Chapter 7: Who is Bambietta Basterbine?
I dont own Bleach of fairy tail. Those belong respectively too Tite Kubo and Shounen jump and Hiro Mashima and Weekly shounen magazine. This is just for fun!
Also, I have a poll on my profile regarding the pairing for our favorite quincy. Vote now and give your answer. The pairing will be decided by the end of February. It is entirely possible that we may not go for the one with the most votes, but do know it WILL be one of the characters on the poll.
In the town of Era lay a rather majestic building, its ornate designs carved into pale marble that gleaned in the sunlight. It was marvel to behold to any that might come across it, a beautiful structure that transcended all around it. A fitting status for the building, for it was home to Fiore's Magic Council. It was composed of those who oversaw the guilds of the kingdom, passing down rulings from the government and casting their own judgments when proven a necessity. It was generally a quiet and calm setting, yes, but now was a time for concern amongst its members. A meeting was in session, the nine members of the council standing within the main chamber. For but a moment there was silence until at long last the wizened Org began to speak.
"Eisenwald has been defeated," he began to say, lightly stroking his gray beard, "but it is merely one victory in a sea of chaos. More and more dark guilds continue to act so brazenly."
"I'll never understand how Eisenwald managed to obtain even a fragment of Zeref's power," the pale and gaunt Yajima offered up. "It was sealed away from prying eyes, wasn't it? So how could they have even found it?"
Michello simply sighed. "A curious matter indeed. The sort of political corruption that would have allowed them to even learn of its location could very well extend to the highest levels of our society. Perhaps even one of our own."
"That sounds to me like baseless conjecture," the youngest member of the council, Siegrain, interjected. "Whatever the case may be, FairyTail was quite useful in putting down this act of criminality. And to think that this council has labeled them nothing more than a nuisance. I find that rather ironic, don't you all?"
"They defeated an entire dark guild with only a handful of their own," the next youngest, Ultear Milkovich said slyly, covering her mouth for a moment with a sleeve of her uniform. "That was quite a stunt they pulled, one that worked to all our benefit."
"However, most intriguing of all," Siegrain added, his arms folding across his chest, "is the report filed by Fairy Tail's Master, Makarov Dreyer, implied. It appears that one of his own was able to destroy Lullaby with veritable ease."
Leiji, well known for his outspoken nature, lost his cool then. "That's impossible! Lullaby was said to have been created by Zeref's employment of Curses! They would have to be in the realm of one of the Wizard Saints to do such a thing!"
"Or," Ultear began to say, her voice coy as ever, "perhaps this wizard simply possesses a magic that we do not quite understand."
Much conversing began to occur then, those in power arguing amongst themselves in confusion and anger, leaving the blue haired Siegrain to grow frustrated himself. "You all may not be willing to accept it," he began to say, biting his tongue in an attempt to speak out of turn and no more, "but that fact may very well be the fact of the situation."
Leiji snapped nonetheless. "You two upstarts have always been causing a ruckus any chance you get! Now you're trying to tell us we owe Fairy Tail our thanks and that there may be a magic out there that we don't understand?"
"Leiji, that's enough," Belno said softly yet with a commanding tone nonetheless. "Is magic not a sea of endless possibilities? Is there nothing left for even this council to learn of?"
Leiji hissed through grit teeth but he began to step back and calm his nerves. "Fine, I will hold any further objections."
"Thank you, Lady Belno," Siegrain said politely. "We were fortunate for Fairy Tail intervening out of the goodness of their hearts. Would it not have been a disappointment to the kingdom of Fiore if one or all of us had to step down from our positions of power to save face in light of Lullaby's usage becoming public?"
Yet then did Org himself grow cross. "That does not change the fact that Fairy Tail's destructive tendencies have caused far too much grief for us all! And now you ask that we simply be content that such a guild may possess a magic that is capable of destroying Curses? That we should sit idly by when an out of control guild may hold in their possession a magic that is beyond our reasoning?"
"Then perhaps," Siegrain began to say with a smile, "we should take this opportunity to discuss the matter with Fairy Tail personally."
"This is completely unacceptable!"
Broken and battered, that was the state Bambietta Basterbine was left in. She had gone into battle with Erigor the Reaper with the intent to prove herself and stand victorious. Now however was she left defeated at the bottom of Clover Canyon. Bones shattered, vital organs no doubt ruptured from the uncanny fall, yet still did the Quincy cling to life.
"I lost? Me? No, I'll-"
"Poor Bambi."
Bambietta felt it then despite her weakening state, the presence of those growing closer to her. For a moment she felt nothing but relief, seeing those she had allowed her heart to open up to, no matter how slightly, approaching. Then did shadow fall upon the Quincy. Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Erza Scarlet and Happy; they were all looking down at her broken body. Upon their faces were expressions of nothing but worry and concern. Yet then did they change, a strange and malevolent glint in Lucy's eyes.
"Poor, poor Bambi," she said softly as she began to kneel down, the Celestial wizard's eyes never drifting away from staring into Bambietta's own. "Fairy Tail can't have you go away like this."
Bambietta felt her skin begin to crawl, the Quincy's breath beginning to catch in her throat. Then did the fingers of Lucy's right hand touch down atop Bambietta's chest, gently tracing down from a collar bone. The Quincy began to hyperventilate then, glancing down at staring at the hand, taking note of the guild emblem that was upon it. Then did the emblem vanish, leaving Bambietta's eyes to widen in shock. She moved her gaze to up towards Lucy's face then, only to find a very different one facing her.
A twisted expression, one captured in a cruel smile and a wretched glow of the eyes, those were the telltale manifestations of Stern Ritter Z.
"We'd miss you, Bambi," Giselle Gewelle said, her voice dripping with the venom of betrayal.
"No!" Bambietta began to scream, her voice rising past the ravaged body that was her own. Tears began to flow from her eyes then, the Quincy begging in any way that she could. "Please, Giselle don't-"
Fingers pierced flesh then and there, finding their way around the heart within Bambietta's chest. In response all Bambietta could do was scream, her eyes glazing over in the red haze of agony. Yet still did she look at Giselle then, taking note of the woman's shifting appearance.
For a brief moment she was Lucy, then Giselle, then back again, the image flickering as if Bambietta's mind was playing tricks on her.
"I," the unstable images of Giselle and Lucy began to say, their voices fused into one, "would miss you, Bambi."
Then did Bambietta's eyes close, her world fading to black as her screams of agony were the only thing left to accompany her.
Bambietta's eyes opened then quite suddenly, the Quincy finding herself staring up not at friends willing to kill her but instead an empty ceiling. It was a disconcerting sight for but a moment, the barren white surface leaving the Quincy to wonder if that was all she had left. Then did she breathe, the sensation of air moving in and out of her mouth leaving Bambietta to understand she was well and truly alive. Nothing more, nothing less. Alive thanks to the mercy of strangers, those who did not know her or owe her anything.
"Just a... just a dream..."
It was a whisper and nothing more, Bambietta's voice low and hoarse. Yet she saw it still, a glimpse of those she had once considered friends, all of them staring down at her with treacherous intent. She whispered again in turn, though this time her voice was laced with disgust and rage.
"Fuck that worthless world."
Bambietta began to sit up then, her blankets falling atop her lap. The Quincy was quickly beginning to question her choice of words then. Did she not want to return to her own world? Did she not want to avenge herself on those that had wronged her? Did she not want to return to His Majesty's service? Did she not have faith in her own world? Did she not expect it to get better upon her return?
Bambietta shrugged slightly, looking at the simple home she had now. The Quincy wanted to return to the life she had led before and yet this world was so strange, so tranquil, calming to her soul even now. Then did she shake her head, the young woman determined to remember and understand the futility of such desires. She was Stern Ritter E of the Vandenreich. The trappings of this life around her were unsuitable for one of her station. It was as simple as that, wasn't it?
Bambietta bit down on her lip, the Quincy at last forcing herself to turn her gaze around. She could see it then, Lucy sitting at her desk, full dressed for the day, her back facing Bambietta. She could see that her roommate was leaning over the desk, perhaps writing something. That gave Bambietta the moment she needed, a brief passage of time was all it took. Her mind shifted from its own dark and depressing thoughts, finding something else to focus upon. The Quincy slowly slipped her blankets off and turned her body. Her feet quietly touching down on the floor, she stood then and began to make her approach.
"Hey, roomie, what are you up to?"
Bambietta took notice of Lucy's back suddenly straightening, followed quickly by the sound of rustling paper.
"Oh, nothing," Lucy replied sheepishly as she looked over at Bambietta. "Nothing at all."
"Right." Bambietta ran her hands across her forehead, pushing aside any locks of hair impeding her vision. Then did she lean over Lucy's shoulder and glance at the papers the Celestial wizard had been writing upon. "Oh, is that a diary?"
"No, no," Lucy stammered. "Nothing of the sor- Hey!"
Bambietta quickly snatched one sheet of paper out from under Lucy's hands and skipped away. "Nice handwriting," the Quincy mused as she hoped up on her bed playfully. Her eyes began to scan over the paper then, yet she was still mindful of her surroundings.
