A/N - Ah yes... Here we are.. Nearly 2 months later.. SORRY- I graduated college last week so it's been a whirlwind the last few months. But that being said- I have an announcement. It breaks my heart cause I have been avoiding it for quite some time... But I want to clear some stuff up about the characters ages. When I first started writing this, I really didn't put a lot of thought into like.. anything. So a major plot hole developed in Cece and Hayden's ages. I understand that technically Rogue and Sting are supposed to be Wendy's age at this time, but it was something I didn't really acknowledge at the start so for the sake of this story, when we come around to GMG, Rogue and Sting are going to be about 25 years old. Meaning that Cece is currently 16 and rogue 17/18. Hayden also being 17 years old. I'M SORRY- This plot hole has haunted me for quite some time-
With that out of the way... Please enjoy Chapter 20 of our little story!
"Whatever you have planned in that pretty little head of yours, forget it. That trick where you try and pretend to be Ellis? Proved how stupid you really are."
"Your voice pisses me off."
"I'm not against shutting you up."
The words bounced around the darkness, haunting every corner of my mind. Each ounce of sheer hatred that dripped from the lips of a man I wish I could have seen through. No amount of preparation could have helped me to hear his voice say those things to me. To hear the tone of his voice and show me just how much he hated every fiber of my being.
"Trust me, princess, you're on the right track. You just need to let us help you along. You're not alone anymore. I'll do what I can to help you."
The darkness that surrounded my vision began to brighten as the words flooded into my mind. The very same voice spoke in a completely different way. Each word was laced with empathy and kindness, something I never expected would change. All I wanted was to be able to hear that voice in the same way again.
"Cece, come on, wake up!"
My shoulders tensed as I felt small hands giving them a shake. The simple motion broke the darkness that loomed over me as light spread through my vision. Slowly, I allowed my eyes to open and let my gaze adjust to the change in lighting. When the image became clear, I found myself staring up at a dark stone ceiling with a familiar blue haired girl looking back at me. "Wendy?"
It took a moment for the name that fell from my lips to register in my mind, but once it did, I was quick to sit up. "Wendy!" Blood rushed to my head and I felt the world spin. I reached up and held my still conjoined hands to my head to steady myself as I glanced from the child to the only source of light in the room. The room we were in was a gloomy cell and Natsu stood at the cell door, knuckles white as he gripped the bars.
I took a look at every corner of the room, finding that we were the only ones in the small cell. "Where's Phillip?!" Ignoring the feeling of vertigo, I got to my feet, as they were no longer tied together, and placed my hands on the wall to stand firm. "I was told he was with you guys, where the hell is he?!"
"Oh? Is that another one of those names you made up for the Exceeds?" A voice I had never heard spoke and I glanced back at the bars, over Natsu's shoulders to see a dark haired man smiling back at me. "Maybe you should ask your friends for the full story."
"There ain't nothing to tell, cause it ain't true! Happy is my friend you bastard!" Natsu yelled out, pressing his forehead against the bars as he watched the man walk away. "Oi! I'm talking to you! Get your ass back here!"
"Give it a rest." A chilling voice came from down the hall. At the sound, I rushed to the cell door to see Edo Hayden resting against the wall. "You're not going to get any of the answers you want to hear because they're simply not true."
I stared at the red haired man, finally getting a good look at him as I hadn't had the chance before. At first glance, he looked exactly like the Hayden I knew, but upon closer inspection, their differences added up. His red hair was just as messy, but far shorter than I was used to. His auburn eyes were faded of any real emotion, a scar resting over his left eye. Finally, his outfit was far gloomier than anything I could ever imagine Hayden wearing. Dark pants, a black shirt, and a black coat with red accents.
"What the hell do you think you're doing Hayden?!" Natsu growled from beside me. "Open the damn door!"
Before Edo Hayden had a chance to respond, I frowned. "That's not our Hayden. That's his counterpart."
A small smirk crossed the red head's face. "Must break your heart. To have your ass handed to you by someone you wish was here." He chuckled. "That look on your face was priceless. God, I'd pay good money to see it again." He mocked me as his words cut through my like a knife.
To anyone else, I would have a sarcastic comeback within a second, but as I looked at Edo Hayden, no words could fall from my lips. Unconsciously, I reached up and touched my neck where he had strangled me. I could still feel the warmth of his fingertips and the lack of remorse as he cut off my oxygen. Knowing full well that he'd do it again if given the chance broke my heart.
