Greetings everyone and welcome to the next chapter of A Quincy's Fairy Tail! Once again, it's a chapter on the short side, but I do have my reasons for this. This chapter in particular is actually rather important due to some of the revelations that occur within it.
I'd also like to take a moment to thank everyone who left a review for the last chapter. Many of them really cheered me up and have boosted my confidence in my writing ability.
Well, I won't delay you anymore, Let's get on with the chapter itself!
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun!
It was a dark and stormy night when Candice Catnip and Jade Ladro had decided to check-in at a hotel. It was far from five-star luxury, but it would suffice to keep the two green-haired women out of the rain for the evening. Candice had picked out a job request that would have the two of them out of Magnolia for about two days, which suited her just fine. While she would never be one to admit it out loud, Candice just wanted to spend her time with one of her new best friends. Jade could be a bit of a killjoy at times, but the woman knew how to have a good time.
From baseball games, to rock concerts and even the occasional boxing match, Candice had to admit that there was never a dull moment when her friend decided to treat her to something fun and exciting. Candice wasn't quite sure where Jade got the money for all the tickets, which Jade swore she didn't steal, but Candice had to admit it was nice having someone who found her abrasive nature endearing and not something to change.
Granted, Bambietta and Liltotto had always been that way, and it seemed that the rest of the guild felt that way as well. But Jade had been the first friend Candice had made in this strange new world and had loyally stuck with her despite some of her foolish actions over the last three months. As far as Candice was concerned that was a sign of a friend you could trust...which was why she was currently so frustrated.
For the last two days, Jade hadn't been her usual self. She no longer rolled her eyes at Candice's attempts to get in her pants or stopped her from getting into unnecessary trouble. Her usual snark was instead replaced by a simple "Yes, Candi." or "Whatever." Something was going on. Now Candice wasn't the kind of woman to get herself invested in someone else's troubles, It wasn't any of her damn business, but when it started to affect her attempts at having a fun night out of town, that she wouldn't stand for.
"Okay Jade, what the hell is going on?" Candice demanded to know as she looked over to Jade's bed. "You've been acting strangely for the last two days."
"I'm fine," Jade said before Candice scoffed.
"Bullshit! You hardly talk as much as you used to!" Candice accused Jade before she continued. "You didn't eat lunch at all earlier today! Your aiming with your pistol was piss poor when those bandits came to loot our stuff! And you didn't even bat an eye when I flirted with the bellhop!"
Jade sighed before she turned over to look at Candice. "I'm sorry, Candi I just...I have something on my mind is all."
"That's it? Aw come on, what's the problem? You know you can always tell me, right?"
"Sorry Candi, but this is personal...and I don't exactly feel like sharing right now."
Candice rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Okay, fine. I get it. Ya don't want to talk about it. Been there before, trust me. I'll leave you be if that's how you feel...Just let me know if you change your mind." With that, Candice went under the covers of her bed and attempted to sleep, the Quincy soon dozing off into slumber.
Things weren't so easy for Jade, however. For the past two days, she had been thinking constantly about just what it was she was doing. Betrayal, there was no other way to phrase it, no matter how much she tried. All of her friends...Candice, Bambietta, Bisca, Lucy and Levy, even little Wendy...Soon all of them would be under the control of her mother, Emberella, their free will sapped from their bodies.
To say that she felt guilty about the whole thing would be an understatement. Sure, she had more or less stood idly by and had little to no remorse when Emberella had tried the same trick with the Chicken Fang's guild master, but things were different now. She had never once bothered to make friends in her old guild, her mother making it clear that she didn't need friends so long as she was at her side. It made watching the guild fall into chaos incredibly easy.
But now? She knew these people. Fought alongside them, laughed with them, ate with them. They weren't just names that she could place a face to, these people were her friends. They had taken her and Candice in when they were out on the run and gave them a new life. A life that Jade honestly didn't want to trade for any other.
