Ok, guys, I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit...disappointed with the reception of the last chapter. Or rather, the lack of it with just 3 reviews so I REALLY hope this chapter gets more. So, PLEASE, leave a review for our sakes. They mean a lot to us.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach Or Fairy Tail. Those belong respectively to Tite Kubo and Shounen jump and Hiro Mashima and Weekly shounen magizine. This is just for fun
"So, this is it, huh?"
Liltotto Lamperd found herself standing within the guild hall of Fairy Tail, the Quincy glancing about as she continued to suck on the lollipop firmly lodged in the side of her mouth.
"This is it?" Bambietta asked, completely aghast at her friend's reaction. "Come on, you got to admit this place is better than the last place you called home. Chicken Fangs, what a concept!"
Liltotto looked around further as Bambietta guided her through the downstairs, taking note of the controlled chaos that seemed to envelope and pervade the complex. It was so very different from the guild hall that the Chicken Fangs had possessed, thanks in part to Master Danvers' forced corruption, but the Quincy was beginning to wonder if she could ever hope to fit in here. It was loud and it was lively, a far cry from what she had experienced earlier in this world. It was also a far cry from a mutual experience she and Bambietta had shared.
"It's certainly not like the Wandenreich," Liltotto said rather calmly.
"Oh, I know," Bambietta said, pulling her friend in close. "There's no place like home, but at least this should tide us over until we find a way back to His Majesty's side."
Liltotto said nothing, the Quincy closing her eyes for a moment. She trembled for a brief moment, her right hand clutching at her stomach.
Bambietta was quick to notice. "Lil? What's the ma-"
"So, who's your friend?"
Bambietta was caught off guard, taking her focus away from Liltotto and finding herself stared at by a rather inquisitive Natsu Dragneel, the young man perhaps too close to comfort.
Still, Bambietta did her very best to ignore her baser instincts and snap. He meant well, she knew that much. "Oh, just a friend of mine. Natsu, Lil. Lil, Natsu."
"Hi." That was all Liltotto said, not sparing the Fire Dragon Slayer even a glance.
"Don't let her excitable nature fool you," Bambietta said with a sigh. "She's pretty quiet when she wants to be." Bambietta moved her head slightly to whisper to Liltotto. "Come on, he's a nice guy. And he doesn't bite. That's your thing."
Liltotto still said nothing, leaving both Bambietta and Natsu alone in an awkward silence.
"Okay then." Bambietta admitted defeat, looking to Natsu. "So, is Master Makarov around? I think we may have a new fairy in our midst. Isn't that right, Lil?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah, he's here," Natsu said quietly. "He's just... Well... I kind of ran into this other guild called Dragon Spooker and there was a bit of a misunderstanding... And me and the redhead from that guild kind of sort of destroyed a village."
Bambietta shook her head. "What? You found her guild's offensive?"
"Well yeah," Natsu agreed. "Nobody spokes me!"
"There you go," Bambietta said with a sigh. "Sticking up for dragons. You do realize your magic is called Dragon Slayer, right? I think the average flying lizard would rather be spooked than slayed if they had a choice in the matter."
"Well, I guess so," Natsu complied, admitting defeat. "Anyway, gramps is kind of filing some reports on the damage I caused to the town of Raisaag."
"Oh you little devil you," Bambietta replied with a smirk. She nudged Liltotto to look at Natsu again. "I told you he was a Fire Dragon Slayer. How cool is that, right?"
"Pink hair and fire powers?" Liltotto asked, finally paying a bit more attention to Natsu. "At least he has a better haircut than Bazz-B."
"Bazz-B?" Natsu asked. "That a friend of yours from your old guild?"
Bambietta nodded in agreement. "You bet!"
Liltotto, however, was not quite in agreement. "Yeah, sure. A friend."
Bambietta caught notice of Liltotto getting down and did her best to cheer her up the only way she knew how. She lowered her head towards the shorter Quincy's nearest ear. "Maybe it's a coincidence, but it kind of makes me wonder if the Soul Reaper's Head Captain had pink hair before he got old and senile."
Liltotto tried to resist, but the sudden image of Head Captain Yamamoto of Squad One possessing a striking complexion of hair similar to either Natsu or Bazz-B was enough to make her smile. Her voice, however, remained in its deadpan state. "You mean before he needed to compensate by always wanting to fire off that Kido Cannon at every little thing?"
Natsu stared blankly as both of the Quincy began to giggle. He had no idea what they were laughing at but he figured it would be rude to interrupt.
Eventually the two young ladies calmed down, Bambietta leaning forward as if trying to resist the urge to slap her knee over the whole thing. "Oh, we needed that."
"So, I heard you went out on a mission with Lucy and the others," Natsu chimed in. "Where'd they go?"
"They all went home for some shut eye the moment we hit town," Bambietta explained. "I guess fighting a guild master will do that to you."
The Fire Dragon Slayer simply went wide eyed. "You fought a guild master?"
"Yup," Bambietta said, raising a closed fist up from her elbow, as if trying to flex before Natsu. "Totally kicked her ass!"
"Man, and I thought Master Makarov was mad for me wrecking a town with that flat chested sorceress," Natsu replied, moving behind Bambietta and slapping her on the back. "Thanks for doing something even worse than I did!"
Bambietta grumbled, turning to glare at Natsu, but then Liltotto began to speak.
"It's not what you think. She was under a curse, so we kind of had to beat it out of the guild master before she killed us."
"Oh." That was all Natsu said at first. "I guess I'm all alone in the doghouse then."
"Come on," Bambietta said, nudging Natsu in the ribs, "I'm more than willing to join you by causing a ruckus... if it involves us having our little rematch."
"Oh yeah!" Natsu shouted. "I bet you're a whole lot stronger if you could fight a guild master! I'm game! But first I have to finish-"
"Yeah, I won't lose twice!" Bambietta interrupted with a grin.
"Wait, this guy beat you?" Liltotto suddenly asked.
"Well... yeah." Bambietta grew a little depressed then, but quickly bounced back. "It happens! I mean, even His Majesty lost a fight once!"
