Hey guys, this is the chapter you have been waiting for! All the answers you wanted (that I can currently give) are right here! Please, favorite/follow for the longest chapter yet, and please, review to let me know what you think! I will admit, the beginning is mostly just the Exceed wrap-up, so after the first few lines, Ayrae isn't really involved until *grits teeth* Lisanna... comes back (don't get me wrong, I don't hate her- I just despise her).

I also have to mention that somehow, the first chapter was deleted- luckily, I had it saved on my computer, and simply merged it with the second chapter until I can completely fix the error.

Emerging from the anima, the Fairy Tail wizards fell from the sky in a massive pile of flailing limbs on a hilltop by the trees, overlooking the city. Ayrae, near the center of the pile, attempted to shove a foot from her face. "Ugh, Natsu! You're sandals smell as bad as you do."

The Dragon Slayer peeled himself from the stack, snarking back, "Hey, for the record, my nose is better than yours, and I smell fine!" He looked around for a moment as everyone untangled themselves, standing as he announced, "We're back! Everything's back to normal!" Pointing excitedly at Magnolia, stretched out below them, a bell tolling as if nothing had happened.

Lucy giddily cried, "It's Magnolia!"

Happy exclaimed, "We did it!"

Ayrae smiled. "Yeah, cat. I sense their shadows, everyone's back." Shoulder nearly brushing against Gray's the two stood close, almost protectively of one another, Gray seeming worried she'd collapse.

Erza turned to Ayrae, eyes wide. "So... It- It really is you?"

Aryae nodded. "The one and only Ayrae."

Erza protested, "But how? Gray found your body, we buried you!"

The mood seemed to drop at this, Gray's eyes losing focus at the sheer memory of the sight. Ayrae's smile quickly had disappeared, letting out a confused breath. "To be honest, I don't understand that either. To my knowledge, I've never died."

Erza suddenly stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Ayrae and pulling her into a hug. At first, Ayrae's eyes flickered with surprise, though she quickly embraced the gesture, her own hands resting on Erza's back. Erza softly spoke, "We'll figure it out. For now..." Her grip tightened. "I'm just glad to have you back."

"Thank you, Erza."

The two pulled away, Gray immediately stepping back up to her side, hand slipping into hers. Ayrae's fingers intertwined with his, head turned away so he couldn't notice the slight red tint to her cheeks.

Erza turned back to the city, trying to refocus. "We-We should make sure that the people aren't panicking."

"They're just fine!"

Looking up, they somehow hadn't noticed the cloud of Exceeds that had gathered.

"We got here awhile ago, so we went out and checked on them for ya! We decided to fly through town real quick!"

"Your friends and everyone in town are really nice!"

"When we talked to them, they didn't even know they'd been turned into a lacrima!"

"Earthland is totally awesome, guys! It's got tons of magic power!"

Carla demanded, "What are they doing here?! It's not right, the Exceeds don't belong in Earthland! We cannot allow them to stay here! They're far too dangerous. They should return to Edolas."

Most of the Exceeds came to land on the ground, looking solemnly at the ground as Happy attempted to pacify his friend. "Be nice..."

Wendy knelt beside Carla. "Their homeland's gone, so they have no where to go. I think that we should forgive them."

"Never!"

An Exceed rubbed one of his ears. "We're sorry for throwing rocks at you, lady."

"We're really sorry."

"We have no place to go now that Extalia's been destroyed."

"We promise that we'll be nicer to you now."

"Please say you'll forgive us!"

Carla snapped, "This has nothing to do with you kids! It's her! I'm angry because Extalia's queen and her lackeys sent me to Earthland on a mission to kill the Dragon Slayers!"

A loud white cat off to the side roared, "I know! That queen ordered for us to give up all our eggs! How could she be so heartless? Gah!"

A smiling blue feline next to him gently insisted, "Calm down, dear."

Happy smiled and waved. "Hey there, Mister!"

The Exceeds began to mutter amongst themselves, all looking at the queen.

"Yeah, now that I think about it, she never did tell us why."

"Why would she do that?"

One of the Exceeds standing next to the queen promised, "I can assure you she had a most honorable reason to do so."

Another added, "I remember the day clearly, it was six years ago."

A taller priest Exceed agreed, "As you know, Queen Shagot has the ability to glimpse into the future. It is both a gift and a curse. One day... she foresaw that Extalia would fall from the sky. At the time, we believed our homeland would be destroyed by the humans. So we sent away all the Exceed children we possibly could."

The blue Exceed from before gasped. "Y-You mean..."

Happy stared. "Wait a minute, that's a way different story than what we were told. You weren't lyin' to us, were ya?"

"No, young man," an Exceed superior answered. "To prevent panic among the Exceeds, we carried out our plan without their knowledge. The queen then issued a false proclamation to take the eggs, send them to Earthland where they would be safe. We felt horrible for making the queen lie to you, but it had to be done."

"We simply could not go public with the knowledge that Extalia would be destroyed."

"Despite what you've heard, we swear we bear no ill will toward the Dragon Slayers."