But Emberella had been there for her for far longer. For ten long years, she had been all that Jade ever had in her life. Jade knew that, even if she had somehow survived the monster encounter that Emberella had saved her from, she would probably not have lived much longer. The closest town was a crime-infested hellhole, and she was positive that if she had set one foot in that town without Emberella, she would have ended up dead sooner or later.
That wasn't even considering everything else the woman had done for her. A warm bed, food, and education, Emberella provided all of these things for her. As far as Jade was concerned, Emberella was her mother in everything but blood. She was family...The only real family she ever had.
Candi...Everyone...I hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me, Jade thought to herself as she stared up at the ceiling. This isn't how I wanted all of this to end but...I just can't abandon her. Not after everything she's done for me. She didn't bother to try telling herself that it was the right thing to do, that it was necessary. She had cast out her sense of morality ever since her mother had given to Jade her first assassination mission. But she still had some code of honor that she at least tried to live by. Family always came first. No matter what. As someone who had desperately wanted a family when her parents abandoned her at a train station, it made perfect sense. At least to Jade.
Nobody should ever go through that sort of pain, she thought as she turned over to her side, facing a nearby window. When you have no one else to turn to when you need help...your family should always be there for you...Not just left for someone else to pick up like some unwanted toy. It was for this very reason she had chosen to side with Emberella over the guild. She would have done the same for her, she knew it. But despite this, despite her knowing that this was what she felt she had to do, that it was the only logical choice...It did little to ease the pain of what she was about to do. Jade wanted to yell, scream, cry out with how much it ate away at her...But she had to keep it all bottled in. If she let herself slip even just for a moment...It could ruin everything. Right now...I just have to sleep. Just try to get through these next few weeks and act like everything's fine. That's all. Then...It'll all be over.
She closed her eyes and finally, with a heavy heart, soon fell asleep.
Course, rough and irritating. That was what Jade felt as she soon found herself opening her eyes. As she groaned and slowly rose to her feet, she began to shake her head. "Ugh, what did I say about dragging me on your drunken adventure's when I'm asleep, Candi? I don't like waking up in the middle of...The desert?"
Sure enough, what Jade was seeing couldn't be described as anything else. White sand far as the eye could see, with nothing more than the occasional dead tree in the distance. It seemed to be still night, the moon shining down as the only source of light to let Jade see anything at all. She groaned before she began to move forward. "Candi, I swear to God, if this is your idea of a joke I'm going to dump a whole can of beer all over your hair the next time we share a room."
She trekked on for what seemed like an eternity. For hours she walked this vast landscape only to see nothing but the endless sea of sand. Throughout this whole thing, she had yet to encounter another living thing. No humans, no birds or rats. Hell, she hadn't even seen any sort of insects in all this sand. That's all there is in this damn place. Sand and dead trees! I'm gonna go mad if I don't see anything else in the next five minutes!
Fortunately, the former thief didn't have to wait that long. Just as she finished walking over a small hill, she could see something in the distance. It appeared to be a large structure of some kind. No, it was more like a massive fortress! The main building had a dome-like roof, several large towers surrounding it. Despite its overwhelming size, it looked rather plain. Looks like one hell of a walk, Jade thought to herself as she was only now realizing just how far away it was. But it's not like I have any better options now do I? Let's just hope they're hospitable.
She began to make her trek down over to the large castle, traversing the sandy landscape once more. However, what she had expected to have taken her several hours had only merely taken ten minutes. She frowned as she approached the building. Okay, there is no way I covered that much ground that fast while walking! Something's going on here and I don't like it one bit!
Honestly, she was quite positive that this was some sort of trap. What else could it be? However, Jade knew that she would much prefer her chances inside the massive castle than outside in the vast sandy wilderness that surrounded her. Still, not wanting to take any chances, she spotted a window and made her way towards it. If this is a trap...I may as well not bother taking the front door.
Sneaking in was fairly easy. Almost too easy. There were no signs of traps or any kind of guard patrols. As she slowly explored the large empty hallways, she began to wonder if all of this was a waste of time? Had she come across some abandoned fortress? No, that didn't make any sense. This place was too clean and well run for her to consider that possibility.
