Before we begin I just want to warn you that the first reference to an anime other than fairy tail is in this chapter. See if you can find it lol. I also want to apologize because i wanted this chapter to be out sooner but I ran into some complications. ENJOY!
Ms. Zhara was doing her usual morning rounds as a master council member and was checking up on the breakfast staff.
"How'd things go this morning?" She asked.
"We got plenty of leftovers for tomorrow" the lady chef replied "hey Zhara, how's that kid of yours doing?"
"Oh Raze?" She said "He's been great."
"That's good; he seems to keep you happy."
Zhara looks to the ground and smiles. It was true the boy's presence did make her happy. She remembered the reason she took him in. Even though she was still quite young (mid-late twenties) she had gone through a lot. Zhara had already lost a baby at child birth and her husband about three years ago in an accident. Raze had shown up in town during her time of her mourning. He had gotten in a bit of trouble with the local law enforcement for stealing food. Luckily, Zhara was at the supermarket when they were arresting him. She got one look at what was going on when she saw Raze. And apparently she also saw her deceased child that she was never able to raise. So she paid his bail, which wasn't much since it was a minor crime, and since he had no place to go she took him in. It took a while but with a lot of persuasion she convinced Raze to stay with her though he was still a bit hesitant until she showed him the SE. After that he was all in. Zhara found this a bit suspicious but brushed it off. Zhara also had a keen eye for sensing lies which is why when she asked Raze for his last name for the agreements and he had replied with "Gurren", she knew he was bluffing. She let it slide nonetheless. She was just happy to have the boy around as the son she never had.
"Zhara, Do you got some spare earpieces!?"
Speak of the devil. "Ah...Raze we were just talking about you!" Said the cafeteria lady.
"Who isn't these days." Raze said with a grin and his hands behind his head in his usual conceded manner.
Zhara reached down and flicked the spot between his eyes.
"OW HEY!"
Zhara crouched to his level and said "remember when we talked about arrogance?" With an extremely intimidating smile.
"Y-y-yes Mam..."
"Good boy." She said cheerfully while patting his head and standing up.
"It's scary how you can change faces instantly." Raze says still recuperating.
"I know... So what were you wanting?"
"Ummmm...Oh yeah earpieces."
Zhara shakes her head and reaches in her pocket. "Forgetful as always" she says handing him the earpieces.
Raze takes them and immediately puts them in.
"Thank you!" He says with much relief.
"Hey aren't you gonna be late for training?" The cafeteria lady asks.
"Nah I'll make it on time." He turns around "thanks Zhara" he says with a wave.
Zhara took advantage by lunging forward and picking up Raze from behind. "Make momma proud!" She said in a gleeful attitude.
Raze looked like he was going to be sick from being shaken around so much so suddenly
"Zhara-ugh-stahp...you know how I feel about that."
Raze was and still is a bit hesitant on the relationship of being her adopted son and he's told her this is because his real mother is deceased though he hints no more about his past to her. She's not bothered by it in the least and is quite understanding on the matter but sometimes she just can't help it. And Raze has managed to open up little by little to her over the past few years.
She put him down gently and patted his head. "I know I just can't help it. My little Raze is growing up." She said half-jokingly.
"Well aren't you two cute." The cafeteria lady said. "Like a true family."
Raze looked at her with an uncomfortable expression. "I'm just gonna go now...thanks Zhara."
Both women chuckled as he walked out of the room. Zhara moved on and continued chatting with the staff all while smile and giggling every now and then.
/
Quite some time later we find Zhara in the daily evening meeting with the other four council members. She always hated these because she gets bored easily but as a head member it was a part of her duty.
"Ms. Zhara!" She was pulled out of her thoughts by the Grand Master Charles. He was very intimidating. He had a tough build with long gray hair, neatly groomed, that stretched to his upper legs.
"Y-Y-YES sir!" Zhara stammered.
"In case you weren't listening, we've uncovered another artifact we need you to take in."
"Yes sir, sorry, what might they be?"
Charles sits back in his chair. "We've finally uncovered the Renegade Saber and of course with the Righteous Scabbard."
Zhara just stared in amazement. Those were two of the 88 spells of Divine Sanctum.
The 88 Spells of Divine Sanctum are very mysterious and extremely powerful spells. Mysterious in a sense that they have a mind of their own. It's known that they seem to choose their own casters by a system of worthiness. It is extremely rare to find someone who possesses one of these spells as they are scattered all over the world attached to artifacts or manifested into artifacts themselves.
They are also known to be extremely powerful. So powerful in fact that it is even rarer to find someone who is able to master one of these spells. A spell usually seems to activate itself when its caster is in a life threatening situation. Again proving that they have a mind of their own. They come in many different forms but all are extremely powerful in their own right. Actually after a spell is used the caster will seem to have all magic energy dissipated unless the spell is mastered. This is an appalling amount of magic energy.
Charles notices Zhara's shocked facial expression "Yes, I know." He continues "its taken years but we've finally got them."
He sways his hand at a servant holding a sheathed sword covered in bandages that seem to have a short writing in one spot. The servant hands them to Charles.
"This artifact is far more important than any of the others I have in trusted you with before. You know what that means, Zhara."
"Y-y-yes sir!" Zhara said as Charles carefully handed her the magic artifact.
She takes it quickly and excitedly screams "Thank you sir!" As she runs out of the meeting room overjoyed.