Wendy assured, "Don't worry, we know. You just needed something to go along with the story you told them."

Ayrae murmured, "You had to prevent terror from tearing your people apart. It was understandable."

Gray agreed, "We get it."

Shagot sighed. "We made use of the human's anima program to complete our plan. However, something completely unexpected with one of the eggs. We had no idea Carla, that you possessed an incredible power."

"M-Me?"

"It turns out you possess the same prophetic power I do. Unfortunately, you didn't have control over it. It clouded and confused your memory, of the 100 Exceeds that we sent away, only you had the gift. I suspect that you began to see scattered fragments of our kingdom's future. Your gift caused you to mistake that information as your personal mission."

Carla stared at the ground. "I was wrong..."

Happy asked, "Does that mean-"

"Yes. The two of you were never given a mission. It was just your way of making sense of the images in your head. You were sent here with only the hope of protecting the next generation."

Carla asked, "So those were all... prophecies?"

Nadi responded, "We believed you'd be better off if we hid your prophetic powers from you. We believed it would be best to make it seem we were controlling you. We beg your forgiveness."

Nichya admitted, "We thought it the best way to embellish the queen's illustriousness. Now, we deeply regret it."

Shagot rubbed her paw overher her forearm, eyes misting with her guilt. "The show of false bravado I chose to put on for the citizens and humans is what caused you to suffer. No... I didn't just cause your suffering. I brought anguish to all of the family's I took eggs from six years ago. Now you understand, that is why I handed the sword to you. It was my fault alone."

Several Exceeds protested, "It wasn't your fault, your Majesty! No one is responsible!"

"Not when you were only doing what you thought best for the citizens of Extalia!"

"Yeah, we're just as much to blame, we were so full of ourselves."

"But now that we're in Earthland, we can make things right again!"

"Let's go find all the Exceed children that were sent away six years ago!"

The Exceeds took off- all but Queen Shagot and her priests behind her, the white and blue cats who seemed to know Happy off to the side. Her voice nearly cracking, she spoke, "Thank you, everyone."

Carla crossed her arms. "Well okay. In that case, I forgive you."

Tears streaked Shagot's cheeks. "Carla..."

The young Exceed asked, "But tell me, how did I end up possessing the same prophetic power you do?"

Suddenly, Shagot's tears were gone, her eyes awkwardly looking to the side. "I don't know what to say..."

A priest mumbled, "The weather's nice..."

Happy walked up to the white cat. "Can I ask you somethin'?"

"Yeah?"

"Is it just me or do Queen Shagot and Carla look a lot alike? Also, they act the same."

"They do?"

"Aye, sir! They do all the same stuff!"

"Gah! I guess I never noticed!"

The entire time, the two cats were mirroring each others actions.

Natsu had sat down beside Nadi, mimicking his arm shaking, grinning. "I guess everything worked out okay!"

Gray, standing just beside him, one hand still holding Ayrae's, his other jolting up and down, laughed. "You totally caught his weird arm waving."

Ayrae's eyebrow quirked at her friend. "Really? Cause it seems like you have too."

While Nichya harassed a quickly annoyed Erza, Shagot bid her farewells to Carla and Wendy, Happy having a tearful goodbye to the two Exceeds he seemed to have bonded with.

Waving goodbye to the Exceeds, Natsu grinned with arm still pumping. "Alright! What'dyou say we head back to the guild?"

All standing in a circle, Lucy, Gray, Natsu, Erza, and Ayrae all looked around, seeing that they'd all started pumping their fists, all but Ayrae.

Lucy inquired, "Okay, but what are we gonna tell everyone?"

Gray simply said, "Nothin'. Since they got no clue that anything happened, why bother telling them?"

Erza frowned. "It's a good point, but I think we should tell them about Mystogan, don't you?"

Ayrae agreed, "They have a right to know, anyway. Hey, uh... What do we do about this?" She nodded to their pumping arms.

Gray smirked. "I don't see any problem with it."

"... Are you sure you can stop? You all randomly started doing it."

Gray chuckled. "Look who's talking."

Ayrae blinked, looking at her free hand, jolting up and down. "... Oh."

Gajeel growled, "Well we got a different problem! Where in the hell is my kitty cat?! Don't tell me those flying felines took Lily with 'em!"

Ayrae blinked. "You mean that gigantic Exceed you were fighting? Let me guess, you adopted him?"

Gajeel affirmed, "You're damn right, now where's Panther Lily?!"

"Are you blind? I'm right here."

Turning, the group found... a regular-sized Exceed, markings and color matching to Lily, but barely knee high now, holding a rope that trailed into the bushes.

"So tiny!"

Happy complimented, "You look really cute that size, though."

Lily gruffly admitted, "It seems that my previous form wasn't well suited to Earthland."

Carla snorted. "Obviously. And you're not upset by that?"

"Well, normally it would. But right now, I wish to join the guild that took care of my prince." He pointed to the Iron Dragon Slayer. "You promised me. You said you'd get me in, Gajeel! Can you?"

