"Yes. Did your father really do that to you?" I asked. He didn't say anything for a long while, but I heard the soft, "Yes."
"Our lives kinda sucked in the beginning didn't they?" I asked still not looking at him. He snorted in response. "Which one was your happiest memory? Mine is the last one."
"The parade," he said after a moment. I turned and looked back at the cheerful scene. I smiled at him and found him looking at me. My eyebrows furrowed and I frowned a little at him.
"What?" I asked.
"You now know my life and I know yours. You're not mad or freaking out over what you saw. Why?" he asked keeping his expression neutral.
I smiled again and said, "I can see the hardships you went through. I see hardships you made others go through. And I can see how you redeemed yourself. I'm not just proud to call you my guild mate Laxus, I am proud to call you my friend." I let that sink in, I looked back to my mural and continued, "As for you seeing my life. I finally have someone who has knows almost everything I went through. My friends know most of it, but you know. It's liberating. Now do you want to go find the other person stuck in here?"
"There's someone else?" he looked at me incredulously. I nodded and pointed down the third hallway connected to the cavern.
"The guy who got us stuck in here?" he asked.
"I have no idea," I shrugged, "I only know that there are three of us in here. Let's go pay who ever it is a visit."
We crept down the hall; I led the way walking past a few doors before stopping a bit before the front of one near the end. I looked to Laxus and nodded. In one swift movement we rushed into the room. We went in guns blazing or so to speak. Laxus's fists were sparking and I still had Terea on command.
In front of us sat a lean, tan, brown haired man wearing glasses. He was dressed in an ink stained button up shirt and brown vest and slacks. He was quite surprised to see us. His hand hovered over a book; quill dripping ink as he blinked at us. We blinked back. I was the first to move.
"Hadwin?" my voice was weaker than I meant it to be. He replied with a similar, "Aiyana?" He half stood up, but had to stop because he was caught between the desk and chair.
"You know him?" Laxus said in disbelief. I looked back and forth between them not really knowing what to say. Hadwin did an identical double take between Laxus and me.
"Who's this?" Hadwin asked. I stuttered before saying, "Well uh, Laxus this is Hadwin my former partner and good friend, Hadwin this is Laxus current temp partner and grandson to the current Guild Master Markov. We were clearing out some monsters out of some caves when I got sucked into this book. I think Laxus came in after me," I looked to him and he just nodded, "Is this that cursed book you were looking for?"
He sat back down with a sigh. "Yes it is that book. Has it given you what you most desired yet?"
"Wait cursed book? You got us stuck in a cursed book Tiny Tits!?" Laxus but in. Hadwin laughed outright at his nickname for me. I glared at Laxus and answered Hadwin, "I have been. Some in this era knows my life story, and if the giant murals are anything to go on so has his."
"I see, and since you're both still here I guess it's safe to assume that you are now just as stuck here as I am," Hadwin said.
"What do you mean stuck?" Laxus asked.
"Well, Hadwin left on his mission to find this book before I entered the void last," I explained for Hadwin, "So he's been stuck here since X696….Hadwin can you even leave this book, I mean if you leave will you still be alive?"
He smiled faintly and said, "I think that if I could leave that I would still be apart of the book. Kind of like a nymph is with trees."
"Well that's better than I had hoped for. Do you have any ideas on how to get out of here Laxus?" I turned to him. To his credit he actually did think hard on it before blandly shrugging his shoulders.
"Why can't we just finish the book," Laxus asked. "Like come'on that's how you finish books you read till the end then it's over. Why would this be any different?" I looked at Laxus could it really be that simple? Had Hadwin been stuck all this time when there was such a simple answer to it? I turned to Hadwin and glared teasingly "Really Haddie? You didn't think of that?" I said exasperated.
"Well you know I don't approve of dose ex machina and yet here you are finishing the story," Hadwin said totally unapologetic.
Slowly the room dimmed and went dark. Suddenly we were back in the caves. I was sprawled gracelessly on top of Laxus. Once again he grumbled about the weight. The book clenched in my hands.
"Hadwin?" I called "Hadwin where are you!?"
"Oh shush I'm right here" Hadwin called from the a few feet away. "So I do believe that I am now apart of that book."
I opened it to a random page and read aloud, "'Whoever put me here, wherever her was, had numbered days. I invoked fire and called a flame to my hand and the room around me came to light.' Yep we all are."
It started with Hadwin. It was a small chuckle that set me off. We were soon full out laughing. Laxus's throaty laughter shook my whole body.
When we calmed down I stood up and said, "Come on boys I'll buy you dinner."