AN: So, I decided to post these first three chapters back to back, to kind of give a foundation to go off of. Starting with Chapter 4, I'll post weekly. Every Monday. ^.^ Oh, and anyone worried about me flaking out on the story, I'll let you in on a secret: I already have 27 chapters of this fic saved on my computer, so all I need to do is post them for your reading pleasure. Please enjoy!

Chapter 3: Compassion For The Enemy

Dreamer didn't wake up until the afternoon. Midnight was still sound asleep, much to her relief. She stood up and stretched out the aches from sleeping in an uncomfortable chair all day, then went to the door to call for a nurse.

"How's his condition?" she asked, when the doctor met her at the door.

"He has a broken wrist and two broken ribs, most likely from the rubble he was trapped under," the doctor said.

"Will he be able to travel soon?"

"As long as he doesn't overexert himself. He was severely dehydrated when you brought him here, and we haven't been able to feed him because of all the time he spends asleep. He's going to be physically weak when he leaves here, but as for his injuries, travel should be fine. His magical energy is also almost completely restored. We'd like to keep him one more night, at least."

Dreamer glanced back over her shoulder at Midnight and sighed. "One more night, huh?" She looked back at the doctor and nodded. "Thank you." He bowed slightly and returned to his duties while Dreamer walked back into the room. She should call the Magic Council now to come and retrieve him, but… Well, knowing the Magic Council, they wouldn't care much about his injuries. They'd just toss him into the back of a magic mobile and shove him behind bars. That didn't sit well with her. Curse her good conscience but, despite the things he'd done, she thought he still deserved to be treated with humanity.

Mind made, she resolved to call the Magic Council before dawn and give him a while longer to heal. She knew it didn't make sense to feel compassion for a member of a dark guild—an enemy of Fairy Tail. She wondered if peeking into his nightmares had given her more empathy than she would naturally have for him.

"Stupid," she mumbled.

About an hour later, Midnight stirred. He woke up slowly this time, without trembling. He blinked groggily and looked at Dreamer. Her large eyes, pink as cherry blossoms, never straying from his…

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

He didn't answer immediately. He kept his eyes trained on hers and his breathing light, still waking up.

"Who are you again?"

"I'm Dreamer. Dreamer Cumula." She smiled gently. "I'm the one who found you in the Worth Woodsea. You were injured, so I brought you here."

He sat up, slowly. He winced in pain and pressed his hand against his bandaged chest.

"Be careful. You have some broken ribs."

He grunted and leaned back against the pillows. His eyes scanned her face once more. "Where are the others?" His voice was hoarse and tight, the fear threatening to crash back down upon him.

"I'm not sure," Dreamer answered. "I didn't see them out there."

"Then it's true…" He grasped the blanket with his unbroken hand and clenched his teeth. "He abandoned me… I failed him…"

"Midnight, look at me." She called his gaze back and he was once again trapped there. There was something so serene about her eyes… "You don't know if he abandoned you. Maybe he just couldn't find you after the battle. You were buried pretty deep under some rubble, you know?" That gentle smile, as glossy and pink as her eyes.

"…Maybe." He looked confused and somewhat dazed. He scratched the side of his head and tugged on the strand of white hair there.

"Why do you think you failed your father?" Her gaze was eternal.

"I lost… He needed me and I lost to that fairy…" His eyes wavered. "I'm worthless to him now."

"You're not worthless." She leaned a bit closer. "You tried your best, didn't you? I'm sure you fought with everything you had, and that's something to be proud of, right?"

"Something to be proud of…" He repeated her words absentmindedly and nodded.

"How about we get you something to eat and you can tell me about what happened at Nirvana?" She grinned cheerily and called for the nurse to bring him some food.

He picked at the meal he'd been given and talked to Dreamer. He told her all about the battle—about how the Oracion Seis had sought to revive Jellal and activate Nirvana. He told her about his battle with Hoteye and how Brain cried out to him in desperation to save them from Zero; and about how he had failed to do so by losing his fight to Erza Scarlet. Dreamer listened in silence, never looking away from him.

"I'm sorry you and your friends got hurt," she said finally, "but there's always good to be found, even in the hardest of situations."

