When I heard Leo's voice, I slowly removed the blindfold. His defined features and his smug smirk glistened in the firelight. Though he wore his typical smile, there was a certain look in his eyes that confused me completely. Despite the fact that he held me, smiled at me, and even gave me a small chuckle, his eyes looked remorseful. The look of sorrow made my heart give a saddened pang. I cocked my head to the side in questioning, but he just gave me a wider smile.

"Not right now. Later," he whispered. I gave a nod before he continued. "Now that you have the power of a celestial spirit, you could get up. Only if you wanted to, though, I have no preference." My cheeks chilled once again as I quickly removed myself from Leo. He stood with me, pushing up his glasses. I looked over at Vanya as she did the same, Cana stumbling upward less than gracefully. The gems on Vanya's ankle now glowed a dark red. I looked down at my own to see a white brightness being omitted.

"We could not have had better timing, Miss Juniper," Vanya grinned, taking Cana's hand and bowing with her. I was about to just walk away when Leo grabbed my hand and pulled me down to bow with him. The crowd roared with applause and shouts for the four of us. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Yolric was going to kill me.

When I was finally able to stand straight again, I scanned the crowd for my team while Vanya instructed everyone to drink and stay as long as they pleased. There were so many people that it made me dizzy trying to locate one of three faces. I felt Leo gently grasp my wrist. I looked up to see the sad look still resting in his eyes.

"Why can't you tell me?" I questioned him.

"You need to catch up with your teammates. They're on the stream's border. Meet me at Lucy's place when everything dies down a little. Just tell Yolric you have to clean up or something before you make it back," Leo explained. After a little hesitation, I gave a nod. I hated being so secretive, but something important was going to be said. He kept my eyes for one last moment before he vanished back into the Celestial Spirit World.

"Hey, Hot Stuff! Looking for us?" Darren shouted from behind. I quickly spun around and saw him waving at me, Yolric and Xavier at his sides. They all looked cheery, even Yolric. I ran over to where they stood at the banks of the river. Yolric opened his arms for me and picked me up when I ran into them. His smile beamed up at me as he held me by my waist. It was intoxicating, one that made me instantly at ease.

"You guys seem awfully happy despite the crude showcase that just happened," I mused. Yolric lifted me onto his shoulders and held my ankles.

"Seeing girls dance on each other always makes me happy," Darren shouted out above the partying masses. I couldn't help but laugh at his bluntness. "Sorry I didn't respond to you, by the way. I was way too excited to be using magic."

"He did hear you, though. He even told us you were wanting some hints as to who you picked. We tried to get him to respond, but he sort of went brain dead at that point," Xavier explained.

"Not like that's any different than usual," Yolric said, just loud enough for me to hear. I giggled at the comment and Darren's being blissfully unaware. "Seriously, though, I could tell you were just doing what Vanya had told you to do. You should have seen your face when you found out it was Leo."

"I was mortified," I confessed.

"We could tell!" Darren chimed in. I gave another laugh and patted Yolric's head for him to let me down. As soon as my feet were on the ground, I clicked my tongue to the roof of my mouth. Almost instantly, Eldrid swooped down from her perch and rested on my shoulder. Like always, I began to scratch underneath her beak. I felt Yolric's arm wrap around my waist and pull me close.

"We're like a little family!" Eldrid chirped out. I looked up at Yolric and couldn't help but smile when I saw his beaming face. No alcohol was on his breath; his eyes were not glassy… He was just purely happy. And here I thought he was going to be furious at Leo when I finished.

Then it hit me. He was happy that I was able to choose someone that he felt was strong. Was that the reason he never liked Leo? Did Yolric feel as though Leo could protect me better than he could? It felt like a crazy thought, but a crazy thought that I felt was completely accurate. I bit my tongue against saying anything to Yolric about it, I couldn't bring myself to upset him.