"Who do you think you are bringing that attitude here?!" Natsu shouted, pounding his fists against the bars. "I don't care if you look just like my bud, I'll smash your face in if I have to!"
"Oh?" Edo Hayden pushed himself away from the wall and walked up to the door, just far enough away that Natsu couldn't reach him through the bars. "I'd love to see you try. You and what magic? You've got all the bark in the world, but have no bite to back it up."
"You bastard-!"
"Give it up, Natsu." I cut him off, averting my gaze when Edo Hayden glanced my way. "This guy is too far gone." My hands were shaking in front of me as I rested my forehead against the steel bars. "He lost something important to him and didn't have the strength to fight against himself. There's no talking to him."
He scoffed. "Something important to me… You'd know all about that, huh? Did your research on me?" Edo Hayden narrowed his eyes. "Bet it hurts, knowing someone who shares your face is such a idiotic creature."
A pang of anger pounded in my chest and it took everything I had not to act on it. In my state, all I would end up doing was embarrassing myself. Instead, I pressed my teeth together and quietly spoke. "Don't you have something better to do?"
Carelessly shrugging, he responded. "I guess. But this has been quite entertaining. Watching you squirm." He leaned down so he would be able to catch my gaze. "I hope you somehow find a way to escape this place. I'd love to have the chance to put you in your place again. Your spirit is so fun to break."
Edo Hayden straightened his posture and turned to walk away. "One more thing." He glanced over his shoulder and I dared to meet his gaze for just a moment. "You can't lose something that was never yours in the first place."
As he disappeared down the hall, I could feel Natsu's anger radiating next to me. If I hadn't known better, I would think he still had his magic with the energy he was emitting. I shot a look his way to see his teeth clenched in an effort to keep his anger suppressed. It was a feeling I wish I knew how to express in the situation. Yet, all I seemed to feel was a sense of hopelessness.
"Alright.." I muttered, stepping away from the bars and leaned up against one of the walls. "I'm not going to sit in my own pity party anymore.." I looked between Natsu and Wendy before continuing. "I'm going to need some context on what's going on. Where is Phillip?"
The silence rang through the room and it was agonizing waiting to hear what was happening. I knew that Phillip and the others hadn't run into Mystogan so their information at the start had to have been slim. Whatever information they had was likely not enough to go off of. But what mattered most to me at that moment was finding out how they lost Phillip along the way.
Natsu pushed himself away from the bars and stormed over, leaning himself against the wall with a low growl. "Whatever these people think is going on is a lie. Happy and the others were taken."
My eyes widened and my attempts to suppress my anger went right out the window. "The hell are you talking about?!" I pulled myself away from the wall and stepped in front of Natsu. "If you let Phillip get captured, you're dead, do you hear me Dragneel?!"
"Cece, w-wait! Let's talk everything out!" Wendy came up beside us, holding her hands up in defense. "A lot has happened, just hear us out!"
Slowly, I moved my gaze over to Wendy and frowned. The expression on her face looked as if she could cry at any moment. It wouldn't take much to let her burst into tears. Simply looking at the young girl was enough to lower my anger, but in turn, raise my anxiety.
After days without my friend by my side, hearing that Phillip was somewhere on his own, it scared the shit out of me. Even if Carla and Happy were with him, that didn't mean much to me. No matter the situation, they were all taken away and there was nothing I could do about it. I had thought that whenever I ran into Natsu and Wendy, I would be able to see him again. Finding out that he wasn't here left me nervous and scared.
I bit down on my tongue to hold in my emotions as I took a step back. "Okay…" I glanced down at my wrists, the negating substance still holding my magic hostage. "Not like we're going anywhere…" I muttered as I used the wall to lower myself to the ground. "Might as well start from the beginning."
Looking out over the assorted floating islands, Phillip couldn't help but sigh. He didn't even have the heart to swing his legs back and forth as he sat on the edge of Extalia. All he could do was look back at everything he had just learned and sit in his regret. If everything he had just learned was true, then that meant that his entire life was the opposite of what he thought it was.
A flash of Cece zipped through his head and he found himself placing his paws against the side of his head. The image of his best friend should have left him feeling at ease, but it only left him with a feeling of anxiety. To even think that he and the other Exceeds were only sent to Earthland to bring the Dragon Slayers back, it drove him mad. His entire life, he had been by Cece's side, cheering her on and she did the same for him. Yet, this news left him feeling as if it was all a lie. A lie that he helped create.
