A/N I'm so sorry I've been out for so long! It was the beginning of a new school year and I was adjusting. Then, when I was ready to continue writing, my computer crashed!

Voice in my head: That's no excuse!
Me: You're right! I'm so sorry! What I've done is unforgivable!
VIMH: As long as you understand, I will forgive you.
Me: Really?
VIMH: NO GET ON WITH THE STORY ALREADY!
Me: I'm sorry!

All was silent.

Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel glanced at each other, and then back at Kotone. All unsure of what to say, but all glad that they were in control of their own bodies again.

The feeling of being disconnected from one's own body is frightening. The lack of control makes one feel so helpless and alone.

Quietly, almost out of thin air, a voice whispered, "I wonder…"

Natsu's ear twitched, "What was that?"

Kotone turned and looked Natsu in the eye. Her face was a mixture between sadness, pain, and wonder. Natsu was taken aback by this expression and Wendy silently gasped.

"I said," Kotone began, "I wonder…what color my hair is. Or, what the color of my eyes was. Could you possibly tell me? I want to know."

Gajeel scoffed at Kotone's obvious lack of knowledge. He couldn't help but marvel at her ignorance, or stupidity. He couldn't decide which one was more appropriate for the situation.

Wendy and Natsu were both frozen by the suddenness of the question, but Gajeel's scoff brought them back to life. Wendy cleared her throat and took a good look at Kotone, while Natsu replied with, "Your hair is grey and your eyes are orange."

"Natsu!" Wendy squealed. "What kind of description is that?"

Kotone gave a small smile in reply and picked up her coat. The right arm was torn off and the end of the right side of the coat was shredded. None the less, she put it on and pulled the hood over her head, hiding her face.

"I must be going now," Kotone whispered.

Natsu, not accepting her going with no explanation at all, grabbed her shoulder. He felt her stiffen under his grasp, so he let go. When she made no attempt to leave, he said, "Who are you?"

"Kotone is Kotone and no other," was her quiet reply.

Gajeel, getting impatient, stomped over and ripped the coat off Kotone.

Wendy yelled, "Gajeel! What are you doing?"

Gajeel, completely ignoring Wendy, grabbed Kotone by the throat and lifted her into the air.

Natsu and Wendy gasped as Gajeel's grip tightened. "What kind of explanation is that?" Gajeel hissed. "Don't you know anything besides your name?"

Natsu and Wendy grabbed Gajeel's arm, pulling it down when Kotone didn't struggle at all.

"You're killing her!" Wendy yelled.

Gajeel didn't budge at all. The only thing that moved was his face, which changed from one of irritation to one of fear.

Kotone, unmoving, hung there, looking down at Gajeel. Her eyes were empty as she calmly said, "It's fine, let him be."

"But…" Wendy said still clinging to Gajeel, but was pulled off by Natsu.

Wendy started to protest, but then saw Kotone's face and knew that this was her battle.

Gajeel was shocked by the lack of…the lack of everything. No expression what so ever with eyes that reflected absolutely nothing. He couldn't move. Fear's dagger was firmly impaled into his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. The eyes were slowly chilling him from the inside out, but he thought they were oddly familiar. There was just something about them that tickled his memory.

"…My name is Kotone. What do you think I am?" she demanded.

Gajeel's response was a little delayed by his sudden forgetfulness of how to use his mouth. "A d-dragon slayer," he stuttered.

The next thing Gajeel knew was that he couldn't feel his hand anymore, due to Kotone's death grip on his wrist.

Kotone smiled, it was a smile that made Gajeel start to tremble, "You're wrong."

Two simple words that sent all of them reeling and made them question everything that they knew.

"What?" Wendy asked.

"Then how can you use dragon slayer magic?" Natsu exclaimed.

The ground started to shake and Gajeel let go of Kotone, but Kotone hovered where she was.

Natsu's eyes widened as he realized what was going on. "She's releasing an immense amount of magic! This much is insane, inhuman even!"

"Take cover!" Wendy yelled, hiding behind one of the remaining pillars.

Soon Natsu and Gajeel joined her, but when the earth's trembling started to subside, a part of the pillar started to crumble.

"Oh no," Wendy murmured.

The top half of the pillar started to topple and they huddled together, knowing that there wasn't enough time to escape. They closed their eyes, but nothing happened.

Natsu looked up and couldn't believe what he saw.

A/N It's a cliffy! I'm sorry this isn't that long; I'll try to get another chapter up today.

Wendy: It's okay, you're working really hard in school.

Me: Thank you so much for understanding! *thwack* Ow ow ow ow!

Gajeel: That's what you get for making me look pathetic.

Me: I'm sorry!

Kotone: Why do you insist on making me look like I'm a pathetic girl drowned in despair who has given up on the world?

Me: Only for now! Your true colors will shine through later, I promise!

Natsu: Stop picking on her!

Me: *eyes shining and multi colored bubbles float around my head* Natsu!

Natsu: Fighting her will be much more fun!

Me: (0.0) AAAAAnyways! Until next time!

Gajeel: This isn't an anime dang it!

Me: Isn't it sort of?