########################################################################
3 hours before last event (Yeah, yeah, I reversed time, so what?)
Lyon's P.O.V.
I waited beside the gates of the palace, the sun's tired rays reflecting on the stone. I didn't want to go ahead with the plan, but Ishi insisted that we go to the festival, so I agreed. "Ready?", Ishi's voice radiated from beside me, and I turned to see the water wizard in her disguise. Her purple dress was gone, instead she was wearing jeans and a silver top, while I donned cargo pants and a black t-shirt, instead of my usual clothes.
"Ready as I'll ever be.", I winked, and she blushed, the red still visible in the limited sunlight. "Are you sure you want to do this, you know, after what happened with Ultear?", She nodded, still sure of her answer.
"Let's go before we're caught.", She pulled me outside just as the gates closed, the sound of metal hitting stone rang out across the city. We ran down towards the bright colours of the festival.
The Carnival Of The Roses was the biggest celebration of the year, so attending was a great treat. The food's great, the atmosphere's contagious, and, well, there's another thing I've always wanted to try, but that's a secret.
"You ready for the time of your life?", Ishi's voice broke me out of my trance, and I realised we were standing at the entrance. I could see the bright lights of the rides flashing, and could hear the faint sound of carnival music, bright and cheery.
"Bring it.", I smirked as she pulled me into carnival life.
*****************************************TIME LAPSE!***************************************
I looked out the window of our carriage on the Ferris Wheel, gazing at the bright, cheery festival. "Beautiful, isn't it?", Ishi asked, her head leaning on my shoulder. "I'm surprised nobody recognized us.", She giggled.
"We did get a few second glances.", I pointed out, remembering the little girl who realised who I was. She was about six, but recognized me from my face, she was so cute, her pink hair bobbing up and down as she jumped, trying to get her mother's attention. We disappeared before her mother could turn around though.
"She was six, and anyone could say it was an overactive imagination."
"Touche'" I looked at Ishi, and blushed. Her black hair blended into my shirt, and her face glowed slightly from the carnival lights, and her very obvious blush. Her blue eyes were open, and I quickly lost myself in them. They were the bluest blue, one that would rival the colour of the oceans.
"Lyon, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?", Ishi looked me in the eyes, and blushed harder, making me look away.
"Nothing's wrong.", I said, smiling.
"Oh really? Well, if you're not going to tell me, I'll have to work it out of you." Wait, what? I soon found out what she meant when she began tickling the back of my neck, oh shit. I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing as she tickled my side, stomach and neck, her fingers soft yet deadly.
"STOP! STOP! I can't breathe!", I gasped, breathless. She stopped, and I leaned on the bench, realizing we had both somehow fallen onto the floor. " I can't believe you did that."
"Neither do I.", She giggled, as puffed as I was. Why was she puffed? SHE wasn't the one who was tickled senseless, I was. "What did I do that for, anyway?" CRAFTY IDEA ALERT!
"Well then, let me remind you.", I smirked before I grabbed her by the waist, pulled her onto my lap and started tickling her back.
"AH! LYON! WHY ME! LET GO! LET GO!", She squealed, hitting me with her hands. "LYON VASTIA! LET ME GO!", I gave her one last tickle and let her go, and she rested on my chest. "Damn you."
"I'm evil, aren't I?", I breathed into her ear, and felt her shiver. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, stupid.", She giggled, curling up int a ball on my lap. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close, my face in her hair. How could I possibly thank her for this, the freedom, the fun, the normal-ness of life available for me for the first time ever? I quickly kissed her cheek.
"Thankyou, for everything.", I whispered, and she blushed again. How she continuously blushes I do not know.
"It should be me thanking you, actually. This has been the first time I've been able to enjoy myself in a while.", She smiled as I pulled back a stray bit of hair that was bothering me.
"Really?"
"Yeah, we're always on jobs, and crime never sleeps. I remember a shop near us was broken into, and we had to rush over there at 1am to stop them. It's tiring you know.", She sighed."I don't get much time for myself anymore."
"But the thrills of being outside, of being free, doesn't that make up for it?", I asked, confused.
She whispered,"It's hard being someone people look up to, especially if your powerful."
"You got that right.", I agreed."Some people are all like 'Show us a miracle, Oh Great One.' It ge-", My statement was cut off by a heart-stopping scream from the palace.
"I know that scream.", Ishi whispered, getting up."We need to leave, now.", I looked out the window, and realised we were just off the ground.
"Wanna jump?", I asked, pushing a door open. She nodded, taking a runner and leaping off it with such agility, you had to be jealous. I swiftly followed, and we ran out of the carnival towards the palace. We leapt over the wall using our magic and sprinted through the courtyard.
"Look! Over there, near Loke's window!", Ishi pointed to a slinking figure with green hair.
"That's Karin, what's she doing here?", I growled, heading for her instead of the doors.
"Hey! Wait!", Ishi backtracked and began to follow me, "Are you crazy? That was Aurelie's scream, if she hurt her, who knows what she can do to us!", Wait, she attacked their LEADER and WON? I stopped, processing the information. If I chase her, Ishi and I might not live. If we go to the infirmary, we'll lose her trail.
"We're going inside, we'll find out what happened, then we hunt her down.", Ishi nodded as we ran back to the door. We were about to walk in when it swung open, revealing a frightened Mirajane.
