dazzler?"

The man tipped his head with his smirk all conspiratorially. "Name's John Winters, love," he introduced. "Now, if ya don't mind tellin' me where D is, we have a bit of a catch-up to do."

---

Chibi-Luna slides into the room with a blush on her face. "Sorry for being late class!" She rushes over to her desk. "But I have our Fairy Lesson prepared, I promise! Are you ready?"

"Aye, sir!" the class tells her. "What are we learning today?"

Chibi-Luna scrambles to bring up the presentation. "Today, we're learning about the Grand Magic Games!" She turns on the presentation to show a muted video of a commercial for it. "So, class, who can tell me about the Grand Magic Games?"

Many hands are raised, but she chooses only one student who stood. "The Grand Magic Games is a yearly competition held in Fiore to figure out the strongest and most diversely-skilled Guild!"

"Excellent!" Chibi-Luna goes to the next page in the presentation. "She's right! The Grand Magic Games is a Fiore-based competition just like how the Mesonian States have a super bowl for their own Guilds. You see, the Grand Magic Games actually dates back to when Earth Land still had Dragons, kind Demons, fae, and humans. Back then, it was called the Dragon King Festival and each year, the festival would shift to another creature's homeland to celebrate."

She goes to the next slide. "Now, the Grand Magic Games tests Guilds across Fiore on their fighting, technique, style, beauty, etiquette, intelligence, and even culinary skills," she informs. "Every year, Domus Flau hosts the Grand Magic Games, normally, in April-May as a way to give a kick into spring and the rest of the year. It's a competition hosted by the National Guild League of the NGL between the National Guild Conference and the Fioren Provincial Conference or the NGC and the FPC. Can anyone tell me what that means?"

A student shoots up from their seat. "The NGL is basically a league of all Guilds, both magical and non-magical."

"Very good," Chibi-Luna praises. "Can you tell me what the NGC and the FPC represent?"

The student nods enthusiastically. "Yes, teacher! The NGC is the highest Guilds in Fiore that consist of four divisions, I think? They have Mages, Magicians, Alchemists, and Alkahests. The FPC is the same, but it's more with lesser-known Guilds and non-Magic ones."

"You're three for three!" Chibi-Luna cheers. "There are many types of Guilds in Fiore, but the NGC is specifically for Magic Guilds. Every year, both conferences meet, but only Magic Guilds are able to participate. Teams of five are selected per Guild to compete, but each team is allowed three reserve members. After the opening ceremony, the guilds have until midnight when the preliminary round happens. From there, seven teams will make it to the real games."

She goes to the next slide. "There's another ceremony to introduce the eight teams and interviews as well. From there, there's five days-worth of two main events per day and a series of mini-events. Each day uses a different aspect and is stripped into five categories: intelligence, speed, power, style, and technique. The second half of the day consists of a battle round and mini-events like cooking, fashion, and PR scenarios. There are even events outside the Grand Magic Games arena for anybody to participate!"

She goes to the next slide. "The team who wracks up the most points is deemed the winner and receives the grand pot of thirty million jewel! How crazy is that? The first-place winner holds the title of Her Majesty's Guild for the next year and is automatically added as a team without going through the preliminary round." She goes to a video of the closing ceremony. "The closing ceremony is the Queen of Fiore honoring the team and their Guild the games' winners."

"Are there any special privileges being Her Majesty's Honored Guild?"

Chibi-Luna points at her student. "Great question! Yes, there are some perks to it! For the year, those on the winning team and their Guild Master are invited to attend royal functions and the Guild themselves gets major PR, interviews, photoshoots, among other things. They also get the opportunity to train some of the Magic Knights and even have the opportunity to meet international Guilds and battle in their tournaments as guests!" She ends the presentation. "And that brings our lesson to a close!"

"Hey, teach! Are we going to see the GMGs this school year?"

Chibi-Luna thinks about that. "The board did mention we'd see the GMG's, but it won't be this semester and will most likely be in the summer semester," she believes. "Our schedule is packed with the year, especially with some of the arcs planned." She bows to her students. "Please be patient with the board and the chairman! They've promised they're working their best to keep everything on schedule!" She straightens. "Ended with that, next time, on Fairy Adventure: MIDWINTER'S NIGHT DREAM!" She winks at the class. "And for your homework assignment, explain some of the references the board put in this week's episode!"

---

Voices of Characters in Order of Appearance

Mirella - Edie Mirman

Muta the Exceed - Jason Douglas

Nashi Dragneel - Laura Landa

Luna Dragneel - Bryn Apprill

Igneel Dragneel - Bryce Papenbrook

Luke Dragneel - Alan Lee

Gary Fullbuster/Skade - Griffin Burns

Pazuzu - Patrick Seitz

Gale Redfox - Greg Cipes

Julia Fullbuster - Michelle Ruff

Unnamed Man - Crispin Freeman

Dashi Ackermann - Stephen Fu

Natsu Dragneel - Todd Haberkorn

Lucy Heartfilia-Dragneel - Cherami Leigh

Chase - Jason Liebrecht

Mary Jane Dreyar - Erica Lindbeck

Lance Dreyar - Johnny young Bosch

Aine Fernandes - Carrie Keranen

Kyler - Ray Chase

Bael - Paul St. Peter

Charon the Ferryman - Ray Chase

Lynn - Grey Delisle

Loke - Eric Vale

Icarus - Christopher Sabat

Sycaña - Lydia Mackey

Mammon - Phil Parsons

Seraphim - Jameison Price

Gray - Newton Pittman

Galileo Redfox - Josh Grelle

Cade le Fay - Ricco Farjado

Orochi - Aaron Robert

John Winters - Matt Winters