Erza gave a nod, and Gajeel smirked for half a second before lunging forward, wrapping his arms around Lily in a bear hug while tears flooded from his eyes. "Consider it done, buddy! Welcome to Fairy Tail!"

Lucy observed, "He's crying?!"

As Gajeel set Lily down, the Exceed said, "On an unrelated note, I happened to come across a suspicious person."

Gajeel praised, "What an over achiever! You're definitely my cat, alright!"

Lily tugged on the rope, urging, "Come here."

"Hold on, it's not what you think! Please, let me explain!" A white-haired girl splashed into a puddle, out of the bushes. "Ow... That hurt. I'm not suspicious, I'm a member of Fairy Tail too!"

Everyone stared at the white-haired girl, Ayrae murmuring with wide eyes. "It's the day to come back from the dead apparently."

Carla suggested, "Maybe it's the Edolas Lisanna?"

"How'd she end up here?"

"What should we do?!"

Lisanna stared up into Natsu's eyes for a moment before tackling him in a hug, yelling his name. Hugging Happy, she smiled at Erza and Gray. "It's been so long since I've seen everyone, I'm so happy!" Looking to Ayrae, she grinned. "And... You're the Earthland Ayrae! I'm so happy you're alive!"

Ayrae softly said, "Y-You're from Earthland. Edolas Fairy Tail hated my doppelganger, anyone from Edolas would have a similar first reaction." It wasn't a question.

Gray stammered, "W-Wait, o-our Lisanna?"

Lisanna nodded. "Yes! I'm finally back!"

Erza insisted, "No! She can't be our Lisanna! She died! Ayrae came back somehow, exact scars and knowledge from her time at our guild, but our Lisanna died two years ago, and she couldn't possibly have been resuscitated."

Lisanna went on to explain how she'd been pulled into the anima, but Ayrae no longer was listening. She's back. I'm back. The guild is going to go entirely crazy... Glancing around, she felt the horrible urge to run, to slip away while they were focused on Lisanna. I need to protect them... If they all know that I'm back, I'll never get away again. But... I owe them an explanation. I can give them that much.

She was snapped from her daze as Erza requiped to cut Lisanna's ropes, quickly hugging her. "I'm sorry... I missed you."

Lucy grinned. "Wait, Elfman and Mira are at the church."

Lisanna brightened, breaking away from Erza. "Then I have to go see them!"

Natsu nodded, grinning. "We'll meet you at the guild."

Lisanna took off toward town, Ayrae staring after her. I have to face them now.

It didn't take long to reach the gates of the guild, though Ayrae gained many strange looks for her scars. Soon, they were inside the gates of the guild, Ayrae pausing at the door. Gray put a hand on her shoulder, softly encouraging, "Come on. I know you can do this."

Ayrae nodded. "Just... I'm not ready to live like this again."

"Then I can help you adjust. We can help."

Ayrae smiled slightly. "I'm willing to try." And with hands intertwined, they entered the guild hall.

At first not everyone was looking to the front, once a mug shattered on the ground, everyone turned. Wide eyes, gasps of shock, muttering under their breaths... No one could seem to tear their eyes away from the scarred young girl who stood next to Gray.

They didn't need to see her face to know it was Ayrae. Just the way she stood so proudly at Gray's side was all they needed to identify her.

Macao, who had dropped his drink when he'd seen her, asked, "Is-Is it really you?"

Ayrae nodded a bit, hand holding her forearm nervously. "I told you I'd come back."

It wasn't half a second before every member of the guild was out of their seats and in a massive cluster around Ayrae. Gray still stood beside her, as always, holding onto her as if she were his lifeline while questions swirled, tears falling as Ayrae accepted the massive hug that included almost the entire guild.

Yet as Lisanna walked in the door with Elfman towering over her, everyone's minds seemed to fall apart from pure shock. Those who tried to hug her found themselves quickly knocked back by a protective Elfman, the rest staying closer to the much less aggressive Ayrae.

Too many questions to be answered flooding their ears, yet it was quieted as Makarov approached. "Lisanna... Ayrae." The two girls turned, the guild splitting to allow them to step forward.

Lisanna smiled. "Master."

Ayrae, however, couldn't meet his eyes, looking away with arms behind her back.

The Master shook his head. "I was so worried. I consider those who have been raised by this guild my own children. Every parent worries about their children. And every parent has faith in their children. You can fill me in on all the details another time, and Ayrae... You can explain your situation later. For now, we celebrate the return of two treasured members of our guild!"

A cheer rose from the guild, Lisanna tackling Makarov in a hug, Ayrae only smiling kindly at the ground.

Makarov continued as Lisanna released him, "And I'm glad you finally took off the mask, Rae."

Suddenly, Ayrae had her head low and cheeks red as the entire guild, save a few who had been to Edolas, yelled in unison and realization, "YOU WERE GUILDLESS?!"

Ayrae smiled sheepishly. "Yeah... Sorry about that."

Makarov grabbed a mug from a young purple-haired girl, chiding, "No more questions for now, children. For now, drink and be merry!" A cheer rose.