He couldn't even begin to imagine what his life would have been like if he hadn't met Cece. His name may not have even ended up being Phillip. Everything would be different. But yet, here he was, looking out over the place that could have been his home if his life had gone just a little off track. A place where he could have lived with people just like him. Exceeds.
Stray tears fell from his eyes as he tried to shake the negative thoughts away. It wasn't often he was the one to cry. Normally, he was the one comforting Cece when she dared to cry. He was always there with words of wisdom when all hope seemed lost. Now he couldn't bring himself to deliver comfort to his own worries.
"Kaa!" A gruff male voice shouted from behind Phillip and he spared a glance back to see the older male Exceed, Lucky, hacking away at the farm he called home. Lucky and his wife Marl had sheltered Phillip, Happy and Carla after they had been chased from the main city of Extalia. After they had been deemed Fallen. They had been kind enough to help them, explaining that they were not fans of the royal army.
Lucky was working Happy to the bone and had tried to do the same with Phillip, but seeing the intense sadness the green cat felt, Marl convinced him to leave him be. He had quite a lot to process after all. Carla was inside their home, helping Marl put together a nice meal for them. Phillip felt bad that he wasn't helping, but he wasn't sure what else to do.
Returning his gaze to the sky, Phillip reached up and wiped away his tears. So much had changed in the last few months and he was finally beginning to feel like he had a place in the world. Cece was finally starting to feel comfortable at Fairy Tail and letting herself be free of her grief. He was able to walk along with her and see the happiness the guild family had to offer. Their smiles were finally real, no longer hiding behind the trauma of the past.
A subtle smile crossed the green cat's face as he thought back to when he first met Cece. The simplicity of the young girl's attitude was something he always cherished. Although she had greatly changed after leaving Sabertooth, Phillip still remembered the little girl that took him in when he had nothing, not even a name.
"Here you go!" Cece reached out to the light green cat, a warm mug of hot chocolate in hand. "Piping hot, just for you." She cheered as she sat down in the chair across from him.
The cat had a fuzzy blue blanket wrapped around him, snuggling him like a warm hug. He glanced down at the mug in front of him, unsure of what to say. Every few moments, he would glance up at the girl in front of him only to find she was simply smiling back at him. No matter how long the silence rang, she continued to smile without a care in the world. It was as if she was waiting for him to become more comfortable, allowing him the chance to say the first word.
Hesitantly, he picked up the mug and raised it to his lips to take a sip. The moment the warm liquid touched his lips he flinched back. "Ouch!" He was quick to set the mug back down on the table and tap against his tongue. "It burns!"
A chuckle fell from Cece's lips as she watched the cat desperately try to get the burnt feeling to disappear. "Don't worry, I did the same thing when I first had some. My big brother couldn't stop laughing." She picked up her own mug and blew on the liquid. "It helps to let it cool off first."
He placed his paws on the table and leaned forward, looking at his mug. After a quick glance back at Cece, he followed her same actions to cool off his drink. "Thanks."
After the hot chocolate had cooled down enough, they each took a long drink. Cece set her mug down once more and leaned forward to set her chin in her hands. "What's your name, little guy?"
"My… Name?" He frowned, his ears drooping. "I don't have one… I hatched..alone." He trailed, his entire body trembling.
Cece stared at him, matching his saddened expression. She hadn't had much experience with many animals before, especially talking ones so she wasn't quite sure how to handle this situation. What she did know was the look in the cat's eyes. The look and desire to belong, to know who he was. That was a feeling she would never want anyone else to feel.
With a loud shove, Cece pushed herself away from the table and rushed over to a bookshelf in the living room. It wasn't large, but it was filled with picture books that Rogue had bought her when he was teaching her to read. She knelt down in front of it, shuffling through a few before plucking a small one out. "Here!" She got back to her feet and headed back to the table. "This will work!"
She held the book up to show the cat the cover. He cocked his head to the side as he looked at the book in confusion. On the cover was a green cat that wore a neat traveling outfit as well as a floppy hat. The title being, Phillip the Great. He raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand.."
"That can be your name!" Cece grinned, flipping through the book to show him various pages of a heroic cat. "This is my favorite book… I've always wanted to name a cat Phillip but my brother wouldn't let me get a pet.." she muttered, pouting a bit before her face lit up once more. "So you can be just like Phillip the Great! He's super cool, always fighting bad guys and he never loses a single fight. Doesn't that sound cool?"