That title once more left Liltotto shaking for a moment, but she too bounced back. She leaned up on her toes and brought one hand near her mouth as she whispered into Bambietta's ears. "No offense to this guy, but he doesn't feel more powerful than me. If you lost to him, then..."
Bambietta lowered her head. "I thought I told you I wasn't as strong as I used to be. But even though I don't have my wings or the Explode, I'm still a toughie! And don't worry, I'm going to get them back some day!"
"No, that's not just it," Liltotto said as she lowered herself back down on the soles of her feet. "Bambi, your spiritual pressure isn't what I remember. I think... I think you might even be weaker than when you were a zombie."
Bambietta's mind went blank then, the void quickly becoming consumed with darkness. The harsh reality of it all, she had understood it on a fundamental level, but to hear it from Liltotto, that was when it finally was clear to her.
"I've fallen so far because of her..." Bambietta's fingers curled into her hands, forcing them to become shaking fists. Her teeth clenched then, her breathing becoming forced.
"Uh oh." Liltotto had seen this many times in the past and she knew where it was going. It was a time like this that she knew she had to act fast. "Bambi, let's not think of Giselle, okay? Lollipops, unicorns, explosions, rainbows, and-"
Bambietta suddenly dropped to her knees, her anger giving away to another emotion altogether. She brought her hands up then, leaving her face to fall forward directly into her palms. Her voice was wavering then, her composure shattered. "God... damn it... Giselle..."
Liltotto watched in surprise, the Quincy having never seen Bambietta in such a state. Questionable happiness, that was nothing new. Anger and hate, the same. However, she began to understand then the suffering that Bambietta had experienced. Words could not help, not in the slightest. That was precisely why she simply reached out with a tentative hand, hesitation fading as she gently touched Bambietta's quivering shoulder.
Natsu, meanwhile, was left in complete shock. This too was not something he was quite prepared to deal with. Unlike Liltotto, he had words. However, the amount of thought that went behind them was another matter up for debate. "Come on, don't... cry. I had something important to take care of, but you know what? I'm up for that fight right now! Beating me up will make you feel better, right?"
Liltotto looked at the Dragon Slayer then, wondering how much of a glutton for punishment he really was. "Do you have any idea what Bambi does to guys when she wants to feel be-"
"Natsu," Bambietta suddenly said, cutting off Liltotto and silencing her. "You know me too well, huh?"
The dark haired Quincy shook her head, slapping the palms of her hands against her cheeks as she stood up. She looked at him with a smile, nothing but dried tears around her eyes. "A little violence goes a long way to making me feel go-"
"Hey, Natsu!" a voice suddenly cried out. "We going to get this contest underway, or did you finally realize you're not enough of a real man to beat me?"
Bambietta, Liltotto and Natsu all turned their gazes, catching sight of Elfman sitting at a table, Mirajane placing several plates of well prepared food before him. That was when the twin Quincy noticed the several dozen plates that were already there.
Bambietta desire for battle suddenly quelled. "You're... having an eating contest?"
"You bet!" Happy suddenly exclaimed, the cat flying by on his wings. "Natsu's finally going to take away Elfman's championship! I just know it!"
Liltotto's eyes suddenly shifted, tracking Happy as he flew about. "Did that cat just talk?"
"Sure, and the fact that he flies doesn't surprise you." Bambietta suddenly smiled. "Okay, I'll let you have your fun before we fight, Natsu... on one condition."
The Dragon Slayer looked at Bambietta, quizzical expression overtaking his face. "What's that?"
Almost casually, Bambietta took hold of Liltotto's shoulders, lifting the Quincy up off her feet and planting her directly in front of herself. "You and that manly man of a man over there let my little buddy play too."
Liltotto simply stared vacantly at Natsu, as if being forcibly moved about by Bambietta as she just had been was nothing new to her. She looked at Bambietta then, glancing over her shoulder. "I don't need to intrude on their fun."
Bambietta sighed. "Come on, be social. It's good for you. Besides, I promise Mirajane makes good food. Besides, you need to make up for lost time, even after eating Qorvus out of house and home."
"But-"
"You're going to eat lightning," Bambietta began to say as she started to work over Liltotto's shoulders as if she was prepping her for fight, "and you're going to crap thunder!"
"That wasn't cool whenever you said it to Candi and it's not cool now," Liltotto sighed. "But fine."
Liltotto turned to look at Natsu, trying hard to ignore how rough Bambietta was getting with her massage. "Can I join your little fairy game?"
"That's the spirit!" Bambietta cheered, slapping Liltotto on the back with much enthusiasm. "Show these fairies they ain't got the guts to beat you!"
Bambietta watched on as Natsu guided Liltotto over to the table, sliding a chair out for her. Despite his rather puckish exterior, he was quite the gentleman when the need arose. Bambietta had to admit that she was impressed.
More so, however, she was simply amused at the sight of Liltotto's eyes practically sparkling as she looked down at the seemingly never-ending mountain of food that was before her, Natsu and Elfman. Her over joyous expression only increased as Mirajane brought a tray consisting of even more plates of food over.
"Wait a minute," Elfman said, looking down at Liltotto. "No offense, but you look less like a competitor and more like an entree."
Bambietta could not help but smile, knowing that the mage was so going to be taken down a peg. "Serves you right, calling me manly again and again..."
"Come on, Elfman, don't be a jerk," Natsu protested. "If she wants to play, she can play."
"But she's not even a member of Fairy Tail," Elfman countered. "I think I'd remember her-"
"I'm going to be by the end of the day," Liltotto interrupted. "I hope."
"See, she's totally able to compete then," Natsu shouted as he sat down. "So where to begin?"
"All right," Mirajane began, signaling for the attention of both the contestants and the onlookers, "I like to think we all know the rules! Normally we stick with two sides to all the food I've prepped but since we've got a new contestant-"
Mirajane paused for a moment, her eyes glancing about as an index finger pressed against her chin. A minute passed but then her eyes brightened, as if a light bulb had gone off.
"Okay! You'll all be limited to the food before you at the start, but if you do manage to get through your portions before someone else does, you're free to gobble up their food as well! That way it's not just a matter of how much you can handle but how fast you can too!"
