Ok, I am so so so sorry that took way longer than usual, I had a bit of writers block and than I had an idea I had to scribble down.
I scribbled down 47 pages and 28,000 words worth.
Yeah, I got majorly distracted, plus, you know, life's distracting, so, sorry again, but I got it covered! Enjoy, Draconem Rising.
"So, what do you think?" Meredy asked.
She had shown Hibiki around the castle, of course, she'd kept him from all of the secrets that were still hidden away beneath the building that looked to be from a fairy tale, but it was still impressive.
"Incredible." Hibiki replied, the two of them had arrived up on the south turret, the flag of Draconem Heart was snapping in the wind above them, and Meredy's pink hair was rippling out behind her.
"Hey, so how did you join Draconem Heart, anyway? I remember hearing you used to be a dark mage but turned a new leaf like Cobra did." Hibiki began as he looked out over their view of the lake, watching the waters being gently stirred by the breeze.
Hibiki's eyes drifted to Meredy as he asked this, glancing over to her, he found himself caught all over again in those sparkling emerald eyes.
Meredy looked back out over the lake, a spiritual look on her face.
"When I was very young, my home town was destroyed...it was Ultear that did it."
"But she's your adoptive mother, I thought?" Hibiki asked with concern.
Meredy nodded, "We both had horrible, torn pasts, she raised me as a member of Grimore Heart. We thought that this life didn't matter, because we would all be reborn into a new age of magic. We were so terribly wrong."
Meredy leaned on the edge of the tower's wall, taking in the sparks dancing across the surface of the electric moat.
"God, I was so wrong. It was Fairy Tail that showed us our faults, I thought they were the best people you could hope to find, if I wasn't a criminal I would have gone to join them."
Meredy sighed, "They made bad choices too...they did things to my friends I don't think any Draconem's will forgive them for. It's a shame, really. Fairy Tail and Draconem Heart might have been wonderful friends, we're so much alike. Rule breakers, always toeing the line, always stepping up to the plate to protect and serve. Us Dragon's have something different, though. We were shunned, we're all freaks and we know it."
"Freaks? Meredy, your not a freak, why would you say that?" Hibiki asked, appalled as Meredy just gave him a saddened smile.
"We're different and we're dangerous. But I don't mind it." Was all she said as a reply to Hibiki's wide eyes and concerned expression.
"I never cared much for my own life. I told you about how my sensory links work, right? I can force my pain onto others if it's necessary, but I rarely resort to that, most of the time I rely on my sword play skills and minor re-quip abilities. But when I was younger, I used to use the ability to focus emotions so much more."
Hibiki had no clue why Meredy was speaking to him about this all of the sudden, perhaps she felt like she needed to unburden herself. But what had he done to gain so much of her trust that she would bare her soul to him?
"I remember so vividly how I took joy in watching two people trying to sort their way through other emotions than their own. I found it funny to watch someone toss their heads back and scream when they found themselves feeling a different beings love, hate, anger, joy, and sorrow. My greatest weapon was my emotions. My battle torn soul, revenge thirsty yet quietly crying, rage filled yet drained of anything, my emotions were so twisted and jumbled and turned all around that if I forced them upon another, they'd become so confused and constricted that defeating them was easy as a single swipe of the sword. Even more powerful than that is an attack I've never been pushed far enough to use, my most threatening weapon was my own death."
Hibiki shook his head slightly.
"No way...the links work that far?" He asked in disbelief, inquiry written all over his face.
Meredy nodded.
"If I killed myself, anyone I was linked to would die as well. It's the perfect defense mechenism. If someone was trying to kill me, I could link myself to them, than, if they killed me, they'd be killing themselves. I almost carried out that tactic of killing myself to kill my opponents. Death meant nothing to me. But when I fought Fairy Tail, and we were defeated. When Ultear was finally cleansed of so much darkness, that only the wisps of it remained.
I found myself regretting so much, but finding so much love in my soul that I was...I was so happy."
