Dawn hit quickly as they returned to the council. Xenia would be excited to see that she has a cousin. Now she wouldn't be alone. Ivan sighed. He wished things were different, but that was life. They had just gotten Vik back; they were lucky to get that. He shouldn't be complaining.
Remy looked happy though. It was the happiest he had seen his lover in a long time. It was almost as if he could actually see the man he fell in love with again. He had gotten so used to watching Remy walk around like a corpse that it was refreshing to see him smiling and laughing.
Lily was the best surprise. She was a giggling mess. The fact that Vik had a child had surprised him but knowing what had happened, he wasn't surprised. He just wondered how Kitt and Edvin were going to react to this. The two of them would be happy to see Vik. Strangely enough, Vik hadn't even brought them up. He would have thought he would be all over that. But he did have a child to think about. A child that had just lost her mother. Vik was probably being mindful of his daughter's feelings.
They appeared right outside of the council building, but he was surprised to find the entire lawn covered with soldiers. What was going on?
"What's the meaning of this?!" Remy said, pissed off at the display.
"I'm sorry, sir, but there has been a breach in security." One of the guards said.
"A breach?" He asked. Who would have tried to get into the council?
"Ivan, Remy." He turned to find Warner and Carma, their son Gunner followed them.
He watched as they stopped in their tracks as their eyes fell on Vik. His youngest son gave them a smile. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"How?" Carma asked.
He didn't want to answer for Vik but his son had already told them the tale. They needed to figure out what had happened. "Later, what's going on here?"
Carma turned red and was about to say something, but she was interrupted by her son. "It's my fault. If we hadn't have gotten into a fight, she wouldn't have gone with him."
"I don't like the sound of that." Remy said. He was about to wonder why when he remembered who lived here.
"Please tell me that Xenia is upstairs." He started.
"He convinced her to leave with him." Gunner continued.
"Who is he?" Remy said his anger rising.
"He said he wanted to meet her" He looked down at Lily.
Vik dropped down to look at his daughter. "Is that the reason he left?" Lily nodded. "Why didn't you say this sooner?"
"Because he told me he would kill me if I did. His magic is scary. He is a half demon, Dad. His eyes are always glowing. It makes him creepy." The girl was on the verge of tears.
Vik pulled his daughter against him. "Prince Ziph is a monster. We have to find her, before he takes her to Cetus."
"He kept trying to drag her through the city earlier today. Then I lost them." Gunner said. "Then they just appeared under that tree in the square. He disappeared after that."
"Then he reappeared in Xenia's room." Carma said. "Right before he left with her."
Part of him knew this day would come. His granddaughter wasn't happy. She was bound to run off sooner or later, but the fact that she ran off with such a boy was so unlike her. "Did she go willingly or did he kidnap her?" It was best if they knew the whole story.
"From what I saw, it looked like she went willingly." Gunner said. The boy looked very annoyed. From the look of it, he must have had a crush on her. Too bad Xenia didn't notice it.
"So we'll need to send more guards to the borders. We have to make sure that no one gets through." Remy sounded scared. He could only imagine what his lover was thinking. Again, he didn't know what they could be doing. Xenia wasn't safe. That bastard could be doing anything to her. The girl had no concept of the outside world…which was their fault. If only they had trusted her more. This wouldn't have happened. Of course they would lose Xenia after getting Vik back. It was just how life worked…wasn't it.
Laxus sighed. He was tired. He hated being up this early. Maky had just gone out on his first job with his friends and he was waiting for them to get back.
Mira smiled behind him. "You know that they'll be fine."
He turned around and gave her a smile. "I know, but I can't help but worry. After my dad ran off with Remy and Xenia, it's just become crazy again." He sighed. "I thought that we had finally become a real family."
She walked up and grabbed his arm. "We are a real family. Ivan just…I don't like that Remy and him ran off with Xenia, but wherever they went, they must have had a reason."
He smiled at her. "I know, but I can't help but wonder what they are doing."
She nodded as the door to their house burst open. He expected to find his son, but to his shock, Lisanna was standing there. She was in tears as she looked around. "He's…."
"Lisanna, what are you doing here at this hour?" Mira asked.
But Lisanna was only looking at him. "Bickslow…" With that she fell to the ground and went limp.
Mira rushed forward to help her sister, while he remained frozen. His brother was dead. He told himself that every day. There was no way that he could still be alive. Not after all of his time.
But now as he looked down at Lisanna, he noticed something strange. She had looked alive. For the last 15 years, she had looked like a corpse to the world. Did this mean that Bickslow was alive? Did it mean that he was trying to break free of Cetus? He would have to call the others. Even if he couldn't find Ivan and Remy, he could still contact Warner and Carma. They would find this interesting.
Xenia walked behind Ziph. She didn't know where they going. He hadn't said anything since they had kissed.
She blushed as she remembered it, the shook her head. She shouldn't have done that. For all she knew, they could be related. She didn't want to think about it, she had already kissed some random person. She still couldn't believe that she had kissed him. That was her first kiss. It was supposed to be special and she had gone and given it to this boy.
She felt a little tired, but Ziph seemed perfectly fine. It was like he didn't need to sleep or something. "Umm…"
He looked back at her, still looking satisfied with himself. "What?"
"I was wondering if we could stop. We've been up all night." She said.
He frowned. "We have to get to our destination."
She felt puzzled. "What destination? We've been walking for hours."