"Bambi, give it back!" Lucy moved in close, reaching out to take back the paper, yet the Quincy vanished from sight.
"Oh, it is a diary! Let's see what we've got here." A slight giggle escaped from Bambietta as she appeared on the other side of the room via Hirenkyaku. She placed a hand on the side of her face for effect and began to read aloud. "Oh, my heart still skips a beat whenever I think about what a big event I was involved in. I heard that the authorities arrested most of the members of Eisenwald that were involved."
"Bambi!"
Lucy stepped forward again but the Quincy was quick to pull her vanishing act once more, appearing back on her bed. Yet this time her voice was rather solemn as she continued to speak.
"The part that scares me is the fact that Erigor got away and no one knows where he is." Bambietta looked towards the irritated Lucy then. "You're scared of him wanting revenge, huh?"
Lucy moved in close and successfully took back the paper from Bambietta. "What if he wants revenge?"
"Then I guess I'll just have to kick that phony Soul Reaper's but all over again!" Bambietta answered, a sly grin spreading across her face. "So don't worry your pretty little head, roomie! I've got your back!"
Lucy simply sighed. "Nothing ever phases you, huh? Hey!"
The Celestial wizard took notice of Bambietta once more vanishing from the bed. Lucy turned quick and could see Bambietta once more over by her desk, another paper in her hands.
"Bambi!"
The Quincy began to scan over the sheet of paper then, her smile quickly fading. She placed it back down on the desk at simply looked at Lucy.
"Bambi?"
Then did the Quincy simply vanish from sight once more. Lucy heard it, the sound of a drawer opening and closing quickly. She turned around, only to catch sight of a Bambietta vanishing with Hirenkyaku, leaving the space from her dresser empty once more.
"Wait, Bambi!"
The Celestial wizard heard the door to the apartment suddenly and open and close and she realized that she was alone now. Lucy had a feeling she knew what had happened, yes, but she was still intent and making certain. She moved towards her desk then, taking hold of the sheet of paper that Bambietta had last read.
"Darn it." Lucy read her own words well. Of her speaking her feelings of those she had met since joining Fairy Tail. "Bambi, I-"
Bambietta, dressed all in white, her nightwear left behind, was not thinking quite clearly as she walked through the teaming masses of Magnolia citizens. The Quincy was lost in thought, yes, but it was a jumbled mess.
Still did she continue to walk forward and away, all but ready to use Hirenkyaku to put some distance between herself and Lucy if the wizard were to give chase. The Quincy simply had not time for apologies or explanations.
"Bambi!"
The Quincy heard her name and in response did she do just as she intended, letting her body move forward at a quickened pace, the powers gifted to her by her bloodline taking affect. Soon she was allotted a modicum of peace and quiet as Hirenkyaku slowed down, leaving her to appear in stop in another section of town. There, however, did the silence come to a close, Bambietta hearing the ringing of bells. She looked around then and in response did Bambietta's eyes widen.
The Quincy could only look in awe as she stood before a rather grand cathedral, its ornate design towering above her. She craned her head in response them to get a good look at it, taking note of the moving bells within its towers.
Bambietta took a deep breath then, trying to compose herself. Her shoulders began to slump slightly then, the Quincy trying to rationalize the thoughts going through her head. She was about to step forward, to enter the cathedral, but she stopped just short of its doors.
"No," she said softly. "Somebody as messed up as me has no right being in there."
Then did Bambietta vanish once more, Hirenkyaku at her beck and call once more.
Lucy Heartfilia was looking all around now, the Celestial wizard worried for her roommate. She was moving quickly through the crowd of Magnolia citizens, trying to catch sight of the telltale signs of her white uniform, anything to let her know she had found her friend. Yet all the while she knew this would prove difficult, Lucy understanding that Bambietta's unique powers, magic or otherwise, would make her impossible to catch if she did not want to be found.
"Bambi," she began to say, whispering under her breath, "I'm sorr-"
"So am I."
Lucy turned around then, catching sight of Bambietta behind her. She reacted on instinct, reaching out to hug her roommate and friend. Bambietta, meanwhile, simply did not move. She only glanced away slightly, looking to the ground.
"Lucy," Bambietta began to say as she pushed the woman away from her, "you were right, okay? The truth just hurts is all."
"No, I shouldn't have wrote anything like that," the Celestial wizard argued. "It was just-"
"You're diary," Bambietta replied. "That's what I get for sticking my nose in where it doesn't belong."
"Bambi-"
"Bambi's a nice friend, if a little scary," the Quincy began to say, reciting from memory what she had read, "but the worst part is she seems a little messed up emotionally. I wonder what happened to her in the past."
Lucy said nothing, simply wrapping her right hand across her left arm as she glanced down. Those were her words, paraphrased almost too accurately, and she could not argue against them.
Bambietta simply began to walk a slight distance away, sitting down on a bench overlooking the canal that ran by the street. She glanced down at the water the before motioning towards Lucy. The Celestial mage moved closer then and sat next to Bambietta.
Then did she wait for the Quincy to speak. Bambietta began to open her mouth in response but nothing issued forth. She tried again, wanting to speak but unable to do so. Thus did the two simply sit in their own self-inflicted silence.
Bambietta began to grow angry with herself now, the Quincy knowing that there was a part of her that wanted to tell Lucy the truth, to let her know everything, but she was afraid. She was a monster, one that had been a part of nothing more than a group composed of such beings. That much had been made quite clear to her during the Eisenwald situation, yet still did she want to go back to that. However, to admit any such feelings to someone who clearly wanted to be her genuine friend would be tantamount to throwing her current life away.
Bambietta glanced slightly towards Lucy then, taking note of her face. There was a slight smile there but the Quincy knew it would fade if Lucy learned the truth of who she was living with. Then would Bambietta have put herself in the position of a well-deserved betrayal.
Then, as if in response to that, Bambietta saw a flash, a change. For one brief moment was Lucy's face supplanted by Giselle's own, as if the nightmare had become reality. Then did the hell leave behind only paradise, Lucy's face taking center stage once more.
"I told you before," Bambietta began to say, "that my friends from another guild betrayed me, right?"
Lucy reached out then, placing her hand gently on Bambietta's own. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
There it was. The out, the emergency exit, the escape from this conversation that she had started. Bambietta so desperately wanted to take it, to be free of this moment that she had ensnared herself in, yet she was unwilling to sit idly by and allow her inner misery remain buried.
"They were my friends," she began to say, her voice cracking slightly. "My... friends. And when I needed them the most, they..."
Lucy felt the silence return, the Celestial wizard watching and taking notice of Bambietta's lower lip trembling. Then did the Quincy take off her hat with one hand, the other running through her dark hair. The hand stopped then, pausing as it pressed against the back of her neck.
"You saw what happened to Kageyama back in Oshibana," Bambietta said, her voice and face both trembling, a strange light in her eyes. "Those Eisenwald bastards tried to kill him. His friends. His damned friends. And mine... They were... They..."
Bambietta's face began to contort then, her rage beginning to overtake her. Lucy felt a slight hint of trepidation in response to it but she refused to move. She knew she had nothing to fear from Bambietta, they were friends after all, but still was it unnerving to see nonetheless.
Then did Bambietta's voice stabilize, her expression growing dark and distant, no emotion present in her in that instant. "I hate them all."
Then there was silence once more, Lucy unable to find anything she could say to offer comfort, Bambietta simply left to mull over the implications of her own statement.
Yet in the end did Lucy finally come to a conclusion, of any offer of comfort she could provide. "Hating them won't bring you peace."
"I know that," Bambietta said quietly, her eyes suddenly narrowing. "Killing them would."
Then did Lucy grow very afraid, the young woman feeling a shiver run across her flesh. "Bambi..."
The Quincy turned to look at Lucy then, taking note of the fear etched upon her face. In turn did a sensation of guilt play across Bambietta then and her cold expression quickly faded. "Lucy, I'm sorry. I just..."
Bambietta stood then, clutching her hat with one hand.
"You're too good for me. You, Natsu, Erza, Fairy Tail. You're all better off casting aside such filth like me."
Bambietta began to move then, the Quincy all but intent on using Hirenkyaku to leave behind Lucy once again. Yet then did she feel a hand against her own, the grip tight. Bambietta bit down on her lower lip in response to it, knowing exactly what was happening. She turned then and could see Lucy looking up at her.
"Bambi," the Celestial wizard said, holding tightly, "don't go. Not like this."
Bambietta tried to keep her composure then, yet even her voice was slipping. "Lucy..."
"We'd miss you. I'd miss you."
Then did Bambietta's eyes widen. Those words again, the same as spoken to her long ago by one who had taken from her something most precious. "Lucy, let me make one thing very. I like you. Levy too. Natsu's okay, and I guess Gray too. And Makarov and Erza, I respect them. But as for Fairy Tail itself and everyone else in it? I can't give a damn. I won't."
Lucy lowered her gaze then. "That's fine. Just... don't leave like this, all right?"
"You," Bambietta began to ask, "you wouldn't ever... No, I already know the answer. You're not that type of person."
"What?" Lucy replied, trying to fight back any tears. "What are you afraid of?"
"It's not important," Bambietta said. "I already know you wouldn't betray me like they did."