"Come on, sis!" Elfman suddenly shouted. "You know a real man chews his food slow and steady so he doesn't end up choking!"
Bambietta's smirk only intensified, the Quincy noting that Liltotto was quite undeterred by the sudden rules that had been laid down. If anything, despite Liltotto's ambivalent expression, Bambietta could swear that the Quincy was quite content with the rules. The twinkle in her eyes had all but increased after all.
"What's the matter?" Liltotto asked, giving no hint to her true emotions. "Are you a man... or is the course before me not the only chicken present?"
Bambietta sat herself down at a table then, propping her head up with one hand, the elbow resting on the counter. She watched on as Liltotto and the others began to consume all there was before them, the biologically younger of the two Quincy clearly enjoying herself. Bambietta knew that Liltotto was always one to keep her feelings in check, that none around were probably capable of noticing the shifts in her mood. She, however, was different. Bambietta had known Liltotto far too long to remain oblivious to her hidden emotions. She was happy, that much was certain, and Bambietta knew she should feel the same way.
She had forgiven Liltotto despite her rage against the most personal of betrayals she had suffered. She had forgiven her due in part to the despair that her friend had subjected herself to. She had forgiven Liltotto, yes, but she had not forgotten what had happened that fateful day in another world.
I thought of you like my little sis, but when my chips were down you let that death worshipping piece of garbage take me away from you. Bambietta watched the eating contest continue, the other watchers cheering on all three contestants. She, however, began to slump down against the table, all but burying her face up to its nose in her crossed arms. I wouldn't have let Giselle do the same to you, so why... why couldn't you help me?
Bambietta closed her eyes for a minute, the truth that Liltotto had spoken back at Ruby coming to her once more.
She was scared, I get it. Scared of Giselle and scared of... something else. And me? Sometimes I'm too ballsy for my own good I guess. If I had possessed any sense I would have turned tall and run once 'Captain Doggie' got his Bankai back. Or when he made it all the more demented. But no, I let my pride get in the way of my common sense and only began to run when it was too late. There's no damn point in fighting if you're going to get yourself killed but... I probably would have been better off if that Soul Reaper had killed me outright.
Her memories of the events that had followed were still nothing more than a haze, but Bambietta could still see it, hear it, feel it, the anguish that Giselle had put her through. Bits and pieces, moments that would not grant her mercy and become lost in time, delighting instead in tormenting her any time she so much as closed her eyes. Yet even now, her eyes wide open, Bambietta's attention was drifting away towards those bitter fragments. She was beginning to lose herself then, time no longer something she could ascertain.
Maybe that cursed guild master had a poi-
"Hey, Bambi, what's the matter?"
The Quincy suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, the sense of touch jarring her back to the present. Bambietta glanced upwards and to her side then, taking note of Mirajane looking down at her. "Shouldn't you be, I don't know, officiating the little gobbler contest over there?"
"We're in Fairy Tail," Mirajane replied. "Do you really think anyone outside of Makarov or Erza can keep anything under control around here?"
"Point taken." Bambietta looked back to the eating contest, uninterested in pity or concern, even from someone as clearly kind-hearted as Mirajane. Yet then was she greeted by the sight of Liltotto falling behind of both Natsu and Elfman. "That isn't right..."
"She noticed." That was all Mirajane said at first, but when Bambietta looked back her way she continued. "I think your friend saw you looking depressed and started slowing down. I don't know why, but..." Mirajane suddenly looked at Bambietta with a serious expression, so unbecoming of her. It was not one of anger but the very concern and pity that the Quincy had wished to avoid. "I've always felt sorrow was contagious. So please... for both your sakes, chin up."
Bambietta understood what Mirajane was saying, remembering well what Levy had told her long ago about the S-Class mage before her. That even the most cheerful of individuals could very well have experienced the sharpest of pains. The Quincy knew what she had to do now. She could not allow herself to wallow in her past. No, she had to move forward if there was any hope for a future.
"Come on, Lil!" she suddenly shouted, standing from her seat and raising a fist high above her head. "Show the hothead and that manly man they don't stand a chance!"
Liltotto looked towards Bambietta then, her confidence and resolution to move forward rekindling in response. She wanted to eat, she wanted to win, but she knew that her early lead had been lost in her momentary collapse of happiness. However, she also knew that Mirajane had made no mention that magic was off the table in this contest and surely no one would recognize her powers as a Quincy as anything but magic.
"Come on, Lil, you 've got- oh." Bambietta's cheerleader routine began to falter, the raven-haired Quincy watching as Liltotto's mouth began to stretch outwards from her face, the open maw speeding across the table like a viper snatching after prey again and again. Bambietta was shell-shocked, watching Liltotto devour all the food before her as only she could, her mouth quickly going after Natsu and then Elfman's plates as well.
Neither member of Fairy Tail was any less surprised, both the Dragon Slayer and the Take Over wizard staring in shock at Liltotto's unique brand of eating. The former was simply quiet, the latter quick to showcase his surprise with bellowed words. "What the heck is that?"
Bambietta, meanwhile, simply smirked in delight. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised he's freaking out. Liltotto's power does have that effect on people.
Natsu watched on as Liltotto began to finish off the food that had been bequeathed to him, leaving absolutely nothing behind. The table was empty, the newcomer the clear victor, but the Dragon Slayer simply did not care. Her victory, his and Elfman's defeat, it was all so far gone in his thoughts, his attention span dwelling on another subject altogether. "That... was... awesome!"
Her mouth return to its rightful place, the flesh no longer stretching to accommodate the power, Liltotto glanced at Natsu then, completely overcome by the Fire Dragon Slayer's response. "You're... the first person who hasn't been revolted by my power..."
"Revolted?" Natsu began to say. "Why would I be? I wish I could do what you do! Hey, it's magic! Can you teach me? Can you?"
Bambietta watched as Natsu enthusiastically pleaded with Liltotto, her smirk becoming a broad smile instead. Yet then she could see something on Liltotto that she had never expected. Her face was going red. She was blushing.
Awww... Come on, Lil. Play with your hair all nervous like. It'll be adorable!