Ayrae borrowed a dress from Mirajane, her Edolas clothes having been extremely torn and dirty, now in a plain black dress with a white sash, filling out the dress well. The alcohol ran heavy, everyone completely immersed in the presence of their old friends.

Ayrae avoided drinking, knowing her own lack of tolerance, though the guild drank enough to make up for her lacking. The only constant through the night was Gray always being next to Ayrae. There wasn't a moment where you could see the two of them apart, whether they were in a pile of flailing limbs while fighting with Natsu or sipping at her drink on a tabletop.

Halfway through the night, Gildarts grinned as he walked over to Ayrae. Patting her shoulder, he greeted, "It's been a long time, kid. Hate to admit it, but I never actually knew that you were gone, kid."

Ayrae's cheeks went red. "Ah, it's okay. We only ever met once. You'd been about to take on a Decade Quest."

Gildarts shrugged. "I've taken plenty of those." His eyes brightened for a moment. "Hey, did you met my doppelganger in Edolas? Natsu was talking some bullshit about me being a frog."

Suddenly, Ayrae nearly slipped off the edge of the tabletop in embarrassment. Rubbing the back of her head, eyes closed and nose crinkled, she admitted, "No, you uh... Were a captain in the army."

Gildarts frowned. "I feel like there's a but coming."

Ayrae opened her eyes, looking nervously at Gildarts. "Apparently... My doppelganger paralyzed you."

Gildarts choked on air as Gray blinked at his friend. "You're doppelganger was kind of crazy."

Ayrae agreed, "Extremely, actually. I think she lost all sanity after she betrayed her own Fairy Tail."

Gildarts stared at the ground, pouting. "I got beaten by a kid."

Ayrae added, "If it helps, my look alike was a cheating bitch. She probably stabbed you in your sleep."

Gildarts simply repeated, "I got beaten... by a kid." He groaned, facepalming. "Damn it, don't let Natsu ever hear about this."

Of course, the Dragon Slayer chose this moment to walk up behind them. "Don't tell me what?"

Gray grinned. "Gildarts was-" Suddenly, Gray was blasted into the far wall, Ayrae staring wide-eyed at him.

Gildarts looked pointedly at Ayrae. "Anything you wanna say, kid?"

In a small voice, she denied, "Not a thing. I'll got see if I can get Gray back on his feet within the next few hours." It wasn't long before Gray shook off the attack, getting back into the party.

It wasn't until after midnight when the guild completely passed out, falling down and out. Most were scattered across the ground and tabletops, Gray and Ayrae tucked under the bar, Ayrae's head on her shoulder, Gray's arm around her waist.

It wasn't until nearly noon that everyone finally woke up, Gray before Ayrae. She had easily partied through the night, her magic giving her energy, but she was completely out with the sun in the sky. Pulling away slowly, he managed not to wake the girl as he stood, stretching and looking around. Most of the guild had woken up, Natsu still passed out and the Strausses still laying in a pile together, no one daring to disturb them. Slowly, they pieced the guild hall back together, shifting everything back into its rightful place.

It was easily one of their more extreme parties, considering part of the floor and roof were missing, in addition to several sections of wall and there no longer was a staircase. No one dared to question how Gajeel had ended up sobbing in the fetal position while hugging Lily in the corner, or why Levy was hanging by her feet from the second floor railing by her bra strap. They even overlooked that Max was currently stuck in the floorboards from the neck down, taking around half an hour to pull him out.

However, they managed to patch it up well enough.

Once the Strausses woke, they went home to their shared apartment, but Ayrae was still out. It was almost evening before she yawned into consciousness again. Rubbing her head, she muttered, "Damn, I drink three... whatever Mira gave me and I'm out..."

Sitting up, she looked up to see Gray was sitting on a chair next to her. "Hey, finally. You've been out half the day."

She groaned, "Apparently, sleeping off Edolas and a hangover." Looking around, most of the guild was present, a few giving not-so-subtle glances to her. They want answers... And I can't blame them. Still, I'm not sure they're ready to hear something like this.

Yet it didn't seem she had a choice. Erza, armor clinking, approached with a solemn face. Reaching out, she offered her metal clad hand. Ayrae took it without hesitation, Erza helping her to her feet, softly urging, "It's time you explained."

Gray protested, "Erza, she just-"

"No, Gray." Ayrae, hair shrouding her face and hiding her expression, spoke with a nearly dead voice. Looking up, her black eyes were sad and yet determined. "You deserve to know. I made a promise." Sitting down, she pulled her legs up underneath herself, crossed on the seat as she attempted to joke, "Gather around, kids. I've got a hell of a story for you."

Sure enough, most of the guild circled closer, Lucy taking a seat right beside Ayrae, Gray on her other side.

Ayrae took a deep breath, preparing herself for the unwanted memories to resurface. "Okay... For this to make sense, I have to explain how this started at all."

And it began.

"As you all know, the Black Wizard Zeref created many demons during his lifetime, but the very first he ever created was one called Kyja." No matter how many times she said it, every time, she couldn't control the cold feeling that swept her body, always starting from the base of her neck. "Kyja, the Queen of Mortals. She was a parasite like you couldn't imagine, capable of controlling the body of any human, jumping between them just for the power."