"Of course not!" Lucy shouted. "I'm your friend! I don't know what they did to you exactly but I swear I'd never do anything to hurt a friend."
"Like I said," Bambietta sighed, "you're all too damned good for me. But..."
The Quincy pulled Lucy up then and wrapped her arms around the Celestial wizard tightly.
"I'll stay, all right?"
Slowly did the door to Bambietta and Lucy's apartment open, the two of them stepping in. The two were lost in conversation, having moved past all the sorrow and jubilation that they had experienced outside. Now they were simply conversing like two old friends, nothing more.
"So you're into writing, huh?" Bambietta asked as she took off her hat and hung it on top of the coat rack near the door.
"Yeah, I guess," Lucy said as she began to move into the apartment. "I doubt I'll ever be up there with the greats like Zekua Melon but I hope to have at least one good book down written at some point."
"Well," Bambietta began to say, "going by that diary-"
"It's not a diary," Lucy said sternly, looking back at Bambietta. "It's personal, okay?"
Bambietta flinched slightly. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overstepped my bounds."
"No, it's just..." Lucy could not finish the sentence. Instead she moved over to her desk and began to shuffle through the papers. "You only saw the last ones. I wrote so much more and... Well..."
"What's wrong?" Bambietta watched as Lucy waved her hand out, showing what had been the first sheet that she had wrote on. "Dear Mom?"
Bambietta quickly went red in the face. Reading a girl's diary, that she was willing to mess around with. She had done it many, many times with her old friends, though sometimes that had led to some rather horrifying discoveries. Liltotto's apparent crush on Stern Ritter C being the least strange thing she had learned from those knowledge escapades. The worst had regarded Giselle of course, leading Bambietta to never even dare to discuss the differences between the male and female anatomy with her fellow Quincy.
To read a dairy, that was fair game, yes, but to intrude on a daughter's candid message to her mother? That was something Bambietta had not dared to do intentionally. Now she could only feel shame for her mistaken actions, something she was not entirely used to. "Look, I really am sorry."
"It's all right," Lucy said. "You'd probably be the only one who actually reads it anyway."
The Quincy furrowed her brow at that peculiar statement. "What do you mean?"
"Just... forget about it," Lucy said, the Celestial wizard becoming withdrawn for a moment. Then did she suddenly perk up. "Say, you want to do some shopping?"
"I got to say, this is a pretty good pad you two got going on for seventy thousand jewel."
Bambietta and Lucy both turned suddenly at the unexpected voice. They were then greeted with the sight of Gray exiting their kitchen in his boxer shorts, a glass of ice water in hand.
"Hey!" Lucy shouted, forcing Gray to back up with her patent Lucy Kick. "Nobody is stripping in this apartment but me and Bambi!"
"Oh my," Bambietta whispered underneath her breath before at last speaking at a typical register. "It's his thing, Lucy. Outside of some quick drying cement or a really nasty staple gun, I don't think he'll ever stay in his clothes for very long."
"Wait." Lucy suddenly got very confused. "Are you the one taking this calmly now? And I'm the one getting temperamental?"
"Hey," Bambietta said with an unassuming shrug, "I dealt with all sorts of strange fellows at my old guild. It takes me a little to get used to the quirks, but I'm used to eventually getting used to them. I never would have survived with my sanity intact back home if I hadn't figured out that much."
"Sanity intact?" Gray asked, his voice displaying some signs of judgment.
"Oh no you didn't!" Bambi's right hand shot forward then, having closed into a fist. "General weirdness I'll tolerate but half-baked insults? No thank you!"
"Hey!" Gray shouted, stepping back again and waving an arm in protest. "At least let me say why I'm here before you go picking a fight!"
"All right, all right," Bambietta said with a sigh. "What a killjoy."
"I came here to remind you both," Gray began to say, "today's the day."
"Day for what?" Bambietta asked, clearly confused.
Lucy, meanwhile, had a slight inkling. "You don't mean-"
"Yeah," Gray replied. "Erza's going to fight Natsu, just like he asked her back at the train station."
"No way!" Lucy screamed. "Bambi, let's go- Bambi?"
Lucy looked around blankly, taking note that her roommate had all but vanished. She looked to Gray then.
"Don't ask me," the half-naked ice mage said with a shrug. "One minute she was there, the next not. She's quick on her feet, that one."
Bambietta burst through the doors of Fairy Tail, the Quincy finding herself greeted by an unnatural silence. Those within the building were simply staring in silence, all their eyes trained on Natsu Dragneel and Erza Scarlet.
"All right, you ready?" the Dragon Slayer was saying, standing tall with one foot propped up the table seats before Erza. "Because I've got a fire in belly for sure this time!"
"Yes, I suppose I have kept you waiting long enough," the armored mage simply responded, trying her best to enjoy the food sitting atop the counter before her. "You have my utmost thanks for the assistance you provided in defeating Eisenwald, so I will have the rematch you asked for."
Then did Erza suddenly look towards the master of the guild, Makarov simply sitting beside Mirajane Straus at the main counter.
"However, I do believe we need permission for such a contest of wills." Erza nodded then towards the older man, obtaining his attention. "Master Makarov, if you would allow us this sparring contest."
"I suppose I can," Makarov simply responded, "however, I do request that you and Natsu take it outside for the sake of our guild hall. And do be mindful of the property around you."
"Yes, master. And you have my thanks."
Then did Erza turn back to Natsu, to formally accept the challenge, only to find him being confronted by Bambietta. That drew Erza's attentions and she simply returned to enjoying her meal, all the while watching the two converse.
"Are you crazy, Natsu?" Bambietta all but shouted. "Look, I know you're tough and all, but there's no way you're going to beat her! You're just pissing in the wind here!"
"Wind?" the Dragon Slayer replied, raising an eyebrow as he did so. "But she's Erza, not Erigor."
Bambietta could not help herself, bringing the palm of her right hand to cover her face for a second before pointing its index finger at Natsu. "Listen, I know you want to prove yourself and I get that, but there's no point in getting yourself involved in a sparring contest that you can't hope to win!"
"But you wanted to fight me before, didn't you?"
"Okay, that was mean." Bambietta's eyes twitched for a brief few moments, her mouth nearly falling open in horror. "But I'm going to let that one slide because I bet you didn't think that comment through."
Natsu simply scratched at the top of his head. "Think what through?"
Bambietta sighed. "That's what I figured." Then did she snap and became defensive. "And besides, that was different! I thought I could beat you! And I think I can now that I totally wrecked that Erigor guy!"
"Oh yeah?" Natsu's eyes lit up. "Then win or lose, I so want a rematch after I fight Erza!"
"Yeah, like there's going to be anything left of you to fight after that." Bambietta folded her arms across chest and looked away from Natsu, a grunt of frustration escaping the puffed out cheeks of her face. Then did she glance towards Natsu. "Though I do kind of want a second round sometime."
"It's a deal!" Natsu said with an infectious smile upon his face. "So you going to root for me?"
Bambietta relaxed her guard then and sighed. "I suppose I could root for the underdog."
"That's what I like to hear!" Then did Natsu turn to face Erza. "You read-"
He never got the chance to finish the sentence, Erza having long since completed her meal and moving beside Natsu. With one swift motion had she wrapped an arm across his shoulders and pulled him close, inadvertently slamming Natsu's head against her armored torso.
"The stage of battle is set!" Erza shouted as she pointed towards the door and began to guide Natsu to it.
Bambietta, meanwhile, watched as the rest of Fairy Tail, Makarov excluded, began to follow the duo outside. The Quincy merely stood her ground for a second, Mirajane appearing before her.
"Don't you want to see the big fight?"
"Big fight?" Bambietta could not help herself and laughed. "Look, I don't mean to cruel to Natsu but he doesn't have a ghost of a chance against her."
"Oh come on," Mirajane said, grabbing Bambietta by the hand and running her towards the door, "it'll be fun!"
"Meninas the Second strikes again," Bambietta whispered under her breath. "Oh well, I suppose I should root for the underdog in person."
Makarov, meanwhile, simply sat upon the counter. He began to reach for his beverage of choice and took a sip before sighing. "Kids these days. Then again, was I any different at their age? I probably gave Master Precht a heart attack some days..."
Bambietta quickly found herself standing beside Mirajane, all of Fairy Tail encircled around the chosen street outside of the guild hall. In the center stood Natsu and Erza, the two of them locking eyes.
"That's right, Dragon Slayer," Bambietta mused. "Drag it out with a stare down. The more that goes on, the longer you'll be conscious."
"They're really going through with this crazy idea?"
Bambietta and Mirajane both turned then to find Lucy having forced her way through the crowd.
"Hey there, Lucy!" Mirajane said cheerfully.
"Well they have to go through with it anyway," Elfman said, her voice booming from behind the ladies. "If they don't, their manhood will come into question."
"Little brother?" Mirajane said softly. "Erza's not a man."
"And let's get one thing straight," Bambietta began to add, "I'm not manly either, you big lug! So don't you dare even make with that 'humor' today, you hear?"
"Shouldn't we be worried?" Lucy asked gently. "This could tear Fairy Tail's strongest team apart!"