"See, told you it was contagious." Mirajane then scampered over to the table, raising Liltotto's hand high. "The winner and new Food.. Queen of Fairy Tail-" Mirajane looked at the Quincy then. "I don't think I actually got your name. Sorry."
"Liltotto," the Quincy replied with an embarrassed mumble, so low that Mirajane barely heard it. "Liltotto Lamperd."
Mirajane nodded then and moved away from the whispered conversation, her joyous voice spreading across the guild hall. "Your new Food Queen of Fairy Tail, Liltotto Lantern!"
Bambietta heard it then, the crowd of gathered mages chanting Liltotto's incorrect name, leaving her to sit back in her chair with equal parts happiness and amusement. "Well, a for effort..."
The moment carried on then, Liltotto suddenly finding herself hoisted up on Elfman's shoulder of all people, the Take Over wizard letting her bask in the glory of her victory. It was then that the Quincy truly understood that this guild was quite different indeed from the Chicken Fangs, let along the Vandenreich.
"Good afternoon, my children."
The part was ended then, a hush falling upon the crowd as the voice of the guild master carried over the spectacle. Liltotto looked down then and could see a rather short old man standing by what she could only assume was the doorway to his office. He was looking quite serious indeed.
"Maybe it's not so different from the Vandenreich..."
"Hey, Master Makarov!" Bambietta shouted as she approached the guild master with reckless abandon. "How's it be-"
"I hope you did not take another S-Class mission, Bambietta," the old man said, cutting her off.
"No, no," Bambietta replied, suddenly covering her backside with both hands. "But that darn ice cream girl kind of did the same to me on that A-Class job request. I swear, someday I'm going to return the favor!"
Makarov raised an eyebrow at that statement.
"Oh, did I say that out loud?" Bambietta tried to laugh it off and change the subject. "Anyway, I kind of brought someone over who'd like to join Fairy Tail."
Makarov glanced away from Bambietta then, taking note of the blonde young girl wearing clothes similar to Bambietta's own and sitting atop Elfman's shoulders amidst a crowd of wizards. "It appears she's already situated herself within our family if you ask me."
Bambietta flinched for a moment, noting the still serious expression that Makarov wore. "I overstepped my bounds, didn't I?"
"No, no," Makarov replied, patting Bambietta on the back of her knee. "There's always room in our Fairy Tail family for more.
Liltotto heard it just as Bambietta had and she quickly took off from Elfman's shoulder, the inherent speed of any Quincy taking her to Makarov and Bambietta's side. That left Elfman, Natsu and the others glancing around in surprise.
"So, I take it I have to defeat a current member as an entrance exam?" Liltotto asked, glancing back at the confused Elfman and Natsu. "I've already beaten those two in that contest, so that should be a piece of cake."
Bambietta wanted desperately to bring the palm of one of her hands up to her face, wondering just how the Chicken Fangs had run things under Master Danvers' possessed rule. "No, Liltotto, here we just have interviews."
"Oh good," Liltotto replied with a shrug. "Much less effort then."
"You truly have interesting friends." Makarov spared Bambietta a look before he opened the office door and motioned to Liltotto. "Come on now."
Liltotto followed him soon after and Bambietta watched the door close. The Quincy had to wonder how the interview would go. "I guess we'll find out in ti-"
"Hey there, angel."
Bambietta sighed, her shoulders dropping, and she turned to find herself face to face with Loke.
"Oh no..."
Liltotto found herself within Makarov's office, watching as the guild master of Fairy Tail took at his desk. He was folding his fingers against each other, his forearms resting on his desk as he looked at the Quincy. "Please, take a seat."
Liltotto felt a level of unease but did as the older man had asked. "So, I'd like to join Fairy Tail."
"So, your friend implied," Makarov interrupted. "I'll admit that I had serious reservations within the corner of my mind when I allowed Bambietta into this family but I did it with the best of intentions. So far, I feel my actions have been justly rewarded for the most part. However..."
"However?"
Makarov looked at Liltotto with the most serious of expressions. "I did not pry too deeply with Bambietta when she arrived at my doorstep. She seemed to possess a level of hurt that led me to be accepting while alert for any problems that might arise. However, you do not seem quite so... hurt."
Liltotto did not know quite how to process that.
"There's also the matter of Miss Basterbine telling me that those she knew in her previous guild were responsible for the condition she was found by Erza Scarlet," Makarov continued, not letting his tone waver in the slightest. "The one who treated her condition is quite possibly the most accomplished healer on in this kingdom yet it took more than even she dared tell me to right what was wrong. Now, seeing as you dress much like Bambietta and that she refers to you as a friend... I would have to assume you are also from the dark guild that was responsible for what happened."
Liltotto had not entirely been expecting that, but she knew enough to correct her line of thinking. Bambietta had not told her a word of what she had said to Makarov on their way to Magnolia, only speaking of how a woman called Porlyusica had coaxed her faint remains to life. Whatever she had said to Makarov, that was something else entirely separate.
Doubt entered Liltotto's mind then, the Quincy wondering if this was some protracted revenge that Bambietta had inflicted on her. It was something she was quick to correct, Liltotto understanding well that long, drawn out schemes were not befitting Bambietta Basterbine.
"The truth then? Nothing but the truth?" Liltotto asked. "You're going to think I'm crazy."
Makarov simply stared with no intent to let the moment pass. "Try me, please."
It was times like this Liltotto hated being so blunt. "I don't know what Bambietta remembers when she came here, but I do. Kind of. This isn't our world. It took me a while to figure out it, but the history, the sources of magic, nothing here matches up with where we come from. I couldn't even tell you if this reality has an afterlife, but I know ours does. Unfortunately."
Liltotto stopped then, the Quincy knowing full well that Makarov was probably considering her insane by now.
"Why do you say unfortunately?"
That was not the response she had been expecting. "That's what you took from me speaking of alternate dimensions?"
"If what you say is true," Makarov said, "you and Bambietta are still not the first members of Fairy Tail from other worlds."
Liltotto had not been expecting that. Not in the least. Still, she was willing to move on if need be. "You asked why I'm upset my world has life after death?"
