The fight had left the group tense, uncertain on when they'd encounter another member of the Oración Seis. Meredy and the others were taking a break, sitting down in the woods to recover their lost energy from the battle. Jura was taking a drink of water as he sat across from Meredy. Surprisingly, Eve and the other members of Blue Pegasus weren't distancing themselves from her either.
"So, is that how you're used to fighting with your magic?" Eve asked, starting a conversation as they relaxed.
Meredy nodded. "It was how I was trained."
"That sounds pretty harsh." Eve shook his head, turning to look down at his hands. "I mean, even I never considered learning anything nearly that self-sacrificial. Whiteout is probably one of the spells that gets closest to it. I never even considered touching that sort of a spell until I was already acclimated to the cold that comes with it."
"The nature of this magic means its usefulness in combat is limited to such strategies." Meredy sighed. "Perhaps it seems harsh, but to me, it's practical."
"Eve is right." Wendy shook her head. "People shouldn't have to hurt themselves to win a fight."
"Well, maybe when we're done with this, we could try working on new strategies for you." Eve rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, if you're not…going back to Grimoire Heart. Honestly, you're not what I expected for one of their wizards - I do apologize for misjudging you when we first met and do hope you can forgive me for my actions."
"It was what I expected." Meredy paused, taking a moment to try and sense for nearby magic. There still did not seem to be any indication of another attack and it was getting dark. "Our reputation is well-earned. At this point, I'm not certain if I belong with a guild that acts quite as they do, however." Really, she didn't belong much of anywhere. She'd been raised to lack the morals of normal guilds, yet she lacked the drive to be truly cruel without reason.
"Have you considered joining a legal guild instead?" Wendy looked over at her. "Not that I'm forcing you into keeping up with wizard work permanently! I know you said you didn't want to get into that field before, but you are really good with your magic. I know Cait Shelter would be happy to have you if you really are leaving for good."
"I don't know if that would be feasible." Jura looked between them. "As a member of Grimoire Heart, Meredy would be wanted in the eyes of the law as a criminal. Your guild would be considered guilty for harboring a criminal if they took her in."
Nodding, Meredy sighed. "I am well aware of that fact. There is a reason I am not seeking out such work." Her eyes flickered towards Eve. "You mentioned ideas for new strategies with my magic. It might be worth investigating, if you are willing to help."
"I will do my best. Honestly, Hibiki would probably be better suited to looking something up, but I'm certain he'd be happy to help out too." Eve hesitated, looking away. "Or well, I'd say that but he actually probably harbors the largest grudge out of all of us against dark wizards."
Thinking back, Meredy tilted her head. "Does this relate to the name mentioned during our first meeting?"
Eve nodded. "One of our guild members died only a few years ago. She was Hibiki's girlfriend at the time." The snow wizard stared ahead of them. "She'd been going through other issues admittedly, so there were multiple factors that led to what happened. Long story short, she took on a mission she wasn't able to handle and encountered a dark wizard. During that fight, she exceeded her limits and died by trying to use more magic than she was able to. Whoever she was fighting robbed her of her belongings and just left her on the side of some street until strangers found the body and reported it."
"It likely would have been risky to move it, depending on the area." Meredy blinked, biting her lip. "Perhaps I have a different perspective on things, though."
"No, it's cool." Eve sighed. "I imagine you've seen your fair share of dead bodies given your history."
Meredy nodded and the group grew quiet. Perhaps she'd said something wrong after all, given the unsettling feeling around them. However, it wasn't as if they were truly acting angry with her for her words. "So." Eve broke the silence, looking over at her. "Now I suppose it is your turn."
"My turn?"
"To share a story." Eve smiled. "We're working to overcome our differences, right? Well, I shared the reasons behind our behavior earlier. Now, it's your turn to share something about you."
"Preferably a story that doesn't involve you murdering others," Ren added.
"Ah, but perhaps something to illuminate exactly what it is your guild does, hmm?" Ichiya placed a hand on his chin. "Indeed, a tale of your goals will put our minds at ease regarding any potential ulterior motive you may have had."