He gave her a sly smile. "We're going towards the answer to our questions."
She looked at him in confusion. "How do you know that?"
He turned her around and pinned her against a tree. "Trust me." She felt weak in the knees again. How was he doing that? Just one look from him was enough to seduce her.
"But…" She stuttered.
He ran his finger across her lips. "Shhh…." She felt like she was going to buckle against him, when she heard talking through the brush.
She felt him jump as 3 guys came out of the forest. He stared at them. They all looked angry. "Just what do you think you're doing?!" The one that looked like he was the leader said.
"Maky, you can't just attack someone for no reason." A boy with long purple hair said.
"He had a reason. This girl was in trouble." A boy with dirty blond hair said.
It hit her quickly. These three were… "Makarov? Libert? Goyle?"
All three of them looked at her in shock. "Xenia!" She was tackled in seconds and was almost forced to the ground.
"Get off of me!" She shouted but they weren't paying attention. They were all really happy to see her. "Guys, I can't breathe."
They slowly got off of her and she looked around Ziph was standing there glaring at them. It looked like he didn't want to be interrupted.
"We thought you disappeared!" Goyle said.
Maky rolled his eyes. "People just don't disappear, idiot."
"Unless they die." Libert said, slipping his glasses back.
This time she rolled her eyes. "You three haven't changed have you?"
Maky laughed. "You could say that again." Her cousin had grown taller. "So where is grandpa?"
She froze. Papaw Ivan used to spend a lot of time with Maky. Of course he would ask about that. "He's around."
Maky didn't look to happy about that. "So he ran off with you and Grandpa Remy then? Figures."
She glared at him. He was always a spoiled brat. "Grandpa had to go help the council. Papaw loves him. Of course he would follow him."
Maky continued to frown. "I still don't know why they had to run off. The guild would have taken care of everything. Grandpa Remy is just a crazy fool."
She smacked him hard. "Take that back!"
Both Libert and Goyle made to stop her, but then froze in place. She turned back to Ziph. "Enough with the interruptions." His eyes were green; he was holding onto their souls. "Come Xenia." He reached his hand out to her again. "It's the only way that you can discover the truth."
Maky glared at him. "Who the fuck is this guy?" Her cousin could still move and he made to walk forward. She put her arm out in front of him.
"Ziph, let them go." She said angrily.
Ziph only smirked. "You know that price of that Xenia."
She nodded. "Yes. I know."
He let the other two go, but they fell to the ground limp. Maky ran over to check his friends. "You monster!" Maky's body filled with electricity.
But then he was tossed around like a rag doll. All the while, Ziph was laughing. "Oh please. This is just child's play for me."
"Ziph! Stop!" She screamed.
He turned around to look at her. His eyes almost murderous. "Why? Don't you see how much fun it is?"
She shook her head as she ran forward and took his arm. Her eyes flashed yellow and they disappeared from the forest they were in. Now they were in an open meadow.
He looked down at her and smirked. "I see."
She was in tears. "Why did you do that?! I already told you that I would go with you!" She screamed.
He just smiled at her. "Because they don't know their place, Xenia."
"What?" She didn't understand him at all.
He leaned against her and looked into her eyes. "They aren't like us, Xenia. They need to learn their place in this world."
"I don't understand." She said, tears were still falling from her eyes.
He reached up and wiped them off. "You were born better than that. You were born in Miresa."
She froze. "How do you know about that?" She asked, leaning away from him.
"Because I too was born in Miresa." He stated.
She shook her head. "No…" This could only mean one thing. He had to be her brother. She felt sick to her stomach. She had kissed her brother.
He laughed. "Don't be getting sick on me. It won't look good on my bride."
She froze again. "Your what?"
He looked at her darkly. "Father promised me a different bride, but she wasn't what I wanted. I discovered that the whelp whose body he was using, had a little girl. I was interested in you from that point on."
She tried to back away, but he wasn't letting her. "But you're my brother."
He shook his head. "No. I am the son of Flare Corona and King Cetus of Miresa. You are the daughter of Bickslow and Lisanna Resus."
"But Cetus is using my father's body…" She said disgustedly.
"Then how am I a demon? If my father were truly human, wouldn't I be too? Such things are over ridable." He stated.
"But I still don't understand. Why me?" She said fearfully.
He looked deeply into her eyes. "Because I need you."
She felt that strange feeling again, but it was now accompanied by nausea. "Why?"
"Why ask so many questions? You'll get your answers in time." He said, running his hands through her long white hair.
She felt dirty. "Don't touch me!" She screamed.
He made to laugh, but groaned when she stomped on his foot. She was barely able to get away from him. He was about to flash his eyes at her, but she used hers first, landing her back at the council and in front of her grandfather.
"Xenia?!" She found herself surrounded by a group of people that she knew. She couldn't help but shake. She was terrified. "Are you okay?" Her grandfather asked, while everyone started to talk around her.
A strange girl with black hair walked up to her. "You've seen him."
She could only nod. Her fear was forcing her mouth shut.
"You know what he wants then?"
Again she nodded, but said nothing.
"He won't stop."
Tears rolled down her face. She had only felt safe for a second. The girl was right. Ziph would come back for her. It was a part of his mission.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note
So Ziph has finally revealed his some of his master plan. He really is an evil son of a bitch. (Sorry Flare but you kind of are in this.) Besides, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.