The girl's eyes sparkled in delight, as if all of her dreams had just come true. The small cat stared at the book, hesitantly reaching forward to take the book for a closer look. Cece happily let him take it, giving him a chance to flip through for himself. He took a look at each page, eyes wide as he imagined himself being just like the cat in a simple children's book.
He glanced up at Cece, pointing to a page of the storybook cat fighting off bandits. "I can be like this guy?"
She smiled. "Of course! You can be whatever you want to be, you don't need my permission." She reached over and ran a hand over his head. "That's what my brother taught me and now I don't like to listen to him very much." She giggled. "So be Phillip! I think the name really suits a brave little guy like you."
"Brave?" He questioned, looking up at her bright expression. He wasn't quite sure what it meant to be brave, but just looking at the happiness this young girl showed, he wondered if bravery was truly what he showed. She looked so confident in him even after just meeting him, that must be enough for something.
For the first time since he arrived in Cece's home, the sweet little green cat smiled. "Then Phillip it is!"
"Phillip the Great, huh…?" Phillip chuckled, thinking back to the story book that still rested peacefully on the bookshelf back in their dorm. He pulled it out on the rare occasion to look back at the pictures of the heroic cat fighting against whatever enemy came his way. Described as the bravest cat in the land. Exactly what Cece saw him as.
"You really have grown a lot, haven't you? I don't even have to worry anymore."
Cece's words from after the Battle of Fairy Tail echoed through his mind. He was so used to her worrying about him any time he wasn't in her sight. There was always understanding as to why she worried, she didn't want to lose him, but to have her relinquish some of that anxiety and control felt so freeing. Their friendship continued to grow every day. That's a lifetime of experiences he wouldn't trade for anything in the world.
Phillip took in a sharp breath through his nose and his eyes widened. A lifetime of experiences could go right out the door if one of them didn't live to tell the tale. What was he doing sitting around waiting for answers to arrive? Cece was somewhere in Edolas, likely in some kind of danger. Whether he was the cause of it or not didn't matter. After years of her protecting him, he needed to do the same thing for her.
He had to be the brave Phillip she knew and loved.
Quickly, he got to his feet and began to run back to the others. They didn't have time to sit around and wait for something to change. If they didn't take their lives into their own hands, they would lose everything they've built with their friends, their family. Cece was down there waiting for him and he wasn't going to make her wait any longer.
As Natsu and Wendy explained what they have been going through the past couple of days, I found myself staring at them with little to no emotion. Nothing they said made any sense at all. Wendy was far better at explaining as Natsu was still sitting in quite a lot of anger, but even with her explanation, I couldn't fully understand.
Phillip and the other Exceeds were sent by Extalia to bring the Dragon Slayers back in order to use our magic energy? I had met Phillip when he had only just hatched from his egg, he was too young to have a mission such as that. There was something else going on. Even if the Exceeds were aware of their so-called mission, Phillip would have eventually told me about it. We trusted each other enough and after everything we had been through, I knew that trust couldn't be broken.
A low chuckle fell from my lips as they finished explaining everything. Wendy looked at me with confusion. "What's funny?"
Natsu clenched his fists against his knees. "You think this is funny?!"
I leaned forward and placed my hands against my face as I struggled to hold back my laughter. The laughter did not reflect any feelings of joy or humor, it was sullen and disheartened. "It's just so comical… That they think I would believe any of that crap… Phillip is my best friend, he would never do anything to hurt me or anyone else for that matter."
"That's what we have been thinking too." Wendy commented, glancing down at her lap. "But it's difficult to see what's true and what isn't."
"All I need to know is that Phillip is alive and well. If that's the case, then there isn't anything left to question." I gave my head a shake. "Wherever Phillip is right now, he's trying to find a way to get back to us and explain that everything that you just told me is a lie." My laughter quickly shifted to a low growl. "And if these damn Edolas people think I'm going to take this sitting down, they have another thing coming."
I had spent the last few years desperately trying to keep Phillip safe. My life was dedicated to protecting him at all costs. Although my perspectives on life had been changing the past few months, my priority was still the same. Keeping that sweet little cat safe was what I lived for.
"So I don't give a crap what those people said." My gaze was dark as I finally looked up. "We're going to get out of here. And I'm going to get my best friend back."