Meredy frowned, staring down at her lap as she considered her options. Did she talk about Jellal and their manipulation of him ever since he was a child? It seemed a bit too dark for the group around her. "I…didn't take on many major tasks for the guild." She was quiet, her hand playing with the grass by her side. "Despite my ranking within the guild, I was still considered the weakest of the Seven Kin of Purgatory."
"Seven Kin?" Jura folded his arms over his chest. "Pardon the interruption, but I don't believe I've heard them referenced before."
"They are considered the most powerful wizards in Grimoire Heart, all specializing in a unique form of lost magic." Meredy moved her hand from the grass to her lap, taking a slow breath. "Though, I don't suppose that's a story, exactly." Her brow furrowed. "I studied a lot, for the most part. Read books, trained with the others, and followed orders from Master Hades whenever they came. Usually, those orders consisted of strategizing. When a guild under our protection showed signs of plotting against us, Master would pull me into a meeting and discuss those supposed signs. He'd outline their current members, explain the skills of the wizards available to assist, and order me to plan out the most efficient route to eliminate the rebels."
"So, you didn't actually join in those attacks," Eve said.
She shook her head. "Early on, perhaps. Once I started showing more promise in spars, I'd usually join with a partner to subdue others." Her hands closed into fists as she shrugged, keeping her voice steady. "My preferred partner was Ultear, but I most often was assigned missions with Zancrow. My logical mindset offered a strong balance to his short temper and impulsive tendencies."
"It sounds like you guys just managed other guilds for the most part." Wendy frowned. "I mean, you were harsh in how you punished them, but…it doesn't sound as bad as I thought it'd be for a dark guild."
Charle huffed. "I doubt that's the full story, child. A guild doesn't gain a reputation like theirs without earning it in some form."
Meredy was distracted before she could reply. Above them, Blue Pegasus' airship became visible, approaching where they were resting. It circled the area for a moment, before flying off to the east of their resting place. "Looks like Hibiki is about to call it a night," Eve said, watching the airship.
"He should bring supplies for camping out for the night then," Ren added.
"That is good. We can alleviate his prior concerns regarding Meredy as he arrives," Jura said.
"She didn't explain her motives at all," Ren argued. After a moment, he sighed and shook his head. "But, admittedly, she didn't betray us during our first fight."
"Come on, Ren." Eve nudged the other boy, giving him a small smile. "Relax. We're supposed to be resting, not fighting even more."
"He isn't wrong, though." Meredy leaned back against the tree behind her. Staring up at the sky, she focused on the stars that peeked out from behind the clouds. "Grimoire Heart's primary goal has always been focused on the black wizard Zeref. Most of the actions that earned us the reputation you know of stem from our pursuit of that goal."
Faint footsteps began to approach, indicating Hibiki had landed and was joining them. Eve nodded towards the archive wizard when he arrived, accepting rolled sleeping bags and helping to hand them out. Once he'd finished, he turned back towards Meredy with a frown. "A focus on Zeref can mean a lot of things. Did your guild want to make a demon or something?"
Hibiki frowned at Eve's question, narrowing his eyes over at Meredy as the pink haired wizard began to respond. "We wanted to bring about the Ultimate Magic World, a place where our lost magics would be perfected, where everyone had magic." She looked over at Eve. "To achieve that, we needed to awaken Zeref and return him to his former strength." A frown lingered on her face as she spoke, thinking back to the man she'd met. "At least, that's what we were told. I'm not certain how much of it was truth and how much was lies anymore."
"Well, nice to know you were always for a full massacre of all non-wizards in Earthland," Hibiki said. Meredy flinched at the harsh tone, not meeting his gaze. "You monsters are always the same. Not caring who lives, who dies, or who suffers as you find your way forward towards whatever selfish dream you have in your little head."
"Hibiki!" Eve grabbed his arm. "We aren't trying to pick a fight. Earlier today, we ran into two members of the Oración Seis and Meredy helped fight them with us. She's on our side."