And there were the memories, pouring into her mind, flashing into existence when she wished them dead. The woman she'd considered a mother, laying dead on the ground from Kyja's possession, the flag of Demon's Shadow waving over an arena.

"There was a group at the time, a cult following dedicated to Zeref. They believed that he was a god, and his demon's lower gods below him. However, when Zeref went missing, they needed someone to worship." She laughed bitterly. "And so, Kyja was decided to be their new high god. They foretold that she would rid the world of mankind- all but those who served her. So, the guild Demon's Shadow formed."

Lucy's eyes widened. "The guild you were a part of." She hesitated. "Unless that was a lie..."

Ayrae shook her head. "I wish it were a lie. No, I used to be in that guild." Rubbing her forearm, her hand always avoided touching the lacrima she still hadn't covered on her wrist. "The wizards of Demon's Shadow were tasked with finding ways to make Kyja's hosts stronger, and finding her the next host. She often stays in one body she finds comfortable, or especially likes their power, but they don't last forever. Hosts of Kyja had extended lifetimes, only aging one year for every two years she possesses them... But she demands full usage from every host."

Her hands turned white, gripping her knees. "Demon's Shadow began a long tradition of seeking out young children, prodigies. Toddlers and infants who were the children of extremely powerful wizards or already showing signs of magical proficiency. Ten would be taken so that Kyja could have her choice of their bodies, like picking a pig for slaughter." Bowing her head, her voice turned rather small. "I was one of them."

No one had been prepared for this. Muttering rippled through the crowd as Gray's hand snaked over to Ayrae's arm, gently resting on her hand. Despite the chilling cold of his hand, she couldn't help but feel comforted by his touch. He didn't need to say anything. She knew what he would say.

"I never knew my birth parents- I was raised by a Demon's Shadow mage named Briar." The woman from her first memory, beautiful brown curls of hair and the kindest face she'd ever seen. Gentle hands and a lullaby, a rainbow colored rose tucked above her ear. "She raised all ten of us- tried to give us some semblance of a normal life. But the minute we could walk, we were put through training, conditioning, everything they could think of to make us stronger for the future. But they had to remove all ties to our old lives. Any of us old enough to remember our names had our memories removed, and we were all given new names. I was called Shade for my affinity for Darkness Magic."

A massive library, containing books only on magic, mainly forbidden and Lost Magics.

The day that she walked in to browse the racks, finding a large tome bound in black leather and with glowing silver letters.

Ayrae continued, "The guildmaster, Diviner, oversaw our upbringing, our training... Everything. He even entered his own children. We were all constantly forced to fight, but it never got too intense. The only friends I really had were an older boy named Scribe and a young girl called Gale Force. Not until our Trial. The Trial was to determine the strongest of us, where we had to kill each other until only three of us were alive. Whoever displayed the greatest power would be Kyja's next host, if she approved, and the other two would become official members of Demon's Shadow."

The gates to the arena creaking open, nine other doors doing the same. She could hear crying from the other side, Diviner's voice above them. "Only three shall leave, only one shall receive the glory. The other seven will face their punishment."

Ayrae seemed to collapse in on herself, shoulders slumping inward, head bowing, her hands at her head and holding handfuls of her hair. Her voice cracking, she denied, "If I'd known what my spells could do, what my magic was like... I never would've done it..."

"Let all within my power's sight be silenced by the night's embrace. Allow nothing to escape my wrathful gaze. Advanced Arts: Night's Silence!" Her young heart pounding has her hands flung to the side, the world suddenly engulfed in a darkness even she couldn't see through. Everything was quiet- maddeningly so. When it finally rose up, only three other people still stood.

All others lay dead on the ground.

Tears streaked her cheeks, her heart seemingly attempting to burst. She whispered, "I tried to protect Gale Force. I tried to keep her safe... And then I killed her."

No one spoke. No one could tear their eyes from Ayrae. Ayrae, the little girl who had been too shy to speak to the adults her first day. Ayrae, who hadn't used her magic at the guild once when she was young... had killed.

Shaking her head, Ayrae felt the claws of guilt tearing at her heart again, trying to tear her apart. "The book never said what the spell was supposed to do. I didn't know it would hurt her! It was my first time using it!"

Bright eyes looking up at Diviner. "Sir, why do you want me to learn this spell? There are so many in the book..."

A chillingly calm voice spoke in honeyed words. "It's a spell that protects what you care for, Shade. Though I suggest you don't use it until the Trial..."

"As you wish, sir."

Cold hands on her shoulders tore her from her memories, finding herself being held close by Gray. Arms wrapped around her, Gray held her in a loose hug with eyes closed.

The rest of the guild seemed to disappear as Gray softly said, "Stop. Blaming yourself won't help."

Their eyes meeting, Ayrae could recognize something in his gaze- something she saw in her own eyes in every mirror.

Guilt. The guilt of another person's blood on their hands.