"Yes," Makarov answered. "Many would find absolute proof of such a thing a blessing when they're life is reaching its end."
"Where we came from, life can be cruel sometimes," Liltotto began to answer. "But the afterlife was almost always cruel. It's very nature... sucked? Yeah, that's an good way to say it. The realms of the dead were no batter then the lowest points of life itself unless you were truly divine. Those in power, those tasked with protecting the souls of the dead, they didn't care. Humanity had to take it upon itself to stay safe in life and death. And we... were punished for it."
Makarov could hear it then, a sense of pain behind Liltotto's voice, but he knew that it was not as deep rooted as Bambietta's own, the wound perhaps not as fresh as what drove her wild emotions now. That was precisely why he let Liltotto continue.
"I know this world has monsters," Liltotto continued, the Quincy looking at Makarov with an unmoving expression, "but the ones back home could not be fought by the average individual. And if humanity's 'angels' would not save us, then humanity had to become angelic instead. My ancestors were given that power by a savior, his blood our blood, but in the end mine and Bambietta's kind was hunted to extinction by those felt themselves above us forever."
Liltotto paused for a moment, closing her eyes before looking at Makarov again.
"I don't know if this world I call home now even has an afterlife," she began to say, "but I'd honestly rather cease to exist than 'live' for an eternity in my dimension."
"To think such a world could exist," Makarov began to say, wearily rubbing his eyes with a thumb and index finger, "it's hard to imagine. However, it is this 'dark guild' Bambietta spoke of that I am more concerned about at this moment."
Liltotto was quiet for a moment, trying to find the words. She looked at Makarov, her lips trembling for a moment, her hands suddenly trembling, her fingers clutching at her arms. "Again, the whole truth? About the Vandenreich? About what happened to Bambi? About our... master?"
"If you find yourself capable of speaking of such matters," Makarov said.
"Just..." Liltotto was not sure how to say it. "Just keep me safe from such things and I'll tell you anything you want to know."
Makarov had to admit then that he had been wrong. Liltotto's pain was just as fresh as Bambietta's own; she was simply better at concealing it. "I'll do everything in my power."
Bambietta could not believe she had allowed herself to be drawn into a conversation with Loke, but she had to admit he was not so bad so long as he was not trying desperately to flirt with her.
"And then we totally made out on top of the rooftop!"
However, hearing about his exploits was not exactly much better in the grand scheme of things. Bambietta knew that was all her fault, having tried any way she could to redirect the conversation away from him asking her out on a date. Any way that did not involve punching him through the roof. She was trying to play nice, no matter how hard it was.
"So, where's the strangest place you've made out?"
Bambietta blinked then, realizing that Loke had turned the question back against her. "Oh, well... Probably on my old guild master's throne."
"Wow, just wow." Loke did not know quite how to reply to that. "I don't think Master Makarov would appreciate that... if he had a throne. I'm guessing the guy must have been pretty good if it was worth taking that risk."
"Oh, she was," Bambietta said with a wink. "Never thought she had it in her, but I've had a thing for pink hair ever since 'Quincies Gone Wild' came to a close."
"Wait, she? So you-"
"Yeah," Bambietta replied with smirk. "You and me got similar taste if you catch my drift. For her it was the greatest experimental night of her life. For me it was just another Tuesday... and eventually a Wednesday."
"Of course," Loke said with slight reservation. "Well, I guess... We could be each other's wingman? Wingwoman?"
Bambietta had not been expecting that at all. Her preferences had been a little white lie, one that she had hoped would get Loke to stop trying to flirt with her, but clearly he was still interested in hanging out. "Uh, sure, I guess. Maybe I could set you up with Lucy?"
Loke's eyes widened with sudden fear. "N-no, that's quite all right!"
"What?" Bambietta asked, leaning over the table and smirking. "You afraid of blondes or something? Come on, they're fun! Or so I've heard..."
"Special War Potential Ichigo Kurosaki!"
Bambietta saw it then, Loke's eyes shifting from fear to confusion and surprise. The Quincy recognized the voice that had shouted and found Liltotto behind her, the blonde Quincy's eyes glaring at Loke with utter malice.
"You sure?" Loke whispered in fear. "She's not looking like a bundle of fun right now if you ask me."
Bambietta was quick to leap up from the table and get in front of Liltotto. "Ixnay on the Kurosakay. You really think he's here?"
"But-"
"Believe me, that guy was not a womanizer."
Liltotto had to agree with that from all that she had heard. "Oh, you'd know. Didn't Yhwach have you spy on Kurosaki during the buildup to the war by using the shadow portals to hide in his closet? I swear, sometimes you were gone for the whole day-"
Bambietta grew a little flabbergasted. "It was comfy in there, okay?"
"Excuse me, ladies," Loke said, stepping into the conversation, "but is this little cutie a new member of Fairy Tail?"
Bambietta and Loke both could see it, a golden emblem upon Liltotto's right shoulder. "Oh," Bambietta said, "Master Makarov gave you one personally, huh?"
"That supposed to mean something?" Liltotto asked.
"No, not a thing!" Bambietta laughed. "Anyway-"
"So, what were you two talking about?" Liltotto asked, slipping between both fellow members of Fairy Tail and taking a seat.
"Oh, just about being each other's wing... man... woman..." Loke tried to say with a cool confidence, quickly stumbling on his words. "We can help each other that way if not another."
"Bambi," Liltotto said with a sigh. "It's just like with Pepe again, isn't it?"
Bambietta waved in protest while standing behind Liltotto's back.
"What are you talking about?" Loke asked, tipping his shades down to look at Liltotto with his eyes unobscured.
"Just a white little lie," Liltotto said. "Bambi here told our resident stalker back home she was only interested in the ladies to get him off her back."
"You mean she's not?"
"Oh, she plays both sides," Liltotto replied. "You can't spell Bambietta without 'bi,' you know."
Bambietta grew truly flustered in response. "Liltotto..."
"What?" the blonde asked, innocent as could be. "It's not like you've ever been shy about that fact."
"Oh, I get it," Loke said, nodding in what accounted for despair when it came to his personality. "She was just trying to get me to go away. I know when I'm not wanted."