"So one fight is all it takes to make you forget about Karen? To make you forgive her for everything she's done?"
"It was an attempt to understand her perspective," Ren said. "Regardless of if we agree with it or not, understanding will be vital to work as a team."
"Indeed," Jura agreed. "Meredy may have made mistakes in her past, but she is attempting to atone for those sins and move forward."
Nodding, Wendy smiled. "Mer already worked a lot with me before I even came on this mission. She helped me practice my magic and gave me advice on how to get stronger."
Swallowing, Meredy shook her head. "Even so, Hibiki is correct." She inhaled slowly, stretching out her legs. "One of the others in the guild assured me that I'd have my family back, once our goals were achieved. She promised it would happen and I had nothing else, so I agreed and did whatever I was asked."
"That is an understandable wish," Ichiya nodded. "A truly horrible promise to use to manipulate you into agreeing as well."
Hibiki frowned at her, his focus not turning to the others. "You're still agreeing with me? Aren't you going to stand up for yourself and defend your actions?"
"In what sense?" Meredy tilted her head. "My motivations were selfish and did not consider the impacts of others. While I can explain why I've behaved as I have, I'm not certain if there is a moral justification for any of it."
He watched her for a moment longer, before nodding and running a hand through his hair. "Well, I guess that's something." His hand lingered on his head, staying tangled in his hair. "Maybe I am being too harsh on you. I don't think I'll ever really move past my bias against dark wizards though, not after…"
"Eve explained what happened to Karen." Meredy nodded. "My condolences for your loss. It may not mean much, but I will say that I don't recall personally being involved in a situation like what Eve described."
"You're right that it doesn't mean much." Hibiki glared into their small campsite. "It was cruel, what they did to her. Nothing's going to bring her back or change what happened though." He looked over at Meredy. "I don't think there is anything you could say that would make me feel better about it."
She nodded and a brief moment of silence settled over them. Eve, Ren, and Hibiki took the time to start spreading out their sleeping bags, remaining close to each other. Ichiya and Jura did the same, with Wendy, Meredy, and Charle setting up last. Meredy began to lie down, rolling onto her side to stare over at the boys. "Hibiki, did you manage to learn anything from scouting ahead on Christina?"
The archive wizard shook his head. "Not really. This place is massive - it's a gradual process to scan the place in search of a single spell. Plus, there's a chance that the seal on Nirvana will block Christina's sensors from finding it - it's a bit of a gamble, really, searching like this for it." He paused. "What about you guys?"
"We've probably had worse luck than you," Eve said. "All we managed to do was let the enemy know we're here. Now, they're angry with Meredy because of her betrayal of some agreement between their guilds." He frowned. "Oh, I almost forgot! Meredy has a bit of a reckless way of fighting. She tried to sacrifice herself to take out the others and it made it a bit difficult to fight as a team. I wanted to check and see if you had any more info on her magic to advise her on different strategies to use."
"Um…Eve, I don't think now's the best time to ask." Wendy shifted nervously. "Not that we wouldn't appreciate the help, but I just get the impression that Hibiki doesn't trust Mer yet."
That was putting it nicely. Either way, Hibiki slowly turned towards her, sitting up for a brief moment. "I haven't looked into it before." He frowned, looking over at Meredy for a moment. "Give me some time to think it over at least." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. "Trusting you with knowledge that'll make you stronger isn't something I am all that eager to do right now. We might be on the same team but…I just can't get over this feeling that you're going to betray us in the end."
"I understand." Meredy nodded. "It is something I can work towards independently for now."
"We'll help you too, Mer." Wendy smiled over at her. "That's what we're here for. It might not be immediately, but we'll get stronger and learn to work together."
Meredy rolled onto her other side so she could meet Wendy's brown eyes. She saw the other girl's bright smile, watching as it broke when she let out a yawn. Charle was already asleep near her, resting against Wendy's chest. A small smile grew on Meredy's face at the sight. Things weren't ideal right now, but Wendy was okay and willing to help. Maybe Meredy wasn't as horrible at making friends as she thought she'd be. Letting her eyes close, that smile lingered along with a warmth in her chest as she started to realize that maybe she didn't have to give up on fostering and growing connections like this with others.
