Chapter 27: Colorless Eyes

It was after hours at the guild hall again. Mirajane was cleaning up the bar. Piper was sitting on a bench, looking glum (kind of a constant thing ever since Dreamer first brought Midnight to Fairy Tail), and Lucy was on guard duty—which meant that Happy and Natsu would be in the guild hall all night too.

The blonde was currently reading the dragon slayer her favorite children's book. He was sitting on the ground cross-legged, listening with a perplexed expression. Happy was rolling around lazily on the floor with a ball of string, nimbly avoiding the mop as Kinana cleaned. Lucy closed the book shut with a satisfied THUD and smiled at Natsu.

"And that's Key of the Starry Skies." She sat it down on the desk. "Well? What do you think?"

Natsu cocked his head to the side with a frown. "Eh. I don't like it."

"What?!" Her chocolatey eyes widened. "Why not?!"

"It doesn't make any sense." He stretched and yawned. "And it needs dragons!"

"Aye! And the little girl should have been collecting fish! Not stupid keys!" Happy gave his input.

"Oh, please! You two wouldn't understand good literature if it punched you in the face!" Lucy's temple pulsed.

"Ooooh, I wish a book would punch me in the face!" Natsu jumped up into a fighting stance. "I'd kick its butt!"

"I don't think books have butts, Natsu," Happy said.

Lucy looked irritated for another moment before her face relaxed and she laughed. "You can be so cute sometimes, Natsu."

Natsu and Happy froze. Natsu stared at Lucy like she was an alien. "I'm… cute?"

Lucy's cheeks took on some color like she was just realizing what she'd said. "Well, yeah!" She stuck to her word and rolled her eyes. "When you're not being annoying!"

Natsu slumped with a dramatic pout. "I don't wanna be cute…" A cloud hung over his head. "I want to be cool."

"Good luck with that!" Happy said, helpfully. "You're just about as cool as Lucy!"

"HEY! What's that supposed to mean, cat?!"

"What are you talking about, Happy?!" Natsu perked up. "Lucy is totally cool! Remember how she kicked that Angel girl's butt in the forest?! She summoned like ten spirits!"

Lucy blushed and stared at Natsu with big eyes. "You… were actually paying attention to that battle?"

"Well yeah, duh!" He started to re-enact it with sound effects. "I was sick, not dead!"

"I don't know, I still think she's pretty lame," Happy shrugged.

"YOU'RE LAME YOU STUPID CAT!" Her face softened and she smiled warmly at Natsu's animated portrayal of the battle. "I didn't know you paid so much attention to me, Natsu…"

At the counter, Mira was leaning forward and watching the scene unfold with sparkling eyes. "I ship them so hard!" She squealed to Piper.

"Give me a break, will ya doll?" Piper groaned. "If I hear one more second of your lovey dovey crap, I'm gonna puke." He numbly rolled his dice repeatedly on the counter.

"Piper…" Mira stood up straight and continued wiping the counter. "How long are you going to stay mad at Dreamer?"

He sighed and watched one of his dice roll off the counter. "You's got it all wrong, MJ. I ain't mad at her…" He got off the stool to retrieve the die. "I'm mad at myself, ya know?"

"Why on earth are you mad at yourself?" her ocean blue eyes blinked at him.

"Come on, Mira, you's can figure it out." He gave another heavy sigh. "Dreamy and Syllest was in danger in Rose Garden and I wasn't even there ta help 'em." A dark shadow crossed his emerald eyes. "He had to do it. If I can't even be there to protect the gals I care about then… Then what the hell am I needed for anyway?"

"Piper…" Mira's face was uncharacteristically serious. "Don't be silly." She spoke to him in a motherly tone. "Dreamer and Syllestra are always going to need you. You keep acting like Midnight is going to replace you… Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?" She smiled gently at him. "Do you really think Dreamer is the kind of person who's going to forget about you, just because there's a new friend in her life? And is it such a bad thing that there's one more person out there who wants to be there for her?"