"The strongest team?" Gray was completely confused as he approached.
"You, Erza and Natsu!" Lucy shouted back, growing irritated.
Bambietta was quick to becoming upset as well. "Hey now. Lucy?"
"Oh, and Bambi!"
The Quincy smiled and nodded in response. "That's more like it."
"We're the strongest team?" Gray couldn't help but smirk a little beat. "Yeah, right. What moron fed you that load of bull?"
Mirajane suddenly began to cry then, covering her face with both hands. Bambietta simply dropped her face into the palm of one hand due to aggravation. "Smooth move, Gray."
The ice mage grew flustered then, gently patting Mirajane on the back in penance for his mistake. "You're not a moron, Mira! I mean it! Damn, I'm the only moron here."
"Listen up," Elfman began to say, "I won't argue that Natsu and Gray are tough little fellows, but neither one of them is the strongest this guild has to offer. Some are probably as strong as the two of them combined!"
"And Erza's one of them if you ask me!" Levy suddenly said, standing beside Shadow Gear. "Or anyone else here for that matter..."
"Hey, Levy!" Bambietta moved quick, positioning herself between the petite mage and her two teammates. "So you and me are in agreement that Natsu is so totally going to get roasted in this fight, right?"
"And what makes you so sure?" Jet asked, growing annoyed with the newcomer's flagrant attempts to take Levy from the group. "Since when are you the expert, huh?"
"Yeah, you only got your butt kicked by Natsu," Droy added in, leaning over Bambietta's shoulder. "You didn't' get wrecked by Erza yet, so how could you possibly tell?"
"Because, numb nuts," Bambietta said, growing angered by the lack of respect granted to her personal space, "I can sense energy."
"Wait, what?" Jet could not remember a time hearing of such a magic before Oh, sure he had heard of some being able to get a sense of scope from another's power if it was issued forth and held back with no restraint, but to simply sense it even in a dormant state? That was simple madness.
Droy was equally confused. "How the hell can you do that?"
Bambietta shrugged, unwilling to give the two men the truth behind her status as a Quincy. "I don't know. But what I do know is how your power ranks compared to mine."
Then did Bambietta begin to laugh a little bit.
"Oh, she said, quite suddenly, "you two are totally serious about that level of power. I think I need to laugh even harder."
She did so then, the Quincy holding her belly as she fell into the moment. She only stopped when she heard Levy speak to her.
"Bambi, please," the young woman pleaded, "can't we all get along? You, Jet and Droy are all my friends, so please... for my sake."
Bambietta sighed. "Okay, fine. Quincy's honor."
"Do they really have to fight?" Lucy whimpered. "I don't want to see either of them lose..."
"Come on now, roomie," Bambietta said as she moved up to Lucy and slid an arm over her shoulders, "relax and enjoy the show. If Master Makarov is fine with it... and not threatening death for infighting... then shouldn't we be okay with it too?"
"I guess so," the Celestial wizard answered with some depression still evident. "I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised you're interested in watching this brawl."
"Oh, I'm a fan of violence, whether as a spectator or as a partici-" Bambietta suddenly cut off, leaving Lucy to glance towards her friend and take notice of a rather dower expression on her face.
"Bambi?"
"It's nothing," the Quincy said, lightly shaking her head. "Nothing at all."
"But you look like you're about to cr-"
"No," Bambietta interrupted. "She's not worth it. Not again. Never again."
The air grew heavy around Lucy then, the wizard trying not to pry any further than she may have inadvertently done so just now.
"Put me down for Erza!"
Bambietta and Lucy both turned then, catching sight of Cana accepting jewel from Happy, a scoreboard behind her. It was clear as day that it was tallying some form of betting in favor of the battle that was about to come but neither Fairy Tail woman could believe what the blue cat had just done.
"Happy," Lucy said in shock, "you're betting against your friend?"
Bambietta grit her teeth slightly, glancing at the board behind Cana and taking notice that all were voting in Erza's favor. "You... cat," Bambietta said, trying to compose herself. "He's your friend and this is what you do?"
Lucy began to grow nervous then. "Hey now, it's just a silly little bet, Bambi. It's not worth getting this bent out of shape over."
The Quincy took notice of a scared expression upon Happy's face and she slowly did she begin to grow ashamed of what she had just done. Bambietta gingerly touched the side of her head, shaking it lightly as she did so. "I'm sorry, I just..."
Bambietta crouched down then and carefully reached out to pet Happy between his ears.
"I didn't mean to scare you, little guy," she said softly. "This is all for fun, right?"
"Aye, sir!"
Bambietta stood then and looked at Cana. "Put me down for the Dragon Slayer."
"Wait," the dark haired woman began to say, "did you finally try some alcohol or something?"
"No, I'm perfectly sober," the Quincy answered. "I just know if I was fighting a losing battle I'd want at least somebody in my corner."
"Okay, fine," Cana said as she took the jewel from Bambietta. "I guess at least one person has to vote for the underdog."
"Make that two." Cana looked up again and saw Lucy reaching out with a paper domination of jewel. "Put me down for Natsu."
"Okay," Cana sighed.
"Well look at us," Bambietta said with no hidden amount of satisfaction. "Just the two of us throwing our money away. Aren't we just special."
"You've got Natsu's back," Lucy said, "and I know I've got yours."
Bambietta felt it then, a desire to smile. The Quincy fought against it however, not wanting to appear out of her element. Still did she feel her lips beginning to tug upwards, as if they had a life of her own, yet she managed to stave off any outward appearance of happiness.
"Let's just watch our money go down the drain, all right?"
"Make that three for Natsu!"
Bambietta was left in surprise then, catching sight of Levy handing over some money to Cana. "The madness," the Quincy began to say, "is spreading. What have I done?"
Then did Happy begin to scamper back over to Cana. "I need to change my vote, Cana."
Bambietta raised an eyebrow at that one. "Oh?"
"Even if he's going to lose, it's mean of me to vote against my bestest friend," the cat explained. "That and you kind of scared me."
"I'm... sorry, all right? "Bambietta felt her heart drop within her chest a little bit at that statement. She tried to smile then, hoping to not intimidate the cat any further. "But I'm glad you're sticking by your friend there. So we all ready to watch our money go down the drain?"
The Quincy turned back towards the center of attention, the showdown between Natsu and Erza. The two wizards were looking across the street at each other, the both of them polar opposites. Whereas Natsu was clearly excited at the prospect of battle, Erza was simply standing before him calm and composed.
Bambietta was far from surprised, having already experienced a glimmer of the power this woman possessed. Erza was a veritable monster in all respects, yet she had only visible witnessed a shard of that strength during the Eisenwald encounter. Now however was she curious to see Erza's full potential, yet she knew in her gut that Natsu would not be the one to draw it out, even if he boasted of his prowess. Still, Bambietta hoped she got a good show nonetheless.
"This time it's going to be different," the Dragon Slayer said, slamming a fist into an open palm. "You may have beaten me when we were kids but I'm all fired up now, Erza!"
"Yes, I do believe you've grown stronger, Natsu," the armored mage simply said, a content smile on her face. "I'm happy to see that being the case. Perhaps I will have to use this then."
Bambietta watched as Erza's power began to spread outwards from her body, just as it had back at Oshibana Station. The magical energy arced around her form, coalescing and taking shape. Gone was the standard garb she wore, leaving the warrior to stand before Natsu clad in red and gold armor.
"Oh, that's just fair," Macao Conbolt said as he simply looked on in awe. "Come on, Bambi, give Natsu a little chance, will you?"
"You misunderstand," Erza said sharply, looking the older man's way. "Natsu is stronger than you think. I am simply honoring his power the only way I know how."
"Okay, anybody willing to get the newbie up to speed?" Bambietta asked.
"Yeah, make that two of us," Lucy added, the mage simply keeping her eyes locked upon Erza's new uniform.
"That's the Flame Empress Armor," Levy began to explain. "It gives Erza mastery over flame, particularly with the blade that accompanies it, but it also makes her highly resistant to the element as well."
"Okay then," Bambietta said, glancing back towards the amount of jewel that Cana had collected from her and everyone else. "Easy come, easy go."
"Don't be like that," Natsu said as he looked over his shoulder at Bambietta and the others. "I can win this! Believe it!"
Bambietta only shrugged. "Yeah, okay. Go get her, Natsu. But she's totally going to kick your butt."
"No way! I can totally take anything she can throw at me!"
"I told you so."
Bambietta simply sat at the counter within the guild hall, staring at Natsu. The Dragon Slayer was resting atop the table, clearly worse for wear after the fight with Erza. Now he was simply trying to forget the pain, an icepack resting atop his head. Yet just like the ones from before, its contents were quickly melting under his own body's Fire Dragon Slayer temperatures.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Natsu replied weakly.
"Oh but I do!" Bambietta said with a big smile. "I've never seen such a one sided fight last so long! Every time I thought you couldn't come back up for more, you did! And then she wrecked you again! It was hilarious!"
Then did Bambietta grow calm, her tone much more serious.
"But really," she said then, "you've got heart, Natsu. It's kind of hot, really."
The Dragon Slayer, glanced at Bambietta then, clearly confused. "Huh?"