Loke turned away and took one step, then another and another. Yet his pace began to slow down. Bambietta had a pretty good idea why. "You're waiting for me to feel all bad and tell you not to walk off, right?"
Loke's shoulders tensed up for a moment, the young man glancing over his shoulder at Bambietta with a laidback expression, one that had been formed on the spot. "You know me too well."
Then he walked off entirely, mingling into the crowd of Fairy Tail wizards and quickly making a move on Mirajane. Bambietta and Liltotto watched in amusement then as Elfman suddenly got between Loke and his older sister.
"I'm surprised you didn't invite him to your place," Liltotto said, catching hold of Bambietta's attention.
"Yeah, no," she replied. "I don't know if you realize this, but I don't imagine Master Makarov would be okay with me slicing the guy in two under a false pretext."
Liltotto sighed. "Not what I meant. Weren't you the one who was always going on saying stuff like 'Oh, I'd so play in his strawberry fields forever' when Yhwach announced that Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki was a war potential? Well, this guy is the next best thing."
"Hey, I'll deal with my... crush once we get home," Bambietta retorted. "If we get home. Okay, maybe the smooth talking lookalike would be a good silver medal."
"Yeah, home," Liltotto muttered. "Why the hell would we ever want to go back there?"
"To serve His Majesty of course," Bambietta said, sitting beside Liltotto and leaning back against the table. "But I guess he's probably got the whole war wrapped up by now."
"Who gives a damn what he accomplishes?" Liltotto said, glancing away from Bambietta.
"What?" Bambietta had not expected that, to hear honest rage in Liltotto's voice. "What's gotten into you?"
The blonde Quincy was silent then, leaning forward and looking away from Bambietta. That did no favors for her, Bambietta becoming irritated in response.
Still, she did her best to hold it in and simply nudged Liltotto in the side with an elbow. "Come on, share with the rest of the class."
"No," Liltotto replied. "I doubt there's any way home, so it's best you don't know."
"What?" Bambietta asked, her annoyance at last coming out. Then did it suddenly subside to worry. "Don't... don't tell me His Majesty died. Did Ichigo Kurosaki or someone from Squad Zero kill him?"
"I hope so."
Bambietta face tensed up for a moment, the Quincy feeling as if a vein on one of her temples was threatening to burst. "That's treason, Lil."
"Good," she replied. "Turnabout is fair play."
Bambietta tried desperately to withhold any irritation, the Quincy taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. "Just tell me what the hell happened after I was- was..."
"Don't say it," Liltotto interrupted. "You don't want to say it and I don't want to hear it. But... what happened was..."
Bambietta watched as Liltotto's whole body shook for a moment, waiting in silence for her friend to continue. Patience was never her strong suit, but she knew she had to be with someone teetering like Liltotto was. Like she had time and again since regaining her life in this world.
"Giselle was... just the beginning," Liltotto at last said. "Yhwach forbid any Sternritter from acting out against each other and in the end we... we turned on each other like a pack of rabid dogs when the chance arrived."
Liltotto lowered her head then, her eyes becoming obscured by the visor of her hat.
"I'll be honest, I did not approve of the messes you made with the low ranked Quincy, but... Yhwach demanded order and obedience at every turn, all the while acting in the most barbaric way. He encouraged violence but refused us an outlet." Liltotto took a breath, steadying her wavering tone. "I won't think you did right, Bambi, but maybe you were the smartest one of us. You were loyal to a fault, you never seemed to want to lash out too severely at the other Stern Ritter. Maybe you just had found the right way to vent your... bad habits."
Bambietta raised an eyebrow at that, trying to lessen the mood with potentially unpleasant humor. "Come on, you know I'm not that deep of a thinker."
"First Giselle with you," Liltotto whimpered, her feelings not comforted by the attempt at a joke, "when I... we only watched. Then Bazz-B attacking us, Pepe trying to control Meninas... and then..."
Liltotto's head lowered then, her voice nothing more than a whisper.
"Then Yhwach betrayed us all."
Bambietta simply remained in silence, the Quincy stunned by what Liltotto had said. Yhwach, the man who had rescued her from the depths of hell, who had given Bambietta a place she found herself belonging in after all else had been taken from her. It was what he had done for all those he had given his blood. There was no way, absolutely no way he could consider his lineage, his followers, nothing more than expendable pawns.
"You're lying," Bambietta said softly, each syllable a fight to give voice to.
"I watched you die," Liltotto replied, her composure faltering. "I stood on the sidelines as Giselle used you like a puppet, afraid that she would simply do the same to me if the chance arose. But I was already a puppet to Yhwach. We all were. And I..."
Liltotto's hands closed tightly over her knees as she sniffed back sharply.
"I saw Candi slaughtered by a captain, I saw Meninas taken over by Pepe and I... I had to... hurt her to get to him. I don't... I don't know if she even lived... But after all that, Robert came to us... He warned us... He... He..."
Bambietta knew exactly what Liltotto was trying to say, giving voice to her hesitation with a heavy heart all her own. "He's dead, isn't he?"
Liltotto answered then. "Yes."
Bambietta found herself lost in thought then, the Quincy biting down on her lower lip as if such an action had a chance to get her to focus on something, anything, compared to the harsh truth. Yhwach had saved her the damnation of a life in the World of the Living, yes, but it had been Robert Accutrone who had helped shape her into the Sternritter she had become. She had always been exceptionally powerful for her age, but as far as Bambietta was concerned, if not for his infinite patience she may well have become nothing more than a rank and file member of the Vandenreich at the most.
Now he was dead.
No, that was not it. He was not dead now, he had been for some time. All the while she had been blissfully ignorant to what had transpired in the world she had left behind.
"Lil," Bambietta began to say, "what exactly happened?"
"I told you, Bambi," Liltotto answered, the blonde wrapping her fingers around the opposing arms, shaking as she did so. "Yhwach betrayed each and every one of us. He used the Auswahlen on us. He used it on pure blooded Quincy just so he could empower his Elite Guard! Some of us survived, but Robert, he... there was nothing left of him."