Holding back my words carried on for the rest of the night. The whole guild talked, danced, and laughed around the fire. Those who would usually pick fights were cordial with each other. Natsu and Grey joked around happily, jokingly picking on each other. Gajeel and Levy sat close, Gajeel composing out of tune music and Levy blushing. Whether it was from embarrassment or something else was to be determined. Vanya and Elfman were even speaking; I was able to catch Vanya's occasional smile at Elfman's boasts of being so extremely "manly". It was a peace like that I had never seen, one that made my heart swell with pride. This must be the joys of being a part of a guild, I thought to myself.

The crowd started to dwindle as the night carried on. It was around midnight when my own team decided to pack up and leave. I told them what Leo had advised me to say, which worked flawlessly. Yolric gave me a kiss on the forehead before departing with the other guys. Xavier waved as we parted ways and Darren shouted over his shoulder was he carried a drunken Cana back to her room. To make myself feel better for telling a story, I began to pick up empty mugs that were scattered along the ground as Vanya and Elfman continued to talk. After some time, I said my goodbyes to the two remaining people and made my way to Lucy's apartment. I had no idea what Leo wanted to say to me, especially in secret. What could have made him so gloomy?

When I finally found Lucy's place, the door opened before I could knock. Leo's head poked out from the darkness as he held a finger to his lips.

"Come in quietly. We should be fine to talk in whispers, though; she's a heavy sleeper," he spoke in a hushed tone. I nodded and walked into the small room. Directly in front of the window looking out was where Lucy lay, gentle noises of sleep escaping her lips. I followed Leo to the farthest corner of the room where we sat side by side, our backs against the wall.

"You've never been this secretive, Leo. You're worrying me," I confessed.

"You have always worried me, June," he countered, giving a small smile. I looked at his face, appearing as if it knew everything I didn't, in confusion. "Do you remember what was happening when we met? Anything at all?" I thought back to when I met him. The memories were blurry, but I remembered being in somewhat skimpy clothing. I remembered being with Oberon and always having to do what he said. I remembered Leo saying that he was going to save me. When I told Leo this, he gave a small flinch.

"That's not even half of the story, Dear," he muttered.

The stars see everything. They see the triumphs of the weak and the failures of the strong. No matter the situation, we try our best not to intervene. However, with some special cases, it is wrong for us not to do something, anything, to help those in need. In June's world, it is more acceptable to help outside of a contract than it is in Earth Land. Juniper Lex, only thirteen when I first met her in person, needed help. More specifically, she needed help from me.

A year before, she had left home, no longer wanting to endanger the small family that she held dear. She had left in the spring, a time when traveling is not difficult and is even rather pleasant. She hunted and harvested, slept and thrived. When the stars looked upon her, we were pleased. A child that had enough instinct to survive on her own with her abilities. So from spring, summer, and through fall, she slowly began to master her power with no assistance. Of course, there was the occasional time that she messed up, but to us, it just gave us an innocent laugh. Half the time, she would laugh, too, as if she knew we were there chuckling with her.

We loved this sweet girl of the land. We watched her through the seasons.

Then, winter came.

At first, she was fine. The cold did not bother her much. She stored and saved food when she could, took shelter when things became too bad. But as the winter wore on, food ran out. Her clothes became worn and tattered. She remembered the warmth and love of home and of physical company. For days on end she would weep, but there was nothing at the time that we could do to help. We had to give her a chance, let her push through this hardship. She was almost to the light at the end of the tunnel when Oberon appeared.

As she slept, curled beneath a tree in the snow, he came upon her. He looked so innocent, his heart full of pure intention. When he saw her, he knelt down in front of her and gently shook her shoulder. I remember watching her eyes flutter open, grow surprised and then full of joy. Despite this, I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. The Celestial Spirit King poked fun at me, saying I was jealous of this boy. That was when I started keeping my mouth shut, only watching and keeping my thoughts to myself.

Oberon was only a couple of years older than June. He came from a wealthy family; his father was a scientist, his mother a doctor. While the married couple seemed to have relatable jobs, the mother only wanted to heal people. The father, on the other hand, prided himself on dissecting new species. All his father wanted to do was find a species with a unique power or ability and find out how it ticked. This influenced Oberon so much that he began to have the same dream as his father.