"Speaking of hot," Bambietta said, grinning slyly as she stood up and moved around the Dragon Slayer. "I think you need another icepack. Maybe we should have Gray just stand by you."
Natsu shook his head. "Another ice pack will do!"
"Okay then." Bambietta made her way towards the main counter, looking towards Mirajane. "Yeah, I think the hothead's due for another."
The silver haired woman simply smiled as she turned to the "Coming right up!"
"Perhaps I was too rough on Natsu."
Bambietta turned then, taking note of Erza approaching. The Quincy did not know what to say, Bambietta still intimidated by this woman's demeanor and strength. She tried to think up something to say, taking note of Erza glancing her way now, the woman clearly having communicated with her directly.
"Oh, don't worry about it," Bambietta said sheepishly. "He and I fought one time, so I know he's tough. I kind of lost that fight actually." Then did the Quincy's expression shift slightly, growing dower. "I used to be so much greater."
"Is that right?" Erza turned completely to face Bambietta then, her voice unassuming yet still possessing an edge comparable to one of her blades. "Perhaps you would like to speak of this greatness you once possessed."
Bambietta all but felt her heart skip a beat in response, the Quincy unsure of how to best respond to Erza's request. The woman was intimidating on her own to say the least, especially with Bambietta having to deal with the fact that Erza's apparent interest in her was shrouded in mystery. She had clearly lied about Makarov's orders, leaving the Quincy uneased. Yet there was much more to it than that. To speak of her sordid past in any great detail would spell no end of trouble.
Then did Bambietta give pause for a moment. Yes, she knew her involvement with the Vandenreich would be a black mark to those she called her friends now, but why would she care? Was there even a small part of her ashamed of her old life?
The Quincy shook off those thoughts in the blink of an eye then. That was simply an absurd notion, nothing more. She wanted to simply return to His Majesty's side if at all possible, to be the Stern Ritter he had taken under his wing. How could she even dare question the choices she had made so long ago?
Yet still was there a part of her that tugged at her innermost thoughts. "No, I wasn't great, not at-"
"Members of Fairy Tail, may I please have your attention?"
Bambietta lost her moment of introspection then, turning towards the doorway as all the other members of the guild, even Erza, were doing.
"What the hell is that?"
Bambietta could only stare wide eyed at the individual who stood within the hall's entrance now. It was human in shape, clad in black and white robes, and yet the head appeared quite amphibian.
"This cannot be good," Makarov simply said with a dejected sigh.
"I have come on behalf of the Magic Council," the creature said. "Please listen to what I have to say with the utmost courtesy."
A hush fell upon the Fairy Tail wizards then, leaving Bambietta to wonder just what was going on now. Yet she had one particular question, one that she leaned over the counter towards Mirajane to ask.
"That's a frog person, right?"
"Bambietta Basterbine!"
The Quincy never got her answer from Mirajane, the Quincy turning to face the Magic Council representative. Bambietta then simply pointed towards her own face, clearly in shock. "Me?"
"You are hereby required to report to the Magic Council for questioning!"
"Well this certainly sucks."
Bambietta was alone now, something she did not particularly enjoy. She had been led away from the Fairy Tail guild by the frog ambassador, all the while listening to Natsu's wild protests dying down in the background, and taken to the Magic Council's Fiore branch building. Now she was simply left to sit at a table in the veritable darkness, a sole light shining down upon her and her alone. Thus had that continued for several minutes on end, leaving the Quincy to grow antsy.
Bambietta began to fidget in her seat a little bit, both mind and body simply refusing to stay perfectly still. She truly hated the waiting game, patience never being her strong suit. Her mind was on edge especially, the mystery of what this Magic Council wanted of her exactly weighing heavily on her mind. It was bad enough she was concerned about Erza, now she had this to contend with as well.
Then, as if sensing that the Quincy's mind was at the breaking point, did the entire room come alive with light, leaving Bambietta to find herself facing a group of several older individuals. Some of them, she had to admit, actually fit the depiction of a wizard that she had actually come to expect, the man with the wizened gray beard especially. If not for the potentially dire circumstances she was in, the Quincywould perhaps have grinned a little bit at the sight of them.
Yet then did she take note of two individuals seated to the left, neither of them matching their comrades. They appeared quite young, perhaps similar in age to those Bambietta had befriended in Fairy Tail. Neither possessed the grace, wisdom or civility that the others appeared to have in spades, instead displaying a countenance of arrogant youths and nothing more. It was hardly what Bambietta had expected to find on the council that Mirajane had spoken so highly of.
"Bambietta Basterbine of Fairy Tail," the wizened older man sitting in the middle began to say, "the Magic Council has many a question for you."
"Aye, sir." The Quincy's face contorted the slightest bit, Bambietta shaking her head a little as she did so. She had not meant to say that, no, but it was clear that Happy was becoming a bit of a bad influence on her.
The older man either did not notice or care. He simply continued. "You may refer to me as Org. Now then, you are a most curious individual, Bambietta. The mission reports we received in regards to the Eisenwald crisis state that you destroyed Lullaby."
"Oh that little old thing?" The Quincy tried quite hard to act as casual as possible. "That's nothing curious, no sir. It was easy to destroy. Nothing to worry about."
"Easy you say?" Org glared down at Bambietta directly then, his eyes narrowing. "Yes, that is precisely why you are most curious."
Bambietta bit down on her lower lip in response, cursing through her inner thoughts. "Come on, it can't be that big of a deal, right?"
"Lullaby was a powerful curse made by the great and terrible wizard Zeref," Org began to say, "and while it has been subdued in its demon form by wizards of impressive strength, not even a Wizard Saint would be capable of destroying it. That was precisely why our predecessors had it sealed away hundreds of years ago. And yet you destroyed it ever so easily."
Bambietta simply did not know what to say. She had destroyed the cursed flute, yes, but she had not done so to cause any such problems like this. It simply seemed like the right thing to do at the time. She had simply assumed that it was the end goal that Erza Scarlet sought, a task that she no doubt could have performed with ease. Perhaps even Natsu could have incinerated it with his flames. It had never even dawned on the Quincy that she had performed an act out of the ordinary.
Org suddenly sighed then, his shoulder slumping slightly. "I suppose the real question we have for you is simple, Bambietta Basterbine. Who are you exactly?"
Bambietta was left in stunned silence then, the Quincy not sure how to best answer such a question. She knew the answer, yes, but to speak it could cause an unimaginable amount of problems. She was so many things, past and present, after all. A member of Fairy Tail. A friend. A roommate. A Quincy. A Stern Ritter. Most damning of all, however, was one descriptive term that Bambietta knew fit her full well.
A murderer.
She did not care, that was what she told herself, yet she knew those before her would. They would judge her, condemn her, perhaps imprison her. Yet still did Bambietta know she had to offer some form of explanation. She had learned it well enough during her tenure in the Vandenreich, during her time serving Yhwach. To disrespect authority was a fool's game.
"I'm," Bambietta began to say, knowing that she had to start somewhere, "a Quincy."
There was a brief discussion amidst the council members then, leaving Bambietta to wonder just what was going on. She had expected those of this world to not know of her privileged blood line, yet now she was left to ponder if this realm had its own Quincy.
"It appears that Ultear was correct," Org suddenly said, the private discussion ending. "You do possess a form of magic we are not familiar with. Please then, Miss Basterbine, enlighten us of your abilities."
"I have to explain them?" The Quincy could not help but sigh, knowing that a more demonstration would be so much easier. "Well, okay then. I guess you could say I draw in the magic around me to fuel my own strength."
"Preposterous!" one council member wearing a hood said as he rose from his seat. "No such wizard on the continent is capable of such a feat!"
"Calm yourself, Leiji," the blue haired young man said softly. "Whatever the truth is of her powers, we will ascertain it this day."
"So," Org began to say, his tone sincere yet stern, "you are a magical parasite."
Bambietta could not help but flinch, her thoughts growing dark for a second. This was just as it was back in her world, the Quincy being looked down upon by those in power. To be judged harshly, to be prosecuted for their peculiar form of strength. Perhaps then it did not matter what world she was in, what place she attempted to call home.
Perhaps there was simply no place anywhere for an individual such as herself.
"Yes," Bambietta said softly, "that's an accurate description of what a Quincy is."
"And what does a Quincy do with the power they've subjugated and stolen?" Org asked, his tone becoming increasingly more belligerent and harsh.
"It's a rather long list," Bambietta began to say. "Not that I can do it all yet, but I'm working on getting back up to snuff."
The blue haired youth looking down upon Bambietta interjected then and there. "Is that a fact? How interesting. You're not even as strong as you say you can be, yet you still destroyed one of Zeref's own artifacts with ease."
Bambietta was beginning to lose her temper then, yet still did she do her best to keep it under wraps. "All right, I'm a little confused here. What exactly is the big deal? What makes anything this Zeref guy did even remotely special that me destroying his stuff a big deal?"
"Surely you jest," Org said simply. "There is not a wizard alive who does not at least know of the atrocities that Zeref committed."
"And I'm a Quincy," Bambietta replied, "and I'm not from around here exactly."