Meredy crossed her arms atop the stone turret wall and rested her chin upon them, sticking back her hips and rocking on her heels.
"We freed Jellal later on, we formed our own guild, but after only so many years of operation, everything folded in on everything else. The guild disbanded, our new marks disappeared, and for the second time in my life, my guild had been ripped away from me. We wandered for several months, considering what to do. We ended up in the West Woodsy, and found this place. I had no idea I was a lost mage, but I realized then that sensory link is a rare magic. I couldn't believe it when they all welcomed us. We were criminal's, but they believe our stories and our change. We were accepted in an instant. And..."
Meredy spun and gripped either side of her cape, stretching it out to reveal the Draconem Heart insignia in a silvery color on her back.
"...we found a new home." She finished.
Hibiki smiled as Meredy's tale came to a close.
"That's amazing...I don't have a past like that. I was kid on my own, growing up at Blue Pegasus, nothing tragic like what happened to you."
Meredy tilted her head and a warm smile illuminated her face.
"I'm happy you've never met things like that. It means your cleaner of the darkness than I am."
Hibiki took a step closer to Meredy, Meredy leaned her head back slightly to look up into the dark blondes eyes.
They found their hands meeting, they found their fingers intertwining.
"I don't see any darkness in you, Meredy, to me...you seemed wrapped in light."
They came closer, sinking into each others eyes, Hibiki felt like he was drowning in those emerald orbs.
Their lips met.
Atop that tower they connected, their hearts reaching out to each other's, with the breeze spiraling through the both of the wizards's hair, causing Meredy's cape to flutter around her.
That was when the clock tower struck six o'clock loudly, the bells echoing through the blue skies as they broke apart.
Meredy felt a blush color her cheeks as Hibiki's face flushed as well.
"I-I-I..."
"I-I...I'm...w-well..."
The two of them stuttered in sync for several seconds before they realized they were still holding hands.
While Hibiki felt as though he should release her, he didn't, and Meredy did the exact same.
"That...was nice." Meredy spoke first.
"Yeah..." Hibiki agreed.
Meredy looked up at this Blue Pegasus wizard, marveling that the first time they'd meet it had been while splashing into icy water, and the second time they'd both hit each other with books.
"Maybe...if you'd like, that is...after I leave...sometime, maybe in a couple of weeks, we could meet...in my guild's town?" Hibiki asked, scanning his mind for the suave lines and smooth moves that he was so used to using. Only to come up with stuttering words and a worried expression.
Meredy smiled at him.
"I think I'd like that. I really think I would." Meredy said as she released Hibiki's hands.
They felt empty without her's to hold.
"R-Really?" Hibiki asked, still searching for a stammer free voice.
Meredy nodded.
"Really. I'll call you on lacrima, ok?"
Hibiki felt as though if he turned and jumped off of the tower, he could soar all the way home on the wings of his heart alone.
"Ok." Hibiki agreed.
With a small, shy, three fingered wave, Meredy turned and left, climbing down the ladder and disappearing from view.
Hibiki spun around once on ditzy legs, usually calculating, genius mind fuzzy.
When the Trimen's left that night, across the drawbridge as the members of Draconem waved them off from the front wall, Eve had a new set of hailstorm bruises and, by some miracle, Rina's communication lacrima's contact number, and Ren had lost about fifteen pounds being chased through the castle by Layla, who still desired revenge.
The archive mage of the group looked up into the crowds of mages and saw her, Meredy, a jubilant smile on her face, a rosy tint still visible on her cheeks, hooded cape rippling behind her along with her long pink hair, earmuffs still on even though it was summer, waving to him in particular.
Hibiki left with a dreamy look on his face and a brand new reason to try and swear off flirting once and for all.
Look who's love struck! Is my romance writing terrible or what? Yeah, I tried, ok? I really did. So, next time we'll start the actually arc, get dramatic, get action-y, and get exciting, so, please favorite, please follow, please review! Thanks!