"Good?" He narrowed his eyes at the piece of bread in his hand while he tried to comprehend the word. Dreamer saw the confliction in his expression and quickly drew his attention back to her.

"Midnight, I need to tell you something."

He opened his eyes wide and stared at her. "What?"

"I'm a Fairy Tail wizard."

His eyes opened even wider with shock. "You're a… Fairy Tail wizard?"

"That's right, but I won't hurt you," she added quickly. "I just want to tell you that… Well, I have to turn you in to the Magic Council. You've done some pretty bad things. But, there's a chance that you might see your friends there, so it won't be so bad." She smiled warmly.

He looked desperately at her, red eyes completely innocent and desperate. "They'll put me in a cell."

There was a sharp stinging in her chest as she remembered his nightmare. Iron bars. Darkness and terror. She almost lost focus, felt herself looking away from him.

"Why don't you tell me about yourself, Midnight?" She quickly changed subject, sensing that she was no match for such deep-rooted feelings of fear. Her diversion seemed to work. His posture relaxed and his stare softened.

"My name isn't Midnight, it's Macbeth."

"Macbeth." She tried it out on her tongue and grinned. "That's really nice name."

He relaxed even more and began to tell her about himself. About being trapped in the Tower of Heaven under Jellal's rule. About sleepless nights and nightmares and the man who took him in. Hours went by like this. The sun set outside and the moon crept across the sky.

"You don't seem like a bad person, Macbeth," Dreamer said, tiredly.

"…I don't?" he said, confused.

"No. You seem like a good person who's had a very bad life." She smiled again. "How about you get a little bit more rest before morning?"

He nodded and nestled himself back down in the bed. He fell asleep almost instantly.

Dreamer groaned and pressed her thumbs against her temples. That was exhausting. Combating the strength of his emotions was one of the most draining things she'd ever done as a wizard. Her magical energy was almost totally drained. Now that he was finally asleep again, she walked into the hall and asked for a crystal orb to contact the council.

Council member Lahar answered, looking irritated. Then again, he kind of always looked uptight, so…

"Who is this?" He asked, eyes narrowed behind thick glasses.

"This is Dreamer Cumula of Fairy Tail," she answered.

"Who?"

Dreamer sighed and rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter. Look, I'm here in Clover Town with Midnight of the Oracion Seis."

Lahar's expression suddenly changed. "Midnight, you say? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Can you be at the Clover Town hospital at dawn?"

"Yes, of course. Whatever you do, don't allow him out of your sight, Dimitri."

"It's Dreamer!"

"We are on our way."

Lahar broke the connection and the orb reverted to its cloudy form. Dreamer let out a long sigh. In a couple of hours, Midnight wouldn't be her responsibility anymore.

She returned to sit by his side until Lahar and/or his men showed up to capture him. She watched him sleep, once more. There was a strange tightness in her chest as she watched the outward expressions of the nightmares that were still gripping him. She wondered if he ever slept peacefully at all.

"Prison, huh?" She thought about everything he'd told her. About his all-consuming need for freedom because of the caged life he led in the Tower of Heaven. She knew that a miserable life didn't excuse is actions, but…

Her thoughts wandered to her own past. She'd felt caged too, though for entirely different reasons. And she could remember a time when she was possessed by nightmares in both her sleeping and waking life. It wasn't until she found Fairy Tail that she'd found peace.

Fairy Tail…

"Damn…" She was compromised and she knew it. "Well, if that's how it's going to be…"

Knights surrounded the Clover Town hospital. The sun was rising in the sky, reflecting off of polished armor. Lahar strode through the doors with purpose. "I am here to collect the fugitive."

The lady at the reception desk stared wide-eyed at him. "F-fugitive?"

Lahar described Midnight and the lady nodded vigorously before leading him down the hall to room 23. He strode ahead of her and slammed the door open, however…

"It's empty." He narrowed his eyes. The only sign that someone had been here was an unmade bed and a sticky note on the window that read, in curly letters, 'Sorry!'

"QUICK! Comb the town! Find the missing member of Oracion Seis!"

Dreamer wiped sweat from her forehead and leaned Midnight against a wall in an alleyway.

"I'm going to regret this."