Org raised an eyebrow at that statement, yet he held his tongue on that matter for the moment. "Perhaps it is worthwhile for you to know why we are so concerned. Zeref was a practitioner of the dark arts and in turn all he worked with was magic that was fueled by negative emotions."
Bambietta blinked. "Negative emotions?"
"Yes," Org continued. "His Curses were born from the humanity's worst traits. Anger and hate, sorrow and despair. They were the ingredients of his magic, nothing more. Even the purest of emotions could be led astray and fuel Zeref's creations."
Bambietta simply nodded, starting to understand. "Oh, so they're like Hollows!" Then did Bambietta quickly cover her mouth with her hands, wishing she had kept herself quiet on that front.
"A... Hollow?" The blue haired youth seemed quite confused then, yet at the same time intrigued. "Do tell, Miss Basterbine."
"Well, that is to say," the Quincy began to stumble upon her words, unsure of what she could do to get herself out of this predicament, "they're the souls of the dearly departed who can't find any peace in death."
Org simply nodded. "You speak of ghosts."
"What foolishness!" Leiji began to say, once more raising his voice. "Does she dare expect us to believe such fairy tales?"
"I ask that you calm yourself once again, Leiji," the blue haired youth said, once more opposing his fellow council member's outbursts. "Perhaps there is some truth to her claim. This world is full of mysteries even we cannot yet explain."
"You would believe her, Siegrain," Leiji said dejectedly. "You're always siding with the next generation."
"That's why I'm a part of this council," Siegrain simply responded. "To offer up a differing perspective to those who have been among its ranks for far too long."
"Enough," Org said, trying to bring the situation back under control. He then looked down at Bambietta once more. "So these Hollows as you called them, your power was crafted and forged to fight against them?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say I'm kind of spiritually attuned?" Bambietta had no idea what she was trying to go for at this point yet she continued on nonetheless. "We Quincy pretty much cam purge their essence with their powers... I guess."
"So your magic can wipe out the negative forces that comprise these Hollows as well as Curses. How intriguing." Org glared down at Bambietta then. "I suppose we have nothing to fear of the Quincy then, if your power was created to protect."
"Yeah," Bambietta replied with a half-hearted smile, "that's what we're all about."
"A new magic we've not heard of, one capable of destroying Curses," an older woman sitting upon the council began to say, "as well as an entire clan not known in Fiore. Bambietta Basterbine, where is it you come from?"
Bambietta could only blink, the Quincy having truly dreaded such a question being raised. There was truly no good answer. "Where I'm from?"
"Yes," Org said. "The Magic Council has done extensive research into your name and we could not help but find it amusing that there is no record of your existence. A Bambietta Basterbine simply does not exist on any form of paperwork, at least not until your confirmation of joining Fairy Tail occurred. Don't you find that interesting as well?"
Bambietta took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm. She would have to do something, anything, to placate the Magic Council. A false story perhaps? Yet how could she hope to do that when she had no knowledge of the world she was in? She knew of Fiore, but that was all she had to go by.
The Quincy sighed then, knowing that the truth was clearly her own option. To speak of the world from whence she came, perhaps even of the atrocities she had committed in the name of her god there. Perhaps they'd lock her up for such actions, or simply cast her into some foul pit, declaring her completely insane.
There was no telling what would be the case, yet Bambietta knew she had to speak the truth. There was simply no other way.
"I'm-"
"I apologize for the interruption," a voice said from behind, "but there is someone here who wishes to speak on this Bambietta Basterbine's behalf."
The Quincy had not been expecting that, not in the least. Bambietta had simply expected to be on her own, to face this 'enemy' with no support at all. It was clearly how those she had considered her friends would have done such things. Yet it was clear she had true allies here. The Quincy simply breathed a sigh of relief, hoping for the best.
The amphibian attendant of the Magic Council began to move to the side, allowing a woman to enter the chambers. The very sight of her led Bambietta feeling her breath catch within her thought.
"Pardon the interruption," Erza Scarlet said simply as she walked forward, "but I feel it is absolutely vital that I speak on behalf of my fellow Fairy Tail wizard."
Bambietta did not know what to say, what to feel, she simply glanced back towards the Magi Council and could see they were clearly agitated, though some showed it more than others. All save Siegrain, the blue haired youth simply smiling slightly.
Bambietta could only find that unnerving, though she could not put her finger on exactly why.
"This is outrageous!" Leiji shouted, his temper flaring once more. "Remove her from this chamber at once!"
"Silence!" Org began to grow impatient then as well. "Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail, do you have pertinent information in regards to the matter at hand?"
Bambietta knew she could not possibly be able to offer anything in her defense, so why then was Erza here?
"Yes," the armored mage said, surprising even the Quincy, "I believe I do."
"And why must you offer up such information yourself?" Org questioned. "Can Bambietta Basterbine not speak for herself?"
"Yeah, I kind of can," Bambietta mumbled, yet she knew that she was in-between a rock and a hard place. The Magic Council was clearly looking for answers she could not willingly give, while Erza was still her same odd and intimidating self. "But I'll shut my yap."
Erza nodded, all the while Bambietta folded her arms across her chest in a huff. Only then did the armored wizard begin to speak, taking a deep breath first to clear her throat and thoughts. "You all know full well of the Tower of Heaven."
Bambietta did not, yet she could clearly see a visible reaction among those in the council, the older members whispering among themselves. Then there were Siegrain and the dark haired woman by his side, neither showing any true reaction at all. That led Bambietta to wondering what was going on once more.
Erza continued to talk, ignoring the council's rambling amongst themselves. Bambietta noticed it then, the armored mage taking deep controlled breaths as if forcing the words forward. "When I was brought to the tower by a Zeref cult, there were many there before me. So many, yet none of them were broken in spirit enough that they could not cherish a newcomer in great need. And yet..."
Erza's shoulders slumped then, the woman looking towards Bambietta then and there.
"Bambietta was there before I was. In time I learned from others that she had been forced to slave away in that wretched hell since she had been a true child. Time was cruel to her and she had lost all memory of where she had come from. She could not even remember who she was."
Bambietta simply stared at Erza, understanding quickly what this woman was getting at, what game she was playing, even if she did not know what this Tower of Heaven was. It almost sounded like a theme park to the Quincy but she could understand from Erza's reluctance to speak of it that it was something entirely different.
"That damned tower again." Org rubbed his eyes gently before staring down at Erza. "I suppose we are fortunate that it was abandoned during the rebellion of years gone by. The atrocities those Zeref worshippers committed were simply unforgivable."
"Yes," Erza said both simply and sharply, "they were."
Bambietta felt a shiver run down her skin then, her spiritual senses awakening to whatever deep rooted emotions Erza was experiencing with her soul. Yet then did the Quincy realize it, having Erza's presence to compare it to. She simply could not feel any presence radiating from the Magic Council. Still did Bambietta know now was not the time to ask any further questions of her own.
"I have allowed you permission to speak, Erza Scarlet," Org suddenly said, his voice curt, "so I do suggest you make your point clear and concise."
"She had no name and no memory," Erza said, her own tone growing solemn in response to the sharp tongue of the Council member, "and I... felt she needed a name."
Bambietta simply did not know what to say. Even she was beginning to fall for Erza's deception. Yet she could see something among those in the council that caught her eye. The one known as Siegrain's eyes were narrowing ever so slightly, as if this topic was a source of frustration for him, no matter how slight.
Org, however, continued to speak. "Bambietta Basterbine was your choice? A rather unique name, but I suppose I should not expect anything less from one with a reputation such as yours."
Erza bit her own tongue, unsure of if she should take that phrase as an insult or judgment. "It was an easy name to remember. She deserved that much."
Bambietta could not help herself, a slight smile beginning to tug against the corners of her mouth. Yet then did it fade quickly, the Quincybeginning to wonder once more if she truly did deserve what Fairy Tail had to offer.
"So she escaped from the Tower of Heaven, as you yourself did following the successful rebellion," Org said, his gaze never wavering as it focused on Erza. "So many children lost in this world since that day. Perhaps it was simply fate that at least two who survived that ordeal came together once more in Fairy Tail."
Bambietta was impressed, that much was true. She had assumed Erza Scarlet simply a woman bound to the rules and the law, yet here she was being rather deceptive to help another. For reasons the Quincy could not explain, it was warming her reborn heart ever so slightly.
"I do not believe in such thing as fate," Erza simply responded to the Magic Council. Bambietta noticed then the woman's eyes shifting slightly, as if they were settling upon one individual beyond Org himself. "We make our own futures, for good or for ill."
"Be that as it may," Org interrupted, dragging Erza's attention back to himself, "the information you have provided only explains where she was nearly a decade ago. The question of where she was in that time and how she came to possess the magic she has now is still the heart of this matter, Erza Scarlet."
Bambietta no doubt knew that Erza had a planned story for this, that much was for certain, yet the Quincy was not so inclined to simply watch the deception play out. She appreciated the unexpected assistance, yes, but there was the matter of her pride as a pure blooded Quincy.