Charles, looking quite stressed, silently responds to the other council member's chuckles. "She's lucky those bandages are impenetrable."
/
Zhara was heading through mt. Vazil to the spot where her and Raze usually met up to exit the facility. She was as cheerful as could be. Then again, she always was.
The facility was closing down for the most part this time of day. So there weren't many people walking the halls and corridors as most of the staff and recruits were napping in their living quarters. She continued walking until a dark blue headed figured passed her. She sensed urgency and worry coming from the person so she snapped out of her chipper trance and turned around to see who it was.
It was none other than Lake. She knew Lake to be one of Raze's friends but she had talked very little to him in the past. He seemed to be walking at a slightly fast pace and with what she had just sensed from him, her motherly instincts took over.
"Hey, Lake!"
Lake stopped and turned around slowly. He had a smile on his face but Zhara knew it was fake.
"Hey Zhara." He said scratching the back of his head "what's up?"
"About to head out. Hey is anything wrong? Where you headin?"
"Oh no, I'm fine nothing's bothering me" Zhara senses his lie easily "and I'm just headed back to the...uh...cafeteria...for uh... To see if they have leftovers!" He says with a snap.
Zhara found this characteristically strange. Usually it'd be Edo looking for leftovers wouldn't it she thought to herself. She stopped herself remembering that it was an obvious lie but she decided to let it slide because she had to get to Raze.
"Well ok seeya!" She says while turning back around.
"Ok take care! Tell Raze I said 'hi'!" He said while doing the same.
That was close Lake thought to himself relieved.
/
Lake finally reached his true destination, The Master Council Meeting Room. He takes a deep breath and enters. Inside only one council member left, Charles.
"Ah, well if it isn't my favorite assassin. I heard you did well in training today."
"Nah I could've done a lot better." Lake replies confidently.
"Of course of course. Now why did you come to see me?" Charles asks.
Lake remembers why he had come here in the first place and looks around to make sure no one is listening. "When's the last time you checked on the memory storage lacrima?" Lake asks quietly.
Charles raises an eyebrow "why do you ask?"
Lake checks once again and closes the doors. "I think there might be a problem."
Charles seems even more confused. "What do you mean a problem?"
"I mean Edo, my partner, had visions of his REAL past last night."
Charles looked surprised but then straitened back up "That's impossible."
"I'm sure he did. He told me and Raze about it in detail this morning at breakfast."
"Are you sure it wasn't just some strange dream?"
"It was very detailed. He even mentioned how he saw the SE show up and kidnap children and kill adults... Including his mother." Lake said uneasily.
Charles looked stumped "that does sound quite suspicious. Thank you for informing me."
"You're lucky he's just blowing it off as a weird dream and nothing more but you should seriously go have a look at the lacrima."
Charles stands up. "Ok we will go right now, together."
"W-what? Why me?" Lake asks
"Because if there is a hairline crack where magic is seeping out I trust your keen dragon eyes to notice it a lot quicker than mine." He continues "and anyone else who knows of the lacrima has already left or turned in for the night."
Lake shrugs "ok if you say so."
Charles walks to one of the doors and opens it. "After you..."
Lake proceeds to walk out the door with Charles following shortly behind.
/
Lake was now on the secret below basement level of Mt. Vazil. Charles was leading him down what seemed like the longest hall he had ever stepped foot in. There was a large bolted door at the end of the hall. When they reached it Charles punched some digits into a keypad attached to the door. Almost immediately after, the door began to slide open.
A blinding light seeped through the door. Lake attempted to cover his eyes. As soon as the door was completely open the light seemed to dim down. When Lake looked into the room all he saw a large platform holding up a giant purplish-blue spherical lacrima. He could sense the enormous amount of magical energy emanating from the behemoth pearl-like orb.
"...Wow." Lake exclaimed with an awed expression.
"Impressed?" Charles said with a smirk.
Lake just stared motionless.
"Do you know how it works?" Charles asks.
Lake turned his head and faced him immediately with a questioning look.
"I've never even told the few I trust with the knowledge of the lacrima but I think you should know."
Lake continued to stare.
"I guess I'll start with the magic I possess. Have you heard of the 88 spells of Divine Sanctum?"
Lake thought for a moment. He remembered reading about them somewhere, probably in one of his classes. He nodded.
"Well I possess the spell known as the Holy Geass. Keep in mind to not tell anyone about this. Only you know."
He nodded again overwhelmed with curiosity.
"Good-anyways the Holy Geass is a spell that allows the castor to control and manipulate ones memories. The problem is you can only use it on a person when in eye contact with them." He continued "So I connected my magical energy to this lacrima so that I may store the memories of everyone in the facility. It is constantly draining my magic energy so it is easy for me to hide the fact that I possess magic."
Lake pondered for a second and then refocused.
"The only people whose memories I haven't had to change are yours, the other Master Council members; some of the staff, and that 'Raze' boy but you already knew that."
Lake stared off into space. He did know that and he knew why. But there was one thing he didn't understand...
"Why do you trust me, a kid, with this knowledge?" Lake asked.
Charles laughed and patted Lakes head. "Because I trust you and once our goal is achieved, I can see you becoming my successor as leader of the new world."
Lake shuddered for a second. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Would it provide more the safety and protection he had always longed for?
"C'mon let's examine this and move on." Charles said "tell me when you spot something."
Lake approached the large lacrima and almost immediately spotted a hairline crack about a yard long with magic seeping through it…