Quite a bit of time had passed since Invel and the others reached a halting point on their research of the icy spell. He'd considered a few options, but ultimately, he'd gotten pulled away for the work he'd been neglecting during his research. Meeting with Fiore to assure them that the increased military size was completely peaceful and for defensive measures was a higher priority. Ensuring that a new dark guild was eliminated swiftly was the same. Ultimately, he'd been backed into a corner and was now waiting.
Today, things would be different. Ultimately, Invel could have approached his majesty with a question. He'd very nearly reached out, but then he hesitated. If his majesty also deemed this as a worthless project, it meant Invel would have no choice but to abandon it. So, to ensure it could continue, he refrained from bringing the news to the man's attention.
In the meeting room, Invel had called as many of the Twelve to gather as he could manage. Unfortunately, those numbers were quite small when the request came from him and not Emperor Spriggan. Bloodman and Larcade hadn't even answered his call when he attempted to contact them through a lacrima. He'd been tempted to travel directly to them to offer an invitation, but further thought had him stay behind. The trip would be a waste of time for something that could still be decided on with a smaller group. The others responded, with most of them claiming their own tasks were more important. Dimaria, August, and Irene were the only ones that agreed to meet, gathering in Vistarion with him.
"Thank you for meeting on such short notice." Invel looked across the room. "As you are all aware, we have been researching a potentially dangerous spell that entraps a victim in ice and freezes them in time for an undetermined duration. There have been multiple victims found of this spell, both within Alvarez and to the north in Ilora. Yet, our knowledge of this spell is lacking. We have not been able to determine a counter spell or even decipher how it was initially cast."
"And I take it you have a proposal to move forward?" Irene raised her eyebrows.
Nodding, Invel inhaled slowly. "I do." He looked over at August. "August recommended reaching out to the king of Ilora for answers. However, he will be demanding a high payment in return for whatever he might offer, even if that is nothing. To avoid costly investments and still obtain the information we seek, I instead propose we make Ilora our next target for expanding our borders."
"Again?" Dimaria groaned. "You make this request every opportunity you get, Invel. We get that you care about your home country, but you gotta learn to drop it."
"This is not being proposed for my own personal goals, even if it does align with them." Invel stared at the group. "Please, consider it. They have resources on ice magic that exceed any other nation. If anyone possesses an answer, it would be them. Given their nature, I'm certain all of you can agree that war would be swift and less costly than whatever terms they'd suggest for a trade."
"It is a valid argument this time, unlike your last few proposals." Irene shook her head. "They're a relatively weak nation, all things considered. Their power is concentrated amongst the royal family and a very few guards they trust. For the most part, we'd overtake them with no issues at all, only having a potential delay once we reach their capital."
"They do still possess an army of some form." August frowned. "There will be resistance, even if you lack faith in their strength. Underestimating them would not be wise."
"I'd be happy to deal with them." Dimaria grinned. "I'll take control in less than a day, no problem. They'll never know what hit 'em."
"I thought you were opposed to the proposal?" Irene raised her eyebrows.
"Nah, I'm just bored of him suggesting the same thing every damn meeting we have." Dimaria shrugged. "If it means a good fight, I'm all for it. It isn't like we have a lot of options for new territory in Alakitasia at this point. We wouldn't be losing out on better opportunities by focusing on expanding to the north now."
"Then it sounds like we are in agreement." Invel looked out amongst the generals, taking in a deep breath. "As of now, we will begin our strategy and declare war on Ilora." Finally, he was going to free the people who'd suffered at the hands of his own family. His majesty might not be here, but his promise would still be fulfilled - Invel's chance to return home and save them was here. They would take care of the corrupt monarchy and afterwords, Invel's research would continue on until he had the answer he needed to expand his mastery of winter.