"I can explain that," Bambietta said, catching even Erza off guard ever so slightly. "After I left the Tower of Heaven I had no family. My parents were killed by those..." The Quincy's voice paused for a second, Bambietta's teeth gritting as true rage seeped into her voice. "My parents were killed by, my home town burned to the ground by those... bastards!"
Bambietta bit her lower lip in frustration, having not dared to imagine any sort of truth would mingle with the lies she had intended to spread. Her anger was threatening to overwhelm her, giving the Quincy nothing but contempt for the Soul Reapers of another world.
Then did she gasp, suddenly feeling a gentle touch upon her shoulder. She turned slightly to the side, catching sight of Erza's armored hand upon her. Then did the hatred dissipate for the moment, allowing Bambietta to speak freely and with no negative emotions clouding her mind.
"I wandered aimlessly, with nowhere to go," Bambietta continued, "and that was when he appeared."
"He?" Org questioned. "And who might this man have been?"
"My savior?" Bambietta questioned, the Quincy suddenly wondering how she could dare to disrespect the god who had given her life purpose so many decades ago. "Yes, my savior. He took me in when I had lost everything. Helped me find a purpose. He... taught me everything I know."
"About being a Quincy?" Org looked down at Bambietta, his eyes narrowing. "Was this man a Quincy."
"He was more than that," Bambietta answered, glancing down to the table before him. "So much more. He helped make me what I am today. And for that I... I-"
"What was this man's name?" Org interrupted. "Where is he now? How could he have found a way to destroy so easily what Zeref created?"
"He's dead," Bambietta answered, the Quincy unsure of the final fate of whom she spoke of. Still she had to go along with what she was thinking and feeling now. "Yes, he's dead."
"What," Org began to repeat, "was his name?"
"Does it matter?" Erza Scarlet interjected. "If she says that he is no longer-"
"It matters a great deal!" Org suddenly raised his voice, glaring at Erza. "If such a wizard found a magic that could destroy a curse of Lullaby's magnitude so simply, then the Magic Council deserves to know what other knowledge he passed down to this woman! We deserve to know who he was!"
Bambietta began to think then, knowing full well His Majesty's name yet still unsure if she could dare speak it under such circumstances. To use her lord's name within a lie, it was tantamount to pure sacrilege. Yet then did Bambietta remember one particular thing from a time since long passed. Giselle Gewelle had not been able to properly pronounce Yhwach's name for the longest time. It was right up there with how she kept spelling the word pain as pein. Yes, that error was the loophole Bambietta needed to keep her lie intact while preserving her faith.
"His name," she began to say, "was Juha Bach."
"And how did this Bach die?" Org continued his interrogation. "Surely a... Quincy you hold such reverence for could not be fell so easily."
"It was a dark guild," Bambietta answered quietly. "Their leader was a cruel man. An old man. One who held within his hands a magic equal to the sun itself. They... killed each other in their battle."
"The power of the sun?" Siegrain simply said, glancing down at Bambietta with the utmost curiosity. "Such a power would very well dwarf even the greatest of fire wizardry. A lost magic perhaps?"
"I wandered about after that," Bambietta continued to say, "with nothing left to... to live for."
A heavy silence hung down upon the chamber, Bambietta fidgeting slightly, her body shivering quite slightly as the thought of what she had endured.
"And then?" Org simply asked, the elder having no time for pity at this time.
Erza considered her options, the mage wondering if now was the time to speak up. She knew full well she had the answers that both Bambietta and the Magic Council sought, yet still did she find herself hesitating for a moment, Porlyusica's words from weeks gone by staining her memories.
"I will help this girl, but I wish to make it clear to you the danger she might possess. Should she reveal a darker side upon her resurrection then I will not hesitate to do what I must in that situation."
Erza had caught sight of that darkness perhaps, having witnessed Bambietta's lashing out against the Eisenwald wizard that had attempted to murder one of his own, yet was that enough to leave her truly concerned for this woman's mental stability and morality? She simply was unsure and that was something that did not sit right with the S-class wizard.
Yet did Bambietta begin to speak, surprising even Erza. "I remember little," she began to say, "thanks to the spell I was put under thanks to one of the dark guilds own. I just..." Bambietta began to grit her teeth, her body trembling ever so slightly. "I remember the pain, the humiliation, and then... more pain. A flash of steel against flesh. After that..."
Erza felt her mind flinch yet she kept her body still.
"I was saved," Bambietta said, looking up at the Council, trying to keep her expression calm. "Not from the grace of God but from someone who wished to save me."
Erza kept her eyes on Bambietta solely then, the armored mage left to wonder just how much of their initial encounter this woman remembered after all.
"She brought me back from the brink," Bambietta continued, "and then told me that I could find a home in Fairy Tail."
"And this woman," Org continued to question, "who was she?"
Bambietta paused for a moment, trying to remember the name. So much had happened to her since coming to this world in the warped state she had been in that her memories of that time were not entirely meant to be trusted. Yet then did it come back to her, leaving the Quincy to question how she could forget her personal savior. "Porlyusica."
Erza felt herself relax then, understanding at least how far back Bambietta's memories seemed to be extending. The senior mage watched then as the Magic Council began to converse amongst themselves once more, their attentions drawn away from both herself and Bambietta for the moment.
"Bambietta Basterbine, Erza Scarlet," Org said, finally turning his attentions to the two mages. "You are quite fortunate that a few of our own are enamored with Fairy Tail's reputation. However, you are more fortunate that Yajima here is perhaps more familiar with your guild than any who have ever been within our ranks."
"If Porlyusica has faith in you," another older gentleman, Yajima, said as he moved forward, "then I have the utmost confidence that this council has nothing to fear of you or your powers, Bambietta Basterbine."
Faith, that was an phrase Bambietta had not expected to be bestowed upon her by those who clearly dwelled within the light. She who had been forced to live within the confines of shadow had come to expect such things only from others who dwelt in mutual darkness. This was so unnatural, so alien to Bambietta that she did not know how to properly respond.
As if looking for guidance, for reassurance, she glanced towards Erza Scarlet. The mage was looking towards her as well, a certain shine upon her eyes. It was rather comforting to Bambietta and in turn did the Quincy begin to chide herself for her momentary thoughts. This was not alien to her, far from it. She had found herself amidst those who called Fairy Tail their home. They had accepted her, they had welcomed her, they had taken her in when she had nothing. There was no more living within the darkened corners of this world or the next, there was simply basking in the radiant light of the guild.
Then did Bambietta's mood suddenly grow dower. She was within the light, yes, but she knew that all it did was cast long shadows in the end. Hers was a particularly long one, a creature born from the darkness within her heart and soul. She was not deserving of such acceptance, not one who was hoping to return to the shadows and stand among the darkened souls that composed her fellow Stern Ritter.
Erza was simply too perceptive for the Quincy's own good, catching note of the slightly shifting expression and body language she was beginning to exhibit. "Bambietta?"
The Quincy caught sight of Erza through the corner of her eye, noting the hint of concern in her eye. Another undeserved emotion, nothing more.
It was too good to be true, yes, that was what Bambietta told herself. No one could be this sincere, this caring, this perfect. Not the Soul Reapers, not the Vandenreich and especially not this Fairy Tail. They did not know the truth of Bambietta, that much she allowed herself to feel. They did not know the depths of depravity she had allowed into her life. If they did, then clearly this false pretext they presented to her would be gone like so much ash, lost like tears in the falling rain. They would hate her, fear her, despise her. They would turn upon her, just like the Soul Reapers did the Quincy, just like Bambietta's friends had done when the mood suited them.
There was no hope of true friendship, of camaraderie. There was only a means to an end, nothing more. They would betray her someday if they knew the truth or she would betray them first and return to whence she came.
Bambietta looked to face Erza then, the Quincy forcing her storming thoughts to calm, her expression remaining blank and serene despite the chaos within her soul. "I'm fine, Erza."
"Bambietta Basterbine," Org said, suddenly stepping in front of Yamija and looking down at the Quincy, "the Magic Council has learned what it needed to. You are free to return to your Guild. This inquiry is at an end."
Then did Bambietta simply watch in amazement as those who composed the Magic Council began to fade away, leaving behind no trace of their existence.
"Okay, that was strange," Bambietta said simply.
"Projection magic," Erza said in turn. "They were broadcasting from Era, nothing more."
"Oh, that's nice," Bambietta grumbled. "I'm not good enough to meet face to face?"
Erza glanced down at the Quincy and could see that she was quite cross, her arms folded across her chest, her face clearly showing signs that she was fuming. In turn did Erza do her best not to chuckle, not even slightly. "Let's return back to the guild hall, Bambietta."
Bambietta sat up then and began to follow Erza through the chambers door. Soon did the darkness of the room fade away, leaving the Quincy to close her eyes slightly in response to the onrush of light that was issued forth from the main hallway.
"Damn, this is too bri-"
Bambietta's words were cut short then, the Quincy bumping into Erza's armored chest. She stumbled away and rubbed her nose, it having bounced off the metal plating.
"Hey, Erza, warn me the next time you're going to stop in front of me."
Bambietta quickly regretted her burst of attitude, expecting to be chewed out by Erza for it, yet that never came. Instead she could hear Erza breathing a slight bit harder than earlier. Worse, however, was the sense of foreboding that was suddenly seeping through the mage's magical output.