Ayrae gave a slight nod as Lucy gently said, "It wasn't your fault. If you didn't know what the spell would do, you couldn't have predicted it. You were just trying to protect your friend."

Erza nodded, putting a gentle hand on Ayrae's shoulder. "We all have done things we regret. We'll always have our sins. But you had the best of intentions."

Ayrae closed her eyes. Sometimes, the best intentions have the worst consequences. Lifting her head, she pushed the tears from her eyes, taking a shaky breath. "I... I have to finish. I didn't dig up this hateful shit to stop."

Gray partially released her, but he still stood next to her, one arm around her shoulder still.

Ayrae continued, "Two of Diviner's kids, Doppelganger and Hunter, had survived, along with myself and Scribe." Staring at the ground, she couldn't stop the flood of horror in her chest. "It wasn't over, since four of us were alive, but I refused to let anyone else fight. I almost died using an Advanced Arts spell to stop them. But... it didn't matter."

Hunter falling forward, eyes empty, Diviner behind him.

"Hunter was the weakest of us- Diviner killed his own son. I was called the 'winner,' and I was supposed to go into a few years of special training, preparing me to be Kyja's host."

Lucy smiled. "And then you escaped."

Ayrae shook her head. "No." The blonde's smile immediately fell as Ayrae sighed. "Something interrupted. The previous host of Kyja died, and I wasn't going to get a few more years to live. It was barely a month after the Trial I was put through the ritual to become Kyja's host."

Hands chained behind her, she screamed and begged to be released, crying for mercy. "Diviner, I don't want to do this! Please, let me go!" Yet no help would come from her master.

Natsu's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean..."

Ayrae slowly stood, unwrapping the bandages from her neck. Lifting her braid, the back of her neck bore a black guild stamp. A mirror pair of black, bat-like wings spreading across her neck, nearly halfway across, a few burn and scar marks around the wings, overlapping but barely lighting the ink. At the joint of the wings, another lacrima, the size of a small button, pulsed black and red.

"Fairy Tail, meet Kyja, the Queen of Mortals."

Lucy slipped right off her seat, getting back up without even seeming to notice she'd fallen. "Th-That's Kyja?"

Ayrae nodded, dropping her hair as she wrapped her bandages again. "Yes. Another responsibility of Demon's Shadow is to find new ways to empower Kyja's hosts. Lacrima are the common fix for this. Two lacrima in each arm for housing her power, one in the neck to safely hold her consciousness. It limits the damage her power does to her own host body, along with increasing her power. It also converts the users energy efficiently into Curses."

Gray's eyes were trained on the back of her neck. "Curses?"

"Essentially, it's the magic that is used by demons, but anything that would nullify magic can't nullify a Curse. That's why I could use magic in Edolas. I was tapping into Kyja's power, her Curses. My lacrima were simply what converted my magic. I couldn't use too much of her power though. Anytime I dig too deep into Kyja's power, she tries to take control of the body we share."

Erza asked, "But how are you already in control? I didn't know it was possible for a human to overpower a demon's mind, though I wouldn't doubt you."

Ayrae shook her head. "No, during the ritual, my friend Scribe shattered the connection. Only a portion of her consciousness is actually present in this lacrima. We escaped together, but his sister Doppelganger gave me these scars to remember her by. From there, I was separated from Scribe and walked until I reached Magnolia."

Running from the gates of the guild, Ayrae felt her hand separate from Scribe's.

"Go! Go to Fiore, I'll lead them north then meet you in the capital!"

"But-"

"Shade," Scribe began, but corrected, "Ayrae. Run before they find you. I'll find you again, I promise."

Lucy reached out and placed a gentle hand on Ayrae's leg. "I'm so sorry..."

Ayrae shook her head. "You don't have to be. I've made my peace with what happened in the past. I'll admit though, it was nice to be able to finally tell someone about my life. The last few years have been lonely."

Gray's arm suddenly wasn't around her anymore. "Then why did you leave?"

Ayrae looked up to see Gray's eyes- portals to the soul, people would call eyes, and it was never more true. Gray was trying to be understanding, sympathize and empathize with her- but the betrayal was still there. Her promise to come back that she almost didn't fulfill, and only did because Gray recognized her. This was the look of someone who could see something he'd lost and was watching it dangle in front of his eyes. This was knowing he'd lost so much, believing it had been taken when it had walked away. It was anger that she had abandoned the guild, the new family that had taken her in.

This was fear that even if she hadn't died because of his mistake- it was still his fault she hadn't returned. The fear that he had driven her away.

Ayrae immediately insisted, "I didn't leave because of any of you. I-I left because I was putting you at risk. The day I left- the dark wizards attacking Magnolia? They were after me. They want to complete Kyja, and as long as I have this portion of her stuck with me, they can't do that. At this point, they don't care if they get me alive or not, they just need the rest of Kyja's consciousness, her power."