June heard of these dreams first thing upon meeting Oberon's family. She told herself that she would never show them her abilities and that she would leave as soon as the cold winter was over.

Only instead, she fell for Oberon.

At first, Oberon fell for her, too. They were such an innocent duo. He would do small favors for her, bringing her roses or holding her hand. June loved this, she had been without compassion for so long that she did not ever want to leave his side. But as she stayed with Oberon, her pent-up power began to grow. Eventually, she decided that she had to practice somehow. So, when the moon rose to its highest point in the sky, she would sneak out of the house and go into the woods. There she would train her body, mind, and abilities. She was content at that time, being in love and able to practice what she held dear in the calmness of the forests.

One night, though, Oberon woke as she was leaving. Following far behind her, he discovered her true power. The innocent and pure look in his eyes changed to a look of evil and lust. It was at this point that the stars began to squirm. Despite this, our king told us to hold on. She still had a chance to flee, he still had an opportunity to contain himself.

Instead of fleeing, June fell deeper for Oberon.

Instead of containing himself, Oberon released his urges.

When his parents were away, Oberon would try his hardest to seduce June. He would make it to where she could not get away from him. He would start by kissing her lips, distracting her as he tried to undress her. Every time she would feel his hands on her skin and try to shy away, only to be hit across the face. It was through this abuse that Oberon hoped that she would defend herself with her powers, but she never did. She never wanted to hurt the boy who saved her from the woods, in turn hurting the family that treated her like their own. That love is what kept her there despite the hitting, despite the undressing, despite the hatred.

Still, the stars held off. The king seemed to think there was still a chance for June to defend herself. I remained quiet, waiting for a time that he could not refuse to send help.

That was when Oberon made a misstep.

One bleak night, when Oberon's family was out on business, he presented June with an outfit. A sky blue bra and electric yellow underwear, nothing else. At first she refused to put it on. She said things were getting out of hand and that she wanted to leave. That was when Oberon grabbed June's wrists so tightly that she instantly began to bruise. With an eerie calm, he told her that she was not allowed to go anywhere. That he was going to show the world what she could do. Well, show the highest bidder what she could do. To her horror, he began to explain how things would play out. That she was to do this for him until he decided to take his turn with her. After that, he would do as his father had always wanted and see how she ticked on the inside.

She was too stunned to cry. Too stunned to scream. Instead, she only nodded and put on the garments. As she looked at herself in the mirror, now thirteen, she saw all of the marks of hate that danced on her skin. She knew she was stuck. She had no other options or she would die.

It was at this point that I pleaded with the Celestial Spirit King to let me go save her. Even if it was to just get her away from this evil boy, I had to help her. As we conversed, Oberon took June to the darkest part of the closest town where men came to bid on exquisite women to spend the night with. They paid thousands for the right girl, but they would pay millions for June when they figured out what she did. At the last moment, the king told me to not only go to her and save her, but to stay with her until I found someone suitable to protect her. I quickly agreed as he sent me to where she was being auctioned.

I hurried in as the next to last woman was sold on her own free will. It was then that Oberon came out, his arm latched to June's. She looked confused but unable to truly think for herself. For a quick moment, she locked eyes with me. They begged for help, for mercy. I gave her a small nod before her eyes shifted around the rest of the room.

"Gentlemen, while this lass might be young, she has powers that very few will ever see in their lives. Juniper Lex can wield powers few have ever seen. I discovered her abilities one dark night in the woods as she danced, thinking I could not see her. For a price, you, too, may witness what she has in store. Give them a show, my ruby," Oberon gestured with movements and a voice that were years ahead of his time. He then jumped from the stage, leaving June alone and unknowing. I could see in her eyes that only one thing had registered with her, and that was that she had to give her audience a show.

Mindlessly, June began to sway her hips in a manner she clearly did not know was seductive. She swayed closer and closer to the ground, then working her way back up. When she looked out at her audience and saw they did not have the reaction Oberon wanted, she put the palms of her hands out face up. I felt my heart drop as sparks began to appear out of thin air.