"Erza?"
Bambietta glanced over Erza's shoulder than and could see a man leaning against the left wall of the hallway, his eyes focused on the red haired wizard. It did not take long for Bambietta to recognize this man for who he was, having seen him only moments ago.
Erza, meanwhile, began to speak in a hushed tone. "Siegrain."
"It's been such a long time," the blue haired man began to say, his lips curling slightly upwards, "since we could talk like this, Erza."
"You two know each other?" Bambietta asked innocently enough, though quite perturbed by Erza's sudden change in mood, tone and disposition.
"You could say that," Siegrain simply answered for Erza as he moved away from the wall and began his approach. "Though clearly not as well as you two do. Erza and I simply have a... mutual acquaintance."
Bambietta could still feel it, the sense of dread enveloping Erza. It was wrong, so very wrong to the Quincy. She had already seen Erza as a force of nature, as a wizard deserving of fear and perhaps respect. How then could she be so disturbed by this man before them both.
Then there was Siegrain himself. He was clearly a magic projection, just as he had been in the council chamber, yet still could Bambietta feel something off about him. This time, however, was not something born from her spiritual senses. No, it was simply the way he spoke, the way he carried himself, the look in his eyes. They were all telltale signs of a man who had grander aspirations than those around him. Of a man who felt he was beyond reproach.
Bambietta knew his kind far too well.
"So you're from the Tower of Heaven as well," Siegrain said as he began to look towards Bambietta. "I'm so glad to hear another managed to escape as Erza did."
"What?" Bambietta was so confused then, unsure of what this man was speaking of. Had Erza and the Magic Council not spoke as if everyone had left this tower years ago. "What are you saying?"
Siegrain simply moved closer, his even tone never slipping for an instance. "Perhaps the event was so traumatizing that you do not remember what happened. Or..."
Siegrain suddenly turned his attentions to the silent Erza.
"Perhaps it was all simply a brilliantly constructed facade," the blue haired man continued, his eyes narrowing. "Oh, Erza, lying before the Magic Council a second time. Such a naughty woman you are."
Bambietta looked towards Erza than, her own discomfort at this conversation beginning to seize her heart. "A second time?"
Siegrain suddenly looked back at Bambietta and she could only feel as if his eyes were trying to peer into her soul. It simply began to chip away at the Quincy's nerves, leaving her to wish she could simply lash out at this man. Yet she knew that would not do, not at all. To strike one in power would be a foolhardy thing when she did not possess the power to fight off the entire world. Yet also to strike one who was not even there in the flesh would be an even greater offense, an action that would cast Bambietta as a fool. That she would not allow.
"Yes, a second time," Siegrain began to answer. "That accursed tower seems to make Erza always speak with a forked tongue. It's rather amusing if I do say so myself."
Then did Bambietta grow even more irritated, the feeling seeping into her tone of voice. "What the hell is so special about this tower?"
"Nothing you need be made privy to," Siegrain said, his eyes narrowing. "It's the past, that's all its ever been. However, you clearly know nothing of it, so I do have to wonder why Erza would lie so blatantly on your behalf. It's rather... curious."
Erza, meanwhile, began to grow tired of Siegrain's verbal undressing of the situation, and thus did she turn his own words against him. "It's nothing you need be made privy to, Siegrain."
The man simply laughed. Not long and deeply, but he did laugh. It was short and concise, a momentary lapse in his character that left Bambietta simply on edge. She watched as Siegrain moved back towards Erza, the man suddenly reaching out with his hand.
His fingers began to brush against Erza's chin, gently moving her face up so that her eyes locked with Siegrain's own.
"You wound me, Erza," he said quite casually, his mirth no more. "I wish only to look out for your well-being and your own good, nothing more. "However, I will ask in return that you speak not of the Tower of Heaven ever again to those doddering old fools on the council. Did you not make that promise to me once before?"
Erza was unwilling to talk at first, leaving Bambietta to once more be thrown off by the hesitation this woman was clearly experiencing. The dread was still enveloping her body, though now it was joined by sheer revulsion.
"Yes," Erza at last said, her voice low and controlled.
"I will do what I can to finish that matter for you," Siegrain said then, "just as I promised all those years ago. I will do all that I can to secure your future, as well as the future of all those who suffered at that tower, but clearly that is not enough for you if you were willing to broach such a subject for this woman beside us."
"What of it?" Erza asked, her own sense of defiance coming back to her.
"Allow me to offer an added incentive," Siegrain began to answer. "Never speak of that tower to the Magic Council under any circumstance ever again and... I'll keep myself quiet about how this Quincy was never there in the first place."
Bambietta began to feel her skin crawl then, feeling as if she had become part of some twisted game this man was playing. That was something she did not appreciate in the least. "You know," she began to say, glaring at Siegrain, "tell the damned council whatever you want. I'd rather not be indebted to someone like you."
"My, aren't you a feisty one?" Siegrain returned Bambietta's glare, yet his expression seemed to be that of one composed of nothing but curiosity. "Though I suppose Erza would find herself in such company thanks to being a part of Fairy Tail."
"Siegrain, that's enough."
Both the blue haired man and Bambietta were caught off guard then, Erza's voice startling them both. The armored mage turned to face Siegrain then, her eyes pure and steady, her expression not allowing itself to show a hint of hesitation.
"I'll speak no more of the council, but I do expect you to do as you promised."
Siegrain could not help but smile, nodding his head as he looked towards Erza. "You have my word, Erza Scarlet. I'd hate to imagine the council punishing you for such deceptions after all. They may simply lock you away for far too long. I wouldn't want that."
Bambietta watched as Siegrain moved close to Erza, the man all but draping his head atop her left shoulder. Than did he whisper, leaving Bambietta to strain to hear his next words.
In that moment did the Quincy wish that she had not made the effort.
"I'd miss you, Erza."
Than did Siegrain fade from sight, his magical projection leaving both Bambietta and Erza with only each other as company. While the latter was simply unmoving and wrapped in silence, the latter was letting her emotions flare up in response. Bambietta's teeth came together, her lips baring them as her hands began to curl into shaking fists.
"Don't tell me," the Quincy began to whisper, her voice raising with each spoken word, "don't you dare tell me that man is your friend."
Erza was quiet, her expression belaying nothing of what she felt. Then did she look at Bambietta, her tone exhibiting no emotions. "It's none of your concern, Bambietta."
"The hell it isn't!" the Quincy suddenly screamed. "I don't know what it is going on between you and that creep, I don't know even really know what this Tower of Heaven is, but thanks to you I'm a part of it now, aren't I?"
Erza said nothing at first, the woman shifting her gaze away from Bambietta. "He and I are not friends, let's leave it at that. Like he said, we just have a mutual connection, that's all."
Bambietta could hear it, the strange sense of bitterness within Erza's voice. More to the point, however, she could steel feel the waves of despair issuing forth from the woman's magical power. There was no hiding her true feelings from the Quincy, yet the true motive behind them would clearly have to remain a mystery. Bambietta could tell well enough that to speak of this Tower of Heaven had been painful for Erza, yet still she had done so to help the Quincy in her time of need when faced with the Magic Council's interrogation.
Bambietta began to clear her throat, knowing that she had to do what was next to come. "Erza, th-" The Quincy paused then, quickly growing frustrated. She did not like failing at something, not even this, and she forced herself to try again. "Erza, tha-"
Once more did her body resist her command, leaving the Quincy to bite down on her lower lip in frustration.
Erza, meanwhile, could at least tell what Bambietta was trying to do and spoke in turn. "You're welcome."
Ultear watched simply as the still and quiet Siegrain began to stir, the man's eyes slowly opening. He turned from his chair slightly to face the dark haired woman, a grin upon his face.
"I suppose that went as well as you wanted?" Ultear asked simply.
"Better than expected," Siegrain answered as he sat up and moved across his office. The man glanced out the window then, his eyes settling upon the landscape of Era. "I never dared dream Erza would speak of the Tower of Heaven to defend another, though I suppose it was an effective lie. The amount of truth she mixed into that grim fairy tale of hers no doubt made it more believable to those fools we've left ourselves surrounded with."
"And to think she'd be so cruel as to say that she gave a name to that Bambietta woman," Ultear said slyly, a slight laugh escaping from her. "That must have hurt you deeply."
"You speak out of turn, Ultear," Siegrain responded, his expression hardening for a moment as he placed a hand against the glass pane of his window. "I suggest you remember your place in this partnership of ours."
"My apologies," the woman said in return. "I'll make sure I keep that in mind from now on."
"See that you do." Siegrain simply kept his eyes upon the town before him. "It took much effort in getting Lullaby to Eisenwald without revealing our hand, yet that plan failed miserably. And all because of this... Quincy."
"You think this Bambietta woman is the one we heard of before?"
"For our sakes," Siegrain began to reply, "I hope so."
Sorry for the wait everyone. I dont really have much to say about this one. Just know that no, the quincy that they heard of before, is NOT Bambietta. Who is it? I wont say.
That said, I do hope you enjoyed it and you leave your thoughts in a review, it would be REALLY appreciated. Thank you very much.