She supposed there might have been only a few people who lived here that she just had yet to encounter, but she had a hard time believing that was the case either. The only reason a place like this would be so damn large would have to be because whoever the hell built this castle in this damn desert had a large staff of some kind...or an army. I guess it could be from some kind of eccentric millionaire...but you would still need the assistance of hundreds to maintain this kind of place.
Finally, after an hour of exploring the large fortress and still finding nothing, she had enough. "Just where the hell is anyone!?" she yelled out, finally getting tired of being all by herself. "Screw this desert, screw this castle and screw wherever the hell I am!"
"There's no reason for you to raise your voice like that Jade."
Her eyes widening in response, Jade turned around to find herself now looking at a rather tall man. He had brown eyes and short brown hair, with a single strand going down his face. He was wearing a white uniform that had black lines going around it as well as a cape of sorts. A katana with a green handle in its sheath hung around a red belt made of some sort of cloth.
Her mind ran a mile a minute with panic.What!? Who the hell is this man!? I didn't sense him at all! I couldn't hear his footsteps or anything! More importantly...How does he know my name!? All of those were questions racing through her mind as Jade looked at the man in fear, but she didn't dare try to run. She couldn't quite explain why, but she could just feel the power radiating off of him, more so than anyone she had ever met in her life. Erza, Emberella, Makarov, they all paled in comparison! Her instincts were screaming at her that running was not an option. But she had to do something. Say something. Anything!
"Where...Where am I?"
Oh yeah, great start.
The man smiled as he stopped just a few feet away from her. "This, my dear, is my palace, Las Noches."
"Your palace?" Jade said as her mind began to race. Oh, this is just great, I've been caught breaking into the home of some king in the middle of nowhere! By the king himself no less! Great job Jade, no really, spectacular. Emberella would be soooo proud!
"Now now, there's no need for you to be so tense, Jade," the man said as he finally stopped. "The truth of the matter is, I haven't had guests or anyone to talk with for quite some time. As a matter of fact, I've just so happened to have brewed up some green tea. Would you care to join me?"
Jade only stared at him in disbelief, her jaw slightly dropping from his request as her brain tried to process what was going on before her. Is this guy for real? A king in the middle of nowhere finds an intruder breaking into his fortress and instead of calling for his guards to imprison, or worse, execute me...He instead invites me over for a cup of tea!?
"...I'd love to," Jade said as she put on a false smile. Running was pointless. Either the man before her would just stop her, or she would just die out in the middle of the desert from dehydration. Even if this was some sort of elaborate trap, this would at least give her time to think of something.
"Glad to hear it. Please, right this way," the man said as he began to move to a door in the hallway. Jade slowly walked behind him, more nervous and scared than she had ever been since joining Fairy Tail. Still...She may as well try to get on the man's good side.
"Thank you for the hospitality, Mister...Um-"
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself fully, have I?" the man said as he opened the door. "Forgive my lack of manners. Please, call me Sosuke."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Sosuke," Jade said as she walked inside of the room. It was mostly dark with a long table with eleven chairs surrounding the table. Not exactly comforting, but she didn't have the gull to call him out on it. She took a seat, and Sosuke soon joined her, two cups of tea now in his hand.
"It's been a while since I've made a cup, so forgive me if it's a bit bitter."
He sat down and slowly moved the cup over to her. Jade stared at it for a moment, debating what to do next. It could easily be poisoned...But why bother to go through something so elaborate when he could just as easily kill her now? Trusting her instincts, she took a sip. "Delicious." It surprisingly really was. Jade was far from what one would call an "expert" in tea, but even she could tell this was a well-brewed cup. At least she wouldn't have to have a fake persona of happiness about everything.
"I'm glad to hear it. I was afraid I had lost my touch after all this time," Sosuke took a sip of his tea before he looked back at her. "So, what brings you here to Las Noches?"