As Meredy and her group began to wake up, they gradually split apart again to return to their mission. Hibiki gave a farewell to his guild, hardly speaking to Meredy in the process. He did pause on his way out, studying her again before shaking his head and walking off towards the airship. With him gone, Meredy and the rest of the group returned to their search for Nirvana and the current base of the Oración Seis. With no true idea of where either was beyond this forest, it was mostly aimless wandering through the Worth Woodsea.
"I'm sorry about Hibiki," Eve said quietly as they searched. "He's normally more understanding than this. I should've realized it was still a sensitive subject for him though."
"He lost someone he cared for." Meredy studied the surrounding area with a frown. For a moment, she grew distracted. Ultear came to mind, along with the revelation she'd been doing so well to not think about lately regarding her involvement with the attack on her home. Shaking her head, she swallowed and didn't linger on the thought for long. "It isn't easy to let go of that."
Eve nodded, frowning over at her. "Did you lose a comrade too then? It almost sounds like you sympathize with him."
"Not in the same way, I suppose." She let out a slow breath. "Mostly, I'm still processing their involvement in my own past losses."
Wendy looked over, giving her a worried look. "Do you still see them as your friends then?"
"I don't know." Meredy sighed. "For the most part, I'd like to say I'm indifferent to the other members of Grimoire Heart. We did not have a strong personal connection to each other." She looked walked ahead of Eve, pausing as she sensed for magic nearby. "I viewed one of them a bit differently. In contrast to the others, she was the kindest towards me. I suppose I mistook that as friendship and viewed her as the only person I could rely on and trust."
Eve approached her, grabbing her shoulder and squeezing it gently. "You'll sort things out soon. Realizing the truth about them is better than staying ignorant forever, right?"
She nodded in agreement, giving him a small smile. "I appreciate your efforts to help. It must seem odd to you, considering your own history."
"Like I said, you don't seem like a normal dark wizard to me." Eve stepped away, looking over at the rest of their group. "You care more than they do and you seem to be trying to listen to our advice. I suppose some dark wizards can be like that too, but I'm just so used to encountering them in fights that I just don't see that side of them."
"Most don't make an attempt to leave their guilds either, I imagine." Meredy took a slow breath. "Once you join one, it isn't easy to walk away."
"Wait, are they going to do something to you for this then?" Wendy frowned. "I mean, you're sorta leaving already. And you keep saying you don't want to do any wizard work anymore after this is over with."
"We'll have to wait and see, I suppose." It wasn't like anyone was around to punish her for this. Master Hades would have to find her first before she'd hear any details on the outcome of her actions. Knowing the guild, they'd fight to force her back into obedience. Wizards that used lost magics were rare, so they wouldn't want to lose her. However, if they decided they couldn't convince her, Meredy didn't know if they'd kill her for being a traitor or not.
"Why wait for them?" A woman spoke, walking towards them with a smile. "Based on what I've heard, you've been a very naughty girl, Meredy. Unless I'm mistaken?" She let out a light laugh, placing a hand on her hip. "Perhaps this entire little incident is nothing but a ruse, an act on behalf of your guild. Does our darling little Meredy think Zeref is nearby? Or perhaps it is a key you are seeking?"
"Angel." Meredy met the woman's eyes calmly. She nearly created a link on instinct, but stopped as she considered the recent conversation with the team. "Your assumptions are wrong."
"Oh?" Angel's smile widened. "Then, please, illuminate my mind on exactly why you think it is appropriate to betray our non-aggression pact." She placed one hand on her hip, holding a key in the air. "In fact, don't even bother speaking. I'll get my answers on my own, straight from the source. Oh, Gemini!"
A flash of golden light illuminated the area before a pair of blue spirits began floating near the woman's shoulder. "Piri piri!"
"I need information, dears. Do what you do best." In a puff of smoke, Gemini transformed and took on a new form. In front of them, an exact copy of Meredy stood in the place of the twins.
"Wait, what's going on?"
"She's a celestial wizard." Eve grimaced. "I can't say I know much about all of the spirits, but I definitely recognize the magic."
