A.N: This is going to be a sad chapter! You have been warned

Chapter 7: Exulted

The following day, Esther was on a train ride to Era with the guild master, Makarov. Surprisingly Juvia accompanied them, to past some certifications and serve testimonies for her and Gajeel's time in Phantom Lord.

"Juvia can not thank you enough for not hurting Gajeel-kun... severly." Juvia praised Esther, crying and blubbering. Esther was tense locked and extremely uncomfortable. "It is fine, Juvia-San. There is nothing to cry over. There there." She replied akwardly, patting the blue haired woman in weird-like strokes. Makarov smiled at the scene. The Esther who came into the guild would have jumped out of the window and pray that Neeya would magically appear to catch her.

Bit by bit, she was opening up.

"Miss Esther."

Esther stepped up onto the magic circle the wizard council stayed on top off all day. Keeping her head bowed, she bid a good morning and stood up straight. Red eyes landing on anything but him.

"Your report on..." Councilman Yajima looked at a list and then chuckled. "Let's start off with the most recent. Natsu Dragneel." Esther nodded and began her report about his destructive ways towards property but his honorable determination to help people. She went to tell his fighting techniques of dragon slaying ( being careful to only say his normal attacks like the Fire Dragon Roar) and her opinional stats of his overall style. Normal things that every examiner needed to say.

"So, Miss Esther. It would be wise to say that Natsu would not be rebelling against the light guilds?"

Esther's heart was in her throat when he spoke up. Forcefully moving her attention to his disgusting face she nodded.

"Indeed, Natsu Dragneel has no intentions to harm the Magic Council."

She could never forget that face. Sharp hazel brown eyes, red tattoo under his left eye, blue spiky hair framing chiseled features. To any other woman, he was beautiful, and at a time, she thought the same. But he was a monster and no one seemed to get that.

"You misunderstood, Esther!" Master Seagrain chuckled. To the other members he looked like a kind and fair man but in her soul she saw through that fake demeanor of calm. His eyes said it all, he was a cruel being who shouldn't even be alive. "What I meant is that the protection of all wizards under light is our top priority. We would all gladly give our lives for the greater cause." Seagrain finished and the group murmured their agreements.

"But of coarse. Excuse me if I sounded rude."

"Not at all, Esther, darling."

"All I am is a man. I want the

world in my hands. I hate the beach, but I stand in Magnolia with my toes in the sand..."

As Esther sang to herself, she wrote in her notebook. Her only output for feelings. Well not the only. There were two other ways but they weren't safe.

Cutting herself and burning things were not looked upon these days, appearently. There was a hint of a smile forming on her lips, a ghost if you would, but it would not get any larger. It didn't need to, though. She was content in the abandoned hallway of the council building. Makarov was in a meeting and Juvia was assigned to do some paperwork, so that left the quiet demon dragon alone.

Well... not exactly.

"You were always a beautiful singer, little Rose."

Esther froze and she didn't dare to look up. Her red-dyed-black hair making a silk curtain to block her way of Seagrain's voice. Hell, that wasn't even his name!

"Please! Please just go away, Jellal!"

The pen in her grip began to shake and tears gathered in her eyes. When would this nightmare be over? She wanted to be back in her place in the woods, Natsu pestering her and forcefully hugging her. She wanted to hear Neeya's familiar snore and she wanted to be in peace. Moments like that were dreams. Quickly dissipating and never staying to long. But this nightmare, of his face, the thing that kept her up at night. Shook her to the core. That was a nightmare that was seeming to remain forever.

His fingers curled under her chin and lifted her gaze to his. A cruel smirk plastered on his pale skin.

"Don't cry, Esther. I've never done anything to hurt you. I love you to much to—"

"Stop lying!" She choked out. "Stop lying directly. To. My. Face!" Esther's body racked in sobs. No one in Fairy Tail ever saw her look so helpless. Even when she fought Gajeel, she fought with every nail and tooth. Scratching and clawing untill she couldn't any more and even then, she kept going untill her body stopped.

"Your a monster! How can you live with yourself?! The Tower... Simon and the others... lying about Nee-San leaving..." Esther pushed at Jellal futiley, only to have him catch her wrists. "You...! You RAPED me!"

Jellal chuckled. "It's not rape if you wanted it." He responded, pressing her against the wall, pinning her arms on either side of her. She kicked and cried, not wanting to alert Makarov. Snarling, she aimed for his groin but he easily slipped a leg between hers. She was stuck. Still writhing, Seagrain kissed up her neck.

"Technically, we never got to finish because Simon interrupted us. I'm sure we can now, no one knows about your little lonesome spot and these walls are sound proof."

Esther shivered at the thought in mortification. To say she was glad her old friend Simon had 'interrupted' was an understatement. Her mind began to flashback to the horrible event.

The zipper undoing... Her choking... The white substance that she was forced to swallow...

Simon walking in and snapping, attacking Jellal with everything he had... Her crying that night and holding an unconcious Simon tight. She was thrashing wildly, her dragon strength failing her. Deciding that she had to use magic, she choked again as he roughly massaged her left breast through her leotard.

"Demon Dragon...!"

"Don't even try. There's a reason no one uses these rooms. It's because magic is dispelled here. It's all a matter of strength."

There was no way out.

As Jellal began to ravish her, Esther kept seeing Natsu's face. She even yelled out his name. Jellal laughed coldly, his eyes twinkling with delight. "I thought you gave him more praise than the other reports. Did you fall in love with him? But you said you loved me. Your a whore, aernt you?" Before any article of clothing was removed, Jellal was whacked into the nearest wall. Esther looked up to see her savior.

Juvia.

"Come on!"

Looking back at the groaning man, Esther picked up her notebook and grabbed the water woman's hand, the two running for dear life.

The sooner they were out of Era, the better.

That night, Juvia walked with Esther to her home.

"I am fine now, Juvia. Please, go home and retire. It has been a long day for the both of us I presume." Esther was dangerously close to numbing herself, a technique that Makarov forbid her to do. It was a move that could literally make her feel no emotions whatsoever.

"No. Juvia knows how it feels to be used like that. She remembers how scared she had been all night long, thinking that he could pop in at any moment and try again. Juvia wanted someone to stay with her."

Esther looked at Juvia in shock. Was Juvia raped... all the way? She wanted to ask but didn't want to pry. But Juvia answered her silent question.

"Like Juvia said... she was just like you. Orally raped."

Esther cried then, and Juvia wrapped her arms around her. Hearing it out loud by another person, was to much.

So she let Juvia spend the night and even sleep in her bed just to know that someone was there.

For the first time, she didn't want to be alone.