Bambietta knew what she was about to say now was truly wrong, truly reprehensible, but there was a part of her that remembered being left for dead upon the broken battlements of the Soul Society. That part of her did not care. "So, now you know exactly how it feels to be betrayed by one you trust."
Liltotto looked at Bambietta then, a slight hint of worry in her eyes. "Bambi?"
"I'm sorry," she replied, looking away from Liltotto. "But there's a part of me content that His Majesty did to Giselle what she did to me."
"Then," Liltotto interjected, her voice trailing off for a moment, still saddened to hear Bambietta refer to Yhwach in such a subservient manner, "you'll be happy to know what happened next. She and I... We joined Bazz-B and tried to help the Soul Reapers kill Yhwach."
"Idiots," Bambietta whispered. "What were you thinking?"
"He killed Giselle before my eyes," Liltotto whispered. "He barely moved and a part of her head just tore itself from the rest, leaving her bleeding out on the floor."
There was a moment then, a brief few seconds where Bambietta allowed herself to wear a sadistic smile she knew had no place in Fairy Tail. "Good."
Liltotto heard it, knowing full well what joy that must of brought to Bambietta. Yet she was unsure of what reaction her next words would provoke. They were on better terms now, yes, but there was a wall that had formed between them now, one Liltotto was unsure she could comprehend or truly fathom.
"I was the last one standing. You, Candi, Meni and Gigi. I was the last to join and... the last to die. Yhwach, he... he tore out my insides like it was nothing."
Liltotto looked to Bambietta then, terrified she would glimpse that heartless smile once more.
"Lil." Bambietta suddenly pulled the blonde Quincy in close, her arms wrapping around her. There was nothing else she could say to what she had just heard. All she could do was hug her friend, the wall continuing to break down as it stood between their souls.
Liltotto did not know what to make of it then. She wanted to break down completely, but she knew that was unbecoming of her. She had tried for the better part of her unnaturally long life to keep everything in check, to be the calm one of her circle of friends.
Yet now she could not. Her voice cracked completely then, memories of pain and suffering both physical and mental, coming alive within her soul. She moved into the hug, wrapping her own arms around Bambietta as well. "Bambi, I... I..."
"Shhh." That was all Bambietta said at first, using one hand to pull aside Liltotto's hat, letting it fall to the counter. She simply moved her glove fingers through the blonde hair, trying to soothe the upset Quincy. "This won't do, Lil. I'm supposed to be the overly emotional one."
Still did Liltotto not stop, her friend's words doing little to deter her sorrow. Bambietta glanced around then, taking some solace that no one around was looking at them.
There was that moment then, one that left Bambietta wondering why she was even bothering to comfort one who had betrayed her trust. How she had looked down upon Bambietta in her moment of helplessness.
No, that was wrong, Bambietta knew that. Liltotto had been unable to look. That was the truth she could vaguely remember. Even now, feeling Liltotto sobbing against her, Bambietta pushed aside any darker thoughts that clawed at her soul.
"Just let it out, Lil," she said softly, still stroking her hair. "It's all good, you hear me? Nobody's going to hurt you here. Not me, not... Yhwach. Nobody."
Time moved forward then, Liltotto eventually calming down. She pulled away from Bambietta gently, looking at her with a tired expression. Not with the emotionless mask she was prone to utilize, but one that was simply exhausted from the outburst she had just unleashed.
"There," Bambietta said, patting Liltotto on the head and slipping her hat back on in the process. "No more tears, all right. You're a Fairy Tail girl now, so chin up."
"Bambi," Liltotto began to say, "do you sti-"
"So, question," Bambietta interrupted, placing both hands on Liltotto's shoulders. "Last thing I remember with absolutely certainty is... Giselle killing me. Then one big mess of memories, next thing I know I was here in this world."
"You want to know how we got here?" Liltotto asked. "Bambi, I... I don't know either. I was dead, dying and then... I found myself outside of the town of Ruby. If not for that Candlestick guy I might have just left myself on the ground to starve to death."
"Enough of that, you hear me?" Bambietta said, her expression growing stern. "I'm alive, you're alive, and we're here in this happy little world."
"You don't want to go home now." Liltotto made it a statement, not a question. The next thing she said, however, was different. "You don't want to return to the Vandenreich?"
"After what you told me?" Bambietta asked in return. "Hell no! I'd rather drink a gallon of bleach than every go back to that world!"
Liltotto shrugged then, if only slightly. She knew Bambietta better than most and had been somewhat worried that the truth of what Yhwach had done would only cause her to want an explanation from the man himself, to see if he could justify his actions. Yet that was not the case, leaving Liltotto to wonder if the death of Robert Accutrone was the reason for Bambietta's sudden decision to stay where she was. Or perhaps it was the simple fact that neither of the Quincy had any idea of how to return home.
However, there was something else nagging at Liltotto. If it was true that those Quincy that had died had found themselves in this parallel world, in this kingdom of Fiore, then perhaps they were not alone. That simple fact left Liltotto shaken, though she kept it herself.
Yet Bambietta was not so foolish to not consider such an option herself. She had thought herself alone in this realm of reality, but now that she had found herself face to face with Liltotto, she knew that was not the case. There was a moment then when Bambietta could only hope that such a possibility would allow her to meet with Robert Accutrone once more. Perhaps he could help her regain her lost strength.
Yet there was a darker thought in the back of her mind then. Liltotto had made it abundantly clear of one particular Quincy who had perished right before her eyes. That left Bambietta's soul both shaking and seething, the Quincy knowing that such a reunion could only end in blood and tears.
"No," she whispered, catching Liltotto by surprise. "That won't... happen again..."
"Bambi?" Liltotto looked at her friend, taking note of a sudden burst of passion in her eyes. "What now?"
"What now?" Bambietta asked, suddenly standing up before Liltotto, placing her hands on her hips. Her face lit up then, Bambietta smiling as much as she possibly could. "I'm going to become what I once was! No! Stronger! I'm going to be the best damn Quincy this world has ever seen!"
Liltotto furrowed her brow at that statement, wondering just what was driving Bambietta. Her friend, however, did little to calm down.