"Quiet." In an instant, swords of light went flying from Gemini towards the group. "My master requested information and doesn't need interruptions." Meredy was used to the pain that came from this spell, enduring it with a few grunts and closing her eyes. Around her, she heard Wendy cry out in pain along with Charle and Ichiya.
"Very good, my pet." Angel clasped her hands together. "Now, exactly what does Meredy want with Nirvana?"
"Hm. It seems like she's only here because of that stupid child by her side."
"Oh? The blue haired one?" Another key flashed in her hand. "Then this makes things simple. Gemini, I want to make sure dear Meredy learns her lesson well. Do you think you can manage to teach her not to mess with the Oración Seis?"
"What did you have in mind?"
"Oh, a little game my pet." Angel stepped forward, another golden light flashing as she summoned yet another spirit. This one seemed to be a floating orb, with controls for her to use. "I want you to link with the stupid brat, just like Meredy is so fond of doing."
Realizing what was happening, Meredy stepped forward. She didn't know quite how it would translate from a celestial spirit to a person, but she wasn't in the mood to test exactly what sensory link determined to be 'death' over a link. "Meguilty Sodom!" Blue swords flashed, flying towards them in an instant before the link could form.
Gemini saw the attack, jumping aside. Angel laughed, sending out a blast from the second spirit with ease. "Oh, do keep me entertained at least. I'd really prefer not to—oof!" A rock pillar had risen from the ground, slamming into Angel in a sudden attack. Behind Meredy, Jura stood, prepared to fight.
"Aerial Phose!" Ren began attacking Gemini, sending a small cyclone around the spirit in an attempt to stop their plan. Yet, Gemini smiled and quickly acted. Behind her, she heard Wendy let out a screech as the sensory link formed. Immediately, Ren halted his attack and glared at the spirit.
Taking a deep breath, Meredy met the spirit's gaze before turning towards Angel. This was her magic causing this sort of strife for their team. "Oh? Done fighting already?" Angel smiled, getting back up from the attack. Eve sent a blast of snow her way in response to her words. "You'll pay for that you brat!" Shivering, the celestial wizard turned towards the mechanical spirit. Another laser blasted out towards Eve, though the snow wizard dropped to the ground to dodge the attack.
Whatever her plan was, Meredy needed to intervene. She could sense the familiar magic of sensory link around Wendy and Gemini - it wasn't her spell, however, so it was beyond her control. However, there was a growing connection she could exploit. "You intend to destroy Gemini while your spirit bonds with Wendy."
"So what? Just because you know my plan doesn't mean you can stop me."
Meredy smiled and lifted her hand. Around Wendy's wrist, a second band began to flash along with a mirrored bond on Angel's arm. "Perhaps not. But I can ensure that whatever the result is gets reflected back on yourself. You've never struck me as the selfless sort that's willing to sacrifice yourself for the cause, Angel."
The celestial wizard glared at her, before letting out a huff. "Very well." With a flicker of her hand, Gemini vanished along with the bond. "A truce, for now child. But we will be back." Her eyes flickered around the group with a giggle. "After all, I do know when I'm outnumbered. An angel always backs away gracefully from a fight until she can strike her enemies down with the wrath of the heavens."
"Did Brain really send you for so little?"
"Oh, not exactly, darlings." Angel pointed behind their group. "He simply wanted to make sure he had ample time to deal with a pesky little magic seal is all."
Behind them, a massive pillar of black light was growing. It beamed into the sky, shrouding the forest in darkness. Meredy's eyes widened at the sight. She should have sensed the seal breaking, but oddly, there wasn't much of a shift in the oppressive magic aura emitted from Nirvana with our without the seal. "Enjoy your time with your friends, little Meredy. I promise, we'll work hard to return you to the side you rightfully belong to once Nirvana is fully awakened." With a little wave, Angel began to run off into the forest. Meredy's hands closed into fists as she watched the celestial wizard disappear. They had everything they needed to win that fight, yet would it have mattered? Nirvana's seal was breaking and if Brain had possession of it now, they were going to be in trouble soon.