"Three million for her," I shouted out calmly, hiding my true emotions. Every person in the room turned to look at me, including June, as I sat cool and collected. June clenched her hands to her chest, frightened at the sudden high bid. There were no more objections or bids to my offer, and I heard as Oberon pronounced June as sold. I watched as the color drained from her face, as her hands began to shake. I walked over to the stage where June stood, paralyzed. I held my hand out for her so she could step down, which she did ever so slowly. The fear of what was yet to come radiated off of her. I held her young hand as I went up to Oberon.

"Hand it over and she's yours for the night," he grinned, holding out his hand. I opened my coat and reached inside where a check conveniently appeared, already made out to him. As soon as I took it out, Oberon greedily snatched it up. He snatched June by the arm and pulled her close to his ear. "Be good for the man, will you? And come back to me when he is finished," he muttered, just loud enough for me to hear. She briskly nodded as I led her out of the darkness of the room. As soon as we were outside in the bleak alleyway, I took off my suit jacket and wrapped it around her small frame. She looked up at me, hazel eyes wide.

"P-please don't hurt me..," she whimpered, beginning to shake harder. I took my hand from hers and wrapped it gently around her bruised shoulders. I began to speak to her as we walked.

"I won't hurt you, June. It was never my intention," I told her in a soft tone. She continued to look up at me, shocked and confused.

"What are you going to do, then?"

"Well, right now we are going to get out of town. When we're far enough away, we'll grab a bite to eat before we travel like you used to. Does that sound okay to you?"

Her eyes began to gleam with hope.

"You're going to save me?"

"I am."

"What's your name?"

I hesitated for a moment before responding.

"Leo," I confessed. Instantly, she halted. I turned to look at her before she jumped and latched her arms around my neck. After a moment, I returned the embrace. I felt her frame quake, my shoulder grew wet.

"You're the one that I had dreams about," she whispered, crying. "I knew you would come for me. You're from the stars, they never left me alone."

I pulled back and looked at her, now confused myself. I could practically hear the other spirits exclaim in shock. "Y-you knew?" I sputtered out. For the first time in ages, I saw her smile as tears continued to roll down her face.

"Of course I did! Especially you… I knew you would come for me, Leo."

I sat numbly as Leo finished the story of my past. I had no idea how I could not remember those events before, but now they rushed back to the forefront of my brain. I rested my elbows on my knees and held my head in my hands. My head throbbed, my heart ached. I felt Leo's arm wrapped around me as it had so many years ago. I let him pull me into his side as I continued to sit in confusion.

"It's amazing how so many things change, yet so many stay the same," he murmured. "You are so strong, June. You want to fight instead of run. And yet, you still have that same look of innocence and confusion that you did so long ago."

"Only around you," I mustered. He let out a laugh before responding.

"You would be surprised, June."

Silence.

"So that's why you were acting that way tonight?" I asked, looking up at him. He gave me a small nod.

"I never wanted to see you do something like that. Something that I tried so desperately to keep you from."

There was a long pause between us. He saw me as his little sister, and he had always been like a brother to me. It was odd, though, it felt as though we were closer than siblings, at least in my eyes. We had always known what the other was thinking, but maybe that was because he was a spirit. Maybe I just thought too much about things.

"So, you're wanting to figure out people's pasts, huh?" he spoke.

"H-how'd you know?" I stuttered. Leo let out a small chuckle.

"You would have never done something that seductive to a mystery person if you were not trying to get closer to Vanya. I don't mean that in a bad way, you're just trying to get to know her, as well as the rest of your team, better. That's understandable," Leo explained. I nodded in agreement. He had a fair point. "Well, I figured you might need to know some of your own past first. You will figure a lot of it out on your own, I'm sure. You will start to ask questions and the answers will reveal themselves to you. That's how you have always been."

"If you say so," I whispered after a pause. He let go of my shoulder and stood, reaching out a hand in order to help me up.

"You should probably get some shuteye before your big journey tomorrow. Go cuddle up with Yolric before he gets too pissed at me," Leo mused as I took his hand. I rolled my eyes at his smug smile that had returned to his face. I looked up at the clock before I left.

One thirty in the morning.

I gave a brisk wave before running off to my own room.