Guilt shadowed the lines on Piper's face. He sighed. "I know it ain't, I just…" He clenched a trembling fist. "I don't want her to get hurt, ya know, doll?"

Mirajane nodded in empathy. "I do know. Dreamer is my best friend." Her smile was still gentle and serious. "I care about her safety and happiness just as much as my little brother's, and with the same passion as you, Piper. But we can't let our love for her be overshadowed by our fear of her getting hurt."

"Yeah… You're right…" He slouched in defeat.

"I think you should talk to her. Or…" Mira's smile brightened. "You should talk to Midnight!"

"The hell I will."

"I'm serious!" Mirajane grinned. "Maybe if you guys talk, you'll feel more comfortable about her safety."

"Hell. No."

"Oh, Piper, you just need—"

The guild hall doors opened up and in skipped a little black-haired seven-year-old.

"Hi, Lucy! Hi Natsu! Hi, Happy! Hi, Kina!" She skipped over to the bar and climbed up next to Piper before throwing her arms around his neck in a hug. "Hi, Uncle Piper! Hi, Auntie Mira!"

"Syllest?" They blinked at her. "Kid, why's you out wanderin' at night?"

"Where's your mom?" Mira asked.

Syllestra shrugged and spun on her seat. "I dunno. I haven't seen her since I got home from school."

Mirajane and Piper shared a startled look.

"I got bored at home. And hungry. So, I came here!" She climbed on the counter. "Can you make me a sandwich, Auntie?!"

"Yes, of course…" Mira shared a look with Piper, who nodded. He'd go out looking for Dreamer. It was completely unlike her to leave Syllestra at home alone for ANY period of time. Let alone the hours it had been since the school day ended. And neither Piper nor Mirajane had heard of her having any plans. "Maybe she's with Jezran?"

"I'll check with him first," Piper jumped off the stool and started for the door. "Yo, Natsu!"

"Huh? What's up?"

"I could use some back up. You game?"

"Hell yeah I am! I'm all fired up!" Natsu flexed and lit a fire in his palm.

"Does that mean I have to go?" Happy complained. "Because I was just starting to get comfortable…" Kinana had set out a pillow on one of the tables for him.

"Nah, get some rest, buddy." Natsu waved and started after Piper toward the main doors. They were halfway across the floor before the doors opened on their own.

There, standing in the wind, weakly clutching the doorframe, was Dreamer. She looked up at Mirajane.

Her eyes were as colorless as stone. No hint of pink. No brightness.

Mira put her hands to her mouth and gasped. Piper ran to Dreamer's side just in time to catch her as she collapsed. She opened her pale lips and weakly whispered.

"Mira…" Thunder boomed outside, nearly drowning out her desperate words. "It's time."

A/N: All of your responses to last week's chapters were so encouraging you guys!

LotsOfTreble, you mentioned that all the Midnight fics you've found on the internet have been lemons, and howlingwolvesonfire mentioned how this is a true redemption fic. Seriously, I feel your pain, you guys. That's why I wrote this fic! I used to scour the internet for hours to find quality Midnight/Oracion Seis material and there was just so little of it! Anything that wasn't Midnight x Reader lemony garbage, was Midnight x Cobra material or worse... MidLu... *shudders* That is not to say I have a problem with gay ships (have any of you seen the LaharxDoranbolt one-shot I just posted?), but I hate that Midnight is stereotyped to be gay because of his J-Rock style. I hate that no one has taken the time to look at the members of the Oracion Seis as the unique group that they are. They're not typical villains, if they can even be called villains. That's why I've always been drawn to them and why I couldn't pass up the opportunity to explore true redemption for Midnight/Macbeth.

That's just my little two-cents on the subject. It's so refreshing to find so many people who like these characters as much as I do, and who see their worth as more than just back-seat minor villains.

Sorry for the short cliffhanger. I'll make it up to you, I promise. ;)