Lifting her arms, she nodded to the lacrima. "I absorbed all of her power, but only a portion of her mind. They'll tear through every person, every city and country until they find me. Dead or alive, they only need Kyja. I had to leave, lead the Shadows away. I just... I didn't know how intensely they would pursue me, but I had to keep them away from all of you." Lowering her arms, she fiddled with the fabric of her borrowed dress. "I tried to come back, but Demon's Shadow wizards were everywhere, waiting. They knew I'd want to come home. I wasn't about to put you all in danger for my simple desire to be comfortable."

It was silent for a few seconds before Natsu asked, "You- You left trying to protect us?"

Ayrae nodded. "I had to keep them away, so I kept running around the continent, leaving trails for them to follow. As I got back in control of my powers, I decided if I had to stay on the run, I might as well do something good. So I took on the name Guildless and started trying to use..." She struggled to find a word for the powers she'd resented throughout her entire life. "What I have. Unfortunately, Doppelganger found out who I was fairly quickly."

Yet Gray's mind was still on her reasoning for leaving. Glaring at the ground, he softly growled, "You didn't think we could protect you."

Ayrae immediately protested, "No! I knew you all were strong, it's just-" The energy seemed to fade from her body as a look of utter hopelessness and fear came onto her features. "Diviner. He has slight prophetic power, but most of his strength stems from his Emotion Magic. He has the ability to inflate anything you're currently feeling." She had to hold her own hands to keep them from visibly shaking. "If you felt the slightest fear, he could strengthen that fear until you're curled in a ball, unable to move from pure terror. I didn't want to put you against that. I had no right to bring such a horrible fate on any of you."

Gray angrily protested, "We would've fought for you! Why did you so stupidly think you needed to take on the world alone?! We would've done anything for you, but you left!"

Erza snapped, "Gray, stop. We were young, she had good reason to believe we wouldn't have been capable of defeating an entire dark guild." As Ayrae's shoulders began to relax in relief, Erza continued with a pointed look, "Though you should've had more faith in us. Still, I can understand trying to protect your guild. After all, it's all of our main priority."

Ayrae nodded. "Yes, I know... I- I was afraid back then. I didn't know how to handle everything that was happening. I'm sorry I left, but I was only trying to do my best for the only friends I had left."

Erza nodded. "And we could ask no more of you. Just, promise us- no more running away to play the solo hero."

Ayrae slowly nodded as Lucy frowned. "Wait, I have a question. In the painting I saw of you, you had white hair, and green eyes."

Ayrae suddenly laughed bitterly. "Yeah, that would be this pleasant magic I happen to use. It was developed by dark wizards, so it's no surprise that they didn't mind the side effects of the magic's... let's say, infection. After so long, the magic starts to sink into the user, bleaching out color into black." Tugging at the collar of her dress, she glanced away from the others eyes, not wanting to see any more disappointment or worry from them. "My clothes started turning black, the more I used my magic. Then my hair, then my eyes- it even got to my Demon's Shadow stamp." Another bitter laugh. "For all I know, my skin will be just as dark in a few years. My Fairy Tail mark is the only thing that hasn't darkened."

Natsu frowned. "That's why ya smell so weird. But why didn't ya just erase your old guild mark from those jerks?"

Ayrae shook her head. "Demon's Shadow marks are permanent. You can't erase them, no matter what you do." She wasn't about to talk about the scars around the scar. She didn't need to delve into that darker point in her time alone.

The observant of them, mostly Erza, Gray, and Makarov, who sat on the bar counter, noticed her aversion to the subject, yet they didn't mention it.

Lucy frowned. "But didn't the others say you died?"

Ayrae blinked. "That... Wasn't me. I don't know why you all thought I died."

Erza gently said, "Gray found your body in Crocus, Rae. We buried you behind Kardia Cathedral."

Ayrae shook her head. "It most likely was a trick by Demon's Shadow, to keep you from interfering. They try not to provoke the light guilds while they don't have Kyja on their side. I don't know how, but they must've managed to fake my death. I'm sorry for the pain I've cause you through this... I- I never meant..." Her voice failed her as she rested her head in her palms.

Makarov finally interluded, "I think that's enough for now. Any other questions are for later. For now, Ayrae has trusted us with a large amount of information." Grinning, he lifted his chin proudly. "I'm glad everything worked out right."

Gajeel frowned. "Wait, you knew the whole time she was Guildless, old man?" Makarov gave a nod. "Then why keep quiet, ya old geezer?"

Makarov gave Ayrae the 'you'd be in trouble right now if you weren't already beating yourself up for this' look. "Because I knew that if I told you who she was, she wouldn't come without being convinced. I knew you all would have to do was remind her of what she had here. We all know how stubborn Ayrae can be."

Natsu smirked. "Almost as bad as me."

Lucy affirmed, "I haven't known you long, but yeah."

Erza agreed, "Quite true."

Ayrae's cheeks turned red as she muttered, "Wow, unanimously? No one disagrees?" When no one answered, she nodded. "Okay, apparently." However, her eyes paused on Gray, how had gone quiet. Black eyes raked over him, trying to find answers, some signs of what he was feeling, yet she couldn't find anything. He was a block of ice, cold and without any cracks.