"Oh, um...I can't exactly say that I'm here by choice," Jade chuckled nervously before she continued. "I just woke up in the middle of the desert and I've been trying to find some kind of civilization or any form of life for that matter."
"Yes, the desert of Hueco Mundo can appear to be lifeless at times," Sosuke said as he smiled. "You must have had quite the long and exhausting journey to get here."
"Well, it's not an experience I care to repeat, that's for sure," Jade said before Sosuke spoke up once more.
"Do you require any food? Surely you must be starving after such a long journey."
"No, I'm fine at the moment, thank you...But just what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere anyway?" she asked. It was best to get as much information as she could. For all she knew, this would be her only chance.
"It's out of necessity I'm afraid. I've long since left my old homeland. Its kingdom was a bit too...old fashioned to my liking. Its leaders were too incompetent. It was all just too much for me to ignore. So I came here, to begin my revolution."
That explained some things but not much. She needed to investigate further. "Which kingdom did you come from? Bosco? I hear that place is a hellhole for non-wizards."
"I'm afraid you won't find where I hail from on any map. I will say however that its populace is ignorantly unaware of just how they're mistreated. Some say that ignorance is bliss...But I believe that a life filled with knowledge is far superior to living a lie...A life filled with false happiness."
"I see," Jade said, trying to soak all of the information in. "I guess you have an army of some kind then? To be honest, I haven't seen anyone besides you since I came here."
He sighed as he finished taking another sip of his tea. "I used to. It was a rather powerful army, filled with some rather unsavory individuals. However, their power was what I needed to overthrow that abomination of a king. I spent many years amassing it but in the end, they all fell during the conflict. I am all that remains."
"I see. I'm sorry to hear that," Jade said as she looked at Sosuke some more. So in the end, she just wound up in the castle of some would-be revolutionary? She could tell he was powerful, but no one single man could hope to take down an entire kingdom on his own. It would be best for her to get out of here before their next battle would begin. The last thing she wanted was to be caught in the crossfire of some war that she had no investment in.
"Now then...Tell me why you're really here."
"Huh?" Jade was confused. She had been entirely honest with what she said. Unless... "Oh, I didn't try to sneak in to steal anything if that's what you're-"
"Nothing of the sort," Sosuke interrupted. "No, what I'm referring to is the difficult task your mother gave you two days ago."
Rising out of her chair, she backed away from the table. "You...How do you...Know about Emberella...About me!?"
"I do believe I told you before that you don't have to be raising your voice," Sosuke said as he turned to look at her. "Let's just say I've had my eye on you for the past few months."
He's been spying on me!? But how!? No, better more importantly than that, why!? Jade thought as one of her hands began to reach behind her back for one of her guns.
"There's no need for any violence, I can assure you," Sosuke said as he took another sip of his tea. "I have no intention of speaking to anyone in your guild or the Magic Council about what we're discussing."
"And if I don't believe you?" She asked with more than a hint of doubt in her voice.
"That is entirely your choice," Sosuke said. "But believe me, if I harbored any desire to see you harmed, you would have been the moment you set foot in my palace. After all, why would I bring you to this place if I just wished to see you dead? No, I brought you here for a different reason."
She wanted nothing more than to pull out her guns and fire, try to make a desperate attempt to escapeā¦.but her mind continued to tell, no scream at her that doing so would be suicidal. Besides, if this man was the one to bring her to this horrible place, who knew what else he could do! Maybe if she just played along, he would tell her how to get out of that desert hellhole! Thus she slowly sat back down. "What do you want?"
"Nothing of material gain," Sosuke said. "I merely just wish to know...why you're considering going through with your mother's desire?"
"I have to...Emberella need's my help. I owe her everything."
"But don't you owe a debt to your friend as well?" Sosuke spoke. "To all of Fairy Tail?"
Jade couldn't help but glance to the side as she answered. "Well...Yes, I do, but I've known Emberella for so much longer! She's done too much for me to just turn my back on her."
