Chapter Thirty.

Lucy wasn't sure what to think. Onix had been acting strange ever since the Guild Tournament had ended abruptly, then add in the sudden appearance of all these new members and she seemed close to skittish. It got to the point where she would jump when someone decided to pat her on the back.

What was going on?

The blonde wasn't stupid enough to buy how everything was 'just fine', and how it was 'just coincidences.' She bit the inside of her mouth, ripping at the skin as she observed how Onix was just short of breathing fire at the two girls who had thought getting Fairy Tail boys into their rooms was a good thing. Lucy also noted how her best friends eyes had stopped changing, slotting into that smoky grey she'd seen when they'd first met. She leaned on the space of wall by the sliding doors and had to bend at an odd angle to let the four guys sprint past to their rooms.

"Gosh, two girls and four boys...I don't even want to know what their plans were!" Onix spoke, shattering the one-sided tension and closing the door once more with threats of removing the girls' guild marks.

"Hey Onix," Lucy started meeting the bluette's eyes, holding them without wavering, "You'd tell me if anything was wrong wouldn't you? You wouldn't try hold it all in and hurt yourself more, right?" Her blue orbs were boring into grey, pleading with her silently. She was giving her a way of explaining her odd behaviour and the girl in their room before everything went pear-shaped. The Hex Dispeller opened her mouth, about to say something before snapping it shut and smiling sadly.

"Lucy, you're amazing, you know that don't you?" She wrapped her blue hair up into a ponytail before grabbing the blonde's arm and leading her back to their shared room. The door slid open to reveal Trace being pinned down by Zeref with her wrists above her head. There was complete silence before Onix launched herself at her brother, tackling him to the ground. Lucy went to the recovering girl's side who was shaking.

"Are you alright? What did this idiot do?!"

"Do you need us to get you something?"

"Maybe a mallet to beat his head open with?"

"Onix, don't be so unreasonable, we don't have any with us! How about a shoe?"

Trace slid to the flower, breathing shallowly as laughter exploded from her mouth. The two Mistress' stopped, slowly turning to the girl and exchanging glances, "Um...what?"

"So what you're trying to say is that you both fell? Casually landing on top of each other with this idiot pinning you down?" Lucy repeated, dumbfounded. The two teenagers nodded quickly, catching each other's eye and smirking slightly. Onix frowned from behind them, noting how they were both kneeling on the floor in an apologetic manner. She scoffed before sitting on her brother, turning to face Trace.

"You still didn't say what you were doing that got you so beat up, ya know." She remarked coolly, inspecting her nails as she saw Lucy visibly tense from the corner of her eye. The blonde perked up at this, seeming interested. Maybe Onix was finally ready to show her what was wrong with her!

"It's boring really, you would find it boring." She shook her head, smiling nervously.

"Listen well Trace, I will throw you outside on your ass if you don't explain what happened." Onix warned. She noted how the girl winced, looking pointedly at the Celestial Mage. Lucy got up from the chair and plopped herself down crossed legged in front of the three others.

"I don't really know. I just...woke up like that." Trace admitted, hanging her head dully like a scolded kid. She drew her thumb into her mouth and absently grinded her teeth on it. Lucy's nose was scrunched up in disbelief. Again, something else which was just too convenient to be a simple coincidence. She subtly stared at the bluette who was impassive, her face wiped of anything she would've been able to work with. Lucy didn't fail to notice how Onix had evaded her question, she wasn't that easy to dodge. Her gaze slid to the girl hiding behind her veil of black hair, only noticing the steady stream of blood rolling from her thumb. Onix snatched her hand, a look of surprise as she took a look.

"You serious bit right through the skin! Either you've got one heck of a pain threshold or you just aren't human!" Her playful tone had died down, stopped, her eyebrows furrowing together as she seemed to consider something she never looked at seriously before now, "...you're one of them." It came out as a whisper but that was all Lucy needed.

"Who's them?"

"I'm really sorry Lucy, but I've got to leave." She was getting off of her brother, pulling him to his feet as she waited for her best friend's response.
"What!? You can't leave! The Akuma Night Show is two days from now!" She yelled, racing to grab the other guild mistress' arm to stop her from packing.

"I know. I'm sure it'll be amazing, I promise." Onix replied offhandedly, running a hand through her hair to keep it away from her face and out of her line of sight. She saw Zeref slide the door open and start walking down the hallway, "Look Luce, I really have to go. I'll see you soon, okay? I swear on my life." She smiled sadly, looking at the look of absolute hurt her first friend was giving her. It was like a knife, slicing through whatever calm she had had going.

"Don't swear on your life, Onix." Lucy spoke, her eyes hardening as she released the bluette from her grip, "Swear on mine."

"Wha-?"

"Swear. On. Mine." Lucy finalised, her hands on her hips as Onix stood in the doorway. She looked back at the blonde, noticing how she was trembling. She obviously thought she wouldn't see her any time soon.

"I swear on my life as well as yours Lucy, I'll be back before you even realise I was gone." Lucy watched as the door slid closed once more and listened to the pounding of feet. Trace blinked repeatedly at the scene before her, it was almost like the two had broken up! She stood from her position and wrapped an arm around the miserable blonde.

"Hey, she said she'll be back soon. Why the long face?" It really just seemed like the bluette was stepping out to grab groceries and would be sleeping in her bed by tomorrow. Lucy just shook her head, knowingly. Something had been off for awhile and the way Onix had looked so frantic, like something was coming to get her wasn't normal. If her hunch was correct, she wouldn't be seeing the Hex Dispeller any time soon. A warmth began spreading from her belt, looking down she noticed it was coming from her keys. She pushed a hand into the bundle, pulling free the one currently humming with heat.

It was the one Onix had hexed back when they were merely staring to travel together. The metalwork was close to a garnet shade, a single grey gem on the handle. She noted thought out the months that it often changed it's appearance to suit how Onix was feeling. It was shaking, beginning to reach unbearable temperatures. Lucy hissed, dropping it onto the ground as smoke rose from her fingertips.

She watched in dread as the gemstone darkened completely, tuning black.

"Oh Onix, you little liar."

I'm actually curious, does anyone know who's speaking when it's "like this"? Anyways, it's been a real long time again hasn't it? Hehe...oops...And if you're wondering what the heck is happening to the story I'll try summarize it quickly. :)

I've meshed the two books back into one so A Demons Kiss is basically the second arc of A Demons Tears.

Anyways, hopefully that made sense!

R&R.

-Kai.