Makarov looked outside, seeing the sun was setting. "Well, I believe I'll be hitting the hay. Ayrae, you're welcome to stay at the guild hall until you find a more permanent place to stay."

Ayrae smiled. "Thank you, Mak- Gramps." Standing, she rubbed her forearm yet again, though her anxiety was fairly decreased. "Thank you all for listening. It was nice to finally speak about this."

Words of comfort and welcome resounded back to her. "No problem, Rae."

"We missed you!"

"Welcome back for good, Ayrae."

"Don't worry, we'll keep you safe."

Ayrae nodded. "Thanks, you guys." And with one last glance to Gray's indifferent stance, she followed Makarov up the stairs.

It was later that night, after the sun had set, that the doors to the Fairy Tail guild opened, swinging as a black-clothed figure walked out, racing out into the streets, cloak flowing behind them. Tears in her eyes, Ayrae knew it was time to say goodbye again- this time had to be forever, though. My month is up. This time... I have to go farther, keep them from finding me.

She even made it all the way to the edge of town before she felt a hand on her wrist. "Just like last time, huh?"

She didn't need to turn to know who it was. Sighing, she dully said, "Gray."

The ice mage still gripped her wrist, cold gaze on her back. "You come back from the dead, you tell us why you left- and you leave again. That's it? Do we mean that little to you?"

Ayrae turned, putting her free hand on his over her wrist. "Gray, no! This is about how much you mean! I'm doing this because I need to keep you safe!"

Gray demanded, "Why do you think we can't stand up against Demon's Shadow?!"

Ayrae felt herself snap all at once, eyes glowing red for a half second, a ripple of darkness flowing from around her as she screamed, "I'm saving you from me!" Gray stared at her, slowly releasing her as Ayrae took a deep breath, regaining her composure and trying to keep calm.

"I- I don't have Kyja as under control as I claim. These bandages... they help, but they can't stop her completely. When I get angry, when I let my guard down... she tries to take control, destroy everything around me! Kyja could kill the entire guild in seconds, and all it would take is a single mistake on my part. I'm too much of a liability to keep around."

Gray stared at her for a moment, voice lowered. "Why didn't you just say this?"

Ayrae hung her head, trying to hide the tears that were building. "I wanted you to remember me better than this. If I had to be a shit stain Fairy Tail's record, I wanted to at least be better than just the weakest willed Fairy Tail member to ever live, one who couldn't even control a fourth of a demon's mind. At least this way, I'm only the asshole runaway who left a small mark on the guild."

Gray shook his head. "I won't let either of those happen. Stay, Ayrae. We can help you through this."

Ayrae desperately shook her head. "I can't be helped, Gray! I'm too broken to be fixed! You can't fix someone like me!" Her eyes began to take on a dark red glow again, Gray taking a small step back with wide eyes. Ayrae stepped forward to match, hissing, "You just have to accept that I'm not going to be around, Fullbuster! Because as much as I wish I could stick around and save your ass every other day, it's beyond my power! It's all Kyja's power now!"

Suddenly, Gray's flicker of fear was gone, his confidence back. Ayrae's hand raised while her eyes turned darker red, hand glowing with black light. Gray slowly reached out, placing a hand on her glowing one, gently pushing it down. The glow of her hand faded slightly as Gray stepped forward again, wrapping her arms around her in a hug. Ayrae, head gently pressed against his bare shoulder, felt her rage fall and the glow disappearing from her eyes.

Gray softly said, "Everything can be repaired, though maybe not fixed all the way. Please, don't leave like this." Taking a deep breath, he admitted, "I won't stop you. But please... reconsider what you're doing. I lost you for so many years... I don't think I can lose you like this again."

Ayrae whispered, "I don't want to do this to you, to any of you... But once I cross into the Northern countries, I'm gone forever. I can never hurt any of you again."

Gray's grip tightened, cheek against the side of her head, taking in everything about her. Her hair, her touch, her scent. He didn't want to forget anything. He reminisced, "You know, when you left... I waited at the guild for months. I sat at the doors, just waiting for you to come home."

Ayrae felt the tears starting to leak from her eyes. "Gray..."

Completely ignoring her, he continued, "You told me you'd come back, and I believed you. Then I gave up on waiting, and went looking. I thought I found you dead in Crocus- but I gave up on waiting. Not this time. We'll always wait for you to come home, Rae. I'll wait until the world falls to pieces." Letting go, he couldn't fight the instinct to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead, in the same fashion as the quick peck on the cheek he'd received the last time. And with his final action, he turned without another word, walking back to Magnolia.

Ayrae stood on the edge of the town, tears now freely streaking her cheeks, despite how she hated the show of weakness. Eyes completely trained on him, she didn't look away- not even as she backed away into the woods, whispering, "I'm sorry... I'm so so sorry for all I've done. I can't let this hurt you. This is the last time I make the mistake of saying goodbye." And pulling the hood of her cloak over her head, Ayrae disappeared into the night yet again.

Hey guys, fun chapter, right? Remember, review with any other questions you have and I can answer them in later chapters!