"I won't deny you that. She certainly has done more for you than anyone else has. Even I can tell that she has at least some form of affection for you. But tell me, Jade...is this what you want?"
"What I want doesn't matter! Emberella is counting on me! She trusts me!" She was no longer looking to the ground, her eyes now glaring at him in anger.
"Doesn't the rest of Fairy Tail? Miss Catnip? They seem to view you as a valued companion."
"I know they do damn it, but Emberella will always be there for me! The minute they know what I've done, they'll cast me out!"
"It seems to me that you're letting the fear of the unknown cloud your judgment," Sosuke said. "Have they not shown just how forgiving they are in regards to yourself? With Miss Catnip, Basterbine and Lamperd?"
"I...I...I..." Jade tried to speak, her eyes darting across the room as Sosuke continued.
"Has Emberella ever once asked you what you wanted? If the world she wants to create is the one you desire? Does she not care for the pain she's putting you through?"
"She isn't...I mean she...She promised me they wouldn't get hurt." She looked down to the floor now, shame now coming to the forefront of her mind.
Sosuke slowly got out of his chair as he continued. "It seems to me as though your mother has merely told you what you want to hear...and I think you know that."
"You don't know a damn thing about her!" Jade yelled, her anger now overriding her common sense as she pulled out her guns. " I've admired her almost as long as I've lived! I understand her better than anyone else ever will!"
Sosuke couldn't help but chuckle as he heard her speak. "Oh my dear Jade, I do believe you've made a grave error in judgment. You've indeed admired her more than anyone else in your life...But the truth is Jade...that Admiration is the furthest thing from understanding."
"Shut up!" Jade said before she pulled the trigger of her pistols. The two bullets flew over to Sosuke before he moved his hand faster than her eye could follow. He opened up his palm, revealing the bullets now in his hand. "What!?" No one had ever stopped her bullet's before, not with their bare hands at least. What was she going to do!?
Sosuke spoke once more, interrupting her train of thought. "When you admire something too much, it's as though you're viewing it through rose-tinted glasses. It makes it all but impossible for one to see reality for what it is. Be it a musician, an actor, or a family member. It blinds you to the truth. To your mother's true desires." The man was speaking as if Jade hadn't attempted to end his life, as if he was still having a casual conversation with an old friend.
"She loves me, damn you!" Jade yelled out as Sosuke walked over to her, her voice cracking in a strange combination of anger and fear.
"More than her desire for revenge? More than she wishes to see the Magic Council burn for what they did to her family?"
Jade tried to pull the trigger to her gun once more before Sosuke laid his hands over the gun. "Where was she when you were out on the streets again? When you were all alone once more? When you stole to survive? When you nearly starved to death? When you had to spend many nights out in the cold rainy nights? When you became so burdened by grief that you turned over to alcohol for release? Where was she...When Miss Catnip took you in as her traveling companion?"
"I...I...She...She was...I DON'T KNOW, OKAY!?" Jade yelled out before she fell to her knees, tears flowing out of her eyes. Her confidence in what she was going to do, what she was so sure she had to do, was now shattered. No longer did she know what she had to do. Help out Emberella? Side with Fairy Tail? Her mind was too much of a mess to decide. "I...I just...don't know." As the tears stopped, however, she noticed that the darkness of the room began to grow more and more, slowly approaching the two of them. Too mentally and physically tired to move, she merely looked at Sosuke once more as the darkness was about to overtake her. "Why did you bring me here?"
He gave her a confident smirk before answering. "My reasons are my own. I can assure you, however, that it's mutually beneficial."
She tried to rise to her feet, but she found it impossible to move, the darkness swallowing up her body more and more. Just as it was about to engulf her head, she found the strength to ask just one last question. "Just...Who are you?"