"Oh, you're safe!", She sighed, pulling us into a hug."Don't ever do that again, we were so worried when we couldn't find you. Lyon, your mother is in tears from worry. And Ishi, Juvia's just as bad! What do you have to say for yourself?", She scolded us both, and waited for our answer. "Oh., what am I saying, I shouldn't be angry. Get inside, Aurelie's in the infirmary.", Ishi was right, then.
"What happened?", I asked as we made our way towards it.
"I don't really know. Loke was asleep when most of the injuries happened, but from what he knows, I'll say Karin was going to kill Loke, but Aurelie distracted her, making Karin want to kill Aurelie first. She put up no resistance in case Loke got hurt in the cross-fire, and he woke up when she screamed.", Mirajane choked, a tear running down her face. "I don't know what's happening to this place, it's becoming a hell-hole!"
"NO! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!", I heard Loke yell. What's going on?
"You need someone to take care of you, that girl can't do that.", Another voice replied.
"That girl just saved my life! And put her's on the line for me!", Loke yelled again. When he was in view, I saw him arguing with his grandfather. A short man with white hair, he ruled the Celestial Kingdom with grace, and had been since he was 20. He took in his grandson when his parents died in the fire that took Gray's.
"She is weak."
"SHE IS STRONG! AND IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE!", Loke stormed off, fuming.
"It's for the best.", His grandfather muttered, before seeing us standing there, shocked. "That girl is not enough for my grandson."
"Well, I'm sorry, but who are you to judge that? If you see what Aurelie does in a day, you would be eating your words.", Ishi walked up to him and looked down on him, the height difference immense.
"What does she do then?"
"Well, let me start by saying she's the leader of The Fallen Angels.", Ishi showed her symbol to Loke's grandfather, who shrugged.
"And?", Whoa, big headed much?
"And, she put's her life on the line for everyone, stopping villains everywhere. In fact, she would happily do this job on her own if she was allowed, even though it would be a death sentence."
"Really?", His eyebrows rode up his forehead.
"Yes, and she's the ex-Leader of the Women In Black, Jacinta.", Erza stepped out of the shadows, looking forlorn. Wait, WHAT THE (colorful curse words)!
"J-J-J-Jacinta?", his eyes widened.
"Yes. It's me.", Aurelie stepped out from behind her sister, bandages on her arms and torso.
"Um, I have no idea what's going on.", Mirajane said, and Aurelie blushed.
"I worked under the alias Jacinta in the Celestial court, and kept it when Loke and I started dating. The reason Erza hates Karin so much is because she made Loke and I split, and caused her to make a wrong choice: tell everyone I committed suicide.", She explained.
"B-b-b-but, you're supposed to be-", Loke's grandfather muttered in shock.
"Dead, yes. Erza told you that to spare my heart.", Aurelie shrugged. "Yeah, I'm back Makarov." She smiled, using his first name.
"It's good to see you too, my child.", He smiled widely at his ex-assassin. Aurelie looked around.
"Where's Loke, I heard you arguing?", She asked, worried. I pointed in the vague direction he went. Her face paled.
"Oh god, oh god!", She pushed past us and sprinted down the hallway, disappearing from view.
"What's that about?", Makarov asked, looking worried for his grandson and his ex-assassin.
"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good.", Erza muttered, walking in the direction her younger sister sprinted seconds ago. "Mira, find the Raijinshuu, we might need them." Mirajane nodded, disappearing then returning in an instant with the tribe of wizards.
"We're here, what's up?", Their leader, Freed asked. His runes would come in handy.
"We need you in case that Karin girl shows up.", I explained, he nodded.
"Evergreen, your stone eyes will be useful for attacks from afar.", Mirajane addressed the brunette female, who nodded, adjusting her glasses. "Bixlow, how are your tiki dolls?", She turned to the man wearing a visor.
"They're fine, thanks Mira.", He chuckled, and I watched as five tiki dolls appeared from behind him. "We're fine thanks!", They chanted.
"We ready?", Erza asked, looking back. We nodded and began to follow.
"WAIT!", I turned to see Gray standing with everyone else."We're coming with you."
"Hell no.", I growled.
"Hell yes. She's much a friend to us as she is to you, Lyon. So get that frozen ass moving.", Gray walked past me, and I began to run after him.
#####################################################################
KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA! 'Bout time, don't you think? Lyon and Ishi, I even have a ship name for them; LYSHI! It sounds like a fish though...
Happy: FISH! WHERE? *looks around*
Me: *facepalm*
Loke: If I had a dollar for every time you facepalmed-
Me: I would be a rich bastard *nods*
Happy: I wanna ! *starts crying*
Me: *facepalm* Oh. My. God. Is that all you say Happy?
Loke: There we have it, the final facepalm
Me: *slaps him* Shut up. Bye for now, not for long! *waves*
Loke: WAIT! Give them a sneak peek!
Me: FINE! God, Loke:
"I want you.", She whispered in my ear, and I tensed."Now, now, don't worry. I don't bite.", she smiled, her hand weaving it's way through my hair. Oh keep your hands off me bitch. I slammed my fist into her stomach, and while she was still getting her bearings, I slipped away, running deeper into the maze of cages.
There! Happy now?
Loke: Yes, very. *smug grin*