"For too long I've felt like I've been on the sidelines, that I was a bit player!" she shouted, her hands curling into fists that rose up before her. "Even here I've felt like I was just an opening act! You know what I say to that?"
Liltotto was honest. "I don't know. What?"
"To heck with that!" Bambietta exclaimed. "You and me? We're going to take destiny by the balls! We're going to be the center of attraction!"
"Uh huh," Liltotto replied softly. "Like the face that people will see on every magazine?"
"Exactly!" Bambietta said, pointing an index finger at the unassuming Liltotto. "We're Quincy after all! So we're going to come out of the shadows now that it's our time! We're going to be the queens of the scene!"
Liltotto had not been expecting this at all. She had assumed at the very least that Bambietta would be withdrawn and depressed by the truth of what the man she had pledged her loyalty to had done, but this sudden explosion of confidence was something she had not been prepared for.
However, she was happy to see it deep down. "Brightest star there's ever been, huh?"
Makarov stood in his office doorway, watching as Bambietta continued to move about in excitement, the lady's youthful abandon more than a match for anything the old guild master had ever seen from even Natsu Dragneel. He remembered well the young lady who had come to the guild waving about the decapitated remains of a cyclops, of someone who had broken down in his office, of one who had spoken ill of him during the Macao Conbolt situation.
Yet now she was appearing happy. Truly happy. He had watched intently from the sidelines, his trepidation thanks to Porlyusica's warnings always at the corners of his mind. He had seen as Bambietta had made friends with those around her, from Levy to Lucy, from Natsu to even Erza to one extent or another. A curious factor indeed, the guild master knowing Erza was keeping a close eye on Bambietta as well.
Yet despite the apparent illumination that was beaming from her outward actions, he knew better than before the darkness she had come from. Liltotto had told Makarov much in his office, the world she had come from a dark realm he dared not visit himself. Of a treacherous emperor who viewed his 'family' as nothing more than expendable pawns worthy only of his manipulation.
It turned Makarov's stomach to imagine a world where life and death were both something to be reviled, a world where those one who was meant to look out for were nothing more than tools to be discarded at a moment's notice. It was so very contrarian to the guild he had joined in his youth, the one that had fallen under his guidance as the years had rolled by.
Still, Makarov could not help but smile slightly, watching as Levy and Lucy suddenly entered the guild hall, waving towards the energetic Bambietta and quiet Liltotto. The former suddenly pulled her friend up and all but sprinted them both over to join their friends.
"Perhaps my decisions were in the right after all," he whispered to himself. "The solitude others may have forced on you be damned."
Makarov let his shoulders fall slightly then, the elderly wizard confident in the choices that he, Erza and Porlyusica had made in the long run.
"Um, hello there."
The mage looked up then, catching sight of a slender woman dressed in a violet shades, her blonde hair tied into a bun.
"You have my greetings," Makarov said with a nod, the old man folding his arms behind his back. "And may I ask who you are?"
"Oh, me?" the woman asked, a slight glint in her eye as she placed a finger gingerly along the edge of his lips. "I'm Stella Upland and I'm just dying to join Fairy Tail."
"Two in one day, huh?" Makarov nodded in approval. "I suppose this guild is still growing. Well then, step into my office and we'll see if you're up to the task..."
Makarov turned and moved into his room, Stella following. She stopped for a second, her hand resting on the frame of the door and glared at Bambietta, Liltotto, Lucy and Levy.
She smirked then, knowing that Ultear's ability to alter one's own appearance with magic was working far too well. For those around her there was only the Stella Upland, a woman who did not truly exist.
Emberella Rhodopis almost could not contain herself. She was the wolf among the sheep now, her options for revenge spread out before her as far as the eye could see.
"Don't be shy," she heard Makarov suddenly say, the guild master hoping up into his chair. "Come in, come in."
Emberella let her devilish smirk fade, a false smile taking its place as she stepped into the office. "Oh, my apologies."
Emberella closed the door behind her then, knowing in her heart how this story was going to end one day. However, she also knew that would not make it any less fun to watch.
There you have it folks, with now have TWO quincy that have joined our favorite guild, as well as Bambietta finding out the horrible truth as to what happened in her world. We've been wanting to have her find that out for a while now, and im glad we got to it. Also, Emberella has snuck into the guild to cause some mischief. Hopefully our heros can handle whatever she plans.
Now, one reviewer asked how strong Bambietta would be in the fairy tail guild if she had her shrift and Vollstandig. Like last time, I've decided to leave a list. Keep this in mind though. this is PRETIMESKIP fairy tail...wait they had two time skips…Regardless, this is Phantom lord Fairy Tail. Once we get to Tenrou island, this list will be much different.
As things stand THIS is the list of characters strength in fairy tail from Strongest to Weakest.
1. Gildarts
2. Bambietta (Vollstandig, full power)
3. Makarov (full power)
4. Bambietta Base (Full power)
5. Laxus (Festival arc)
6. Mystogen
7. Erza (No armadura fairy yet)
8. Liltotto Lamperd
9. Natsu Dragneel
10. Bambietta Basterbine (As of now)
11. Gray Fullbuster
12. Cana/Loke losing power
13. Lucy
14. Elfman (one arm takeover)
15. Levy
Yeah, with her full power intact, she is WAY up there in the guild. The explode ability is BROKEN, there is a damn good reason why we made sure she didn't have it at first. One hit with it could kill someone if it touched their skin. If she was going to become a better person, her power level would have to drop. Over wise, i feel she would have sooner tried taking over this world than anything else, and we can't have that.
And I want to make this clear, YES, Liltotto IS stronger than Natsu right now, and will be for a bit. She managed to keep more of her power than Bambietta did. Not ALL of it, but a decent amount. Keep that in mind as we are still in fairy tails early days.
With all of this done, I want to let you guys know that you're going to LOVE what we have next. What do I have planned next? I can't say. I WILL say however it will severely change several cannon arcs.
With all this said and done...Please leave me some reviews. I REALLY like getting them, and they help me know when we're doing a good job or not. So please, f you really like this story, give us your thoughts on the story in the form of a review, as they help us want to do more chapters.