"If you must know...It's Sosuke Aizen. "
And with that, the darkness overtook Jade completely, and soon she was gone. Aizen sighed as he soon sat down, now surrounded by darkness. As he did, however, his attire changed. The white clothes were replaced with black leather, an eyepatch now covering his left eye. Bindings of all kind covered him now as he remained in his chair, unable to move at all. "Such a shame. I was beginning to enjoy our little chat. It's been too long since I've had a proper conversation...Would you not agree, Sylphia?"
Behind his chair, a flash of light could be seen and the Goddess of Comradery slowly approached, a frown on her face. It was clear that she was not in a chipper mood. "I didn't give you permission for you to speak to her yet, Sosuke."
"I am aware, yes," Aizen said as he slowly turned his head to look at the goddess. "However, I believed that it was entirely necessary for me to step in on my vessel's behalf."
"That wasn't your choice to make," she responded in a low tone as she walked over to look at him face to face. "I wanted her to make that decision on her own."
"Did you now? I know that if the rules of divinity didn't prevent it, you would have preferred to have guided her on her path as much as you wanted. But you're only allowed to intervene so much with those you've brought over. The only reason you can even interact with Bambietta and Miss Meifon is that they acted as your pieces on the chessboard of war. But your "dear Jade" was nothing more than a charity case made out of pity. You know this as well as I do, that people sometimes need proper guidance to make the right decisions in life. She was never really given that in life unless we count her "mother" but I think we can agree that she's hardly been the positive influence in life that you were hoping for. Don't ignore reality like Jade. In the end, I'm only doing what you wish to do yourself."
She stared at him, her eyes narrowing as he continued.
"Or are you just afraid that I'll end up manipulating her like I have so many others?" He smirked before continuing. "You can relax, I have no need for such tricks in this situation. I would have had to make myself known to her sooner or later. All I did was simply speed up the process."
"You'll have to forgive me if I find it difficult to take your word at face value," she said before she made a chair for herself from thin air. She sat down, one leg crossed over another as she did so. "You are the great deceiver of the Soul Society after all."
"You say that as if it's something I should be ashamed of." He replied with a smirk.
"Not...Entirely I suppose," Sylphia said before sighing. "I will admit...I suppose I am...slightly grateful for your assistance in this matter."
"Do you mean in regards to helping one of your children or the deal we made regarding the Quincy Kaiser?"
"Both," she said as she took on a more serious look on her face. "That man is far too much of a dangerous anomaly to ignore. It is for that reason, and that alone, that I placed you inside of my dear Jade."
"It's such a shame that you couldn't find anyone else who's magic was compatible with my Kyoka Suigetsu," Aizen said. "Are you quite sure that you're fine with that? I'd much rather prefer if you just allowed me into Earth Land in my own body."
"And give you the chance to overthrow us once you find a way to access your full power? A power that transcends both Hollows and Soul Reapers alike and allows you to set foot into the realm of the divine?" Sylphia scoffed before she continued. "I am indeed desperate to make sure that Yhwach is dealt with before he can do any lasting harm to my world, but I am not foolish enough to allow you to become just as much of a threat as he is."
"And thus you gave me a human host that has seals working against me. Seals which prevent me from committing any action that you would find unsavory while in control of her body as well as allowing you to keep an eye on me at all times. your plan is quite thorough, just as I'd expect from a goddess. Though I must admit, I do find this situation to be quite... ironic." Aizen closed his eyes, his mind wandering back to the past. "To think that the host of my future body would be traumatized by the act of betrayal, and for me to be the one to correct that choice. Fate certainly does have a sense of humor at times it seems."
"I don't see it that way, Sosuke," Sylphia said as she smiled slightly. "While I still would have preferred for Jade to have come to the correct choice on her own, it does please me to see you being so generous."
"Don't mistake this as a mere act of kindness, Sylphia. Even if I had access to all of my powers, I know that defeating Yhwach on my own is an impossible feat." His eyes narrowed as he continued. "The battle I had with him along with Ichigo Kurasaki proved that to me quite clearly. I may be able to trick his "Almighty" eyes, but I can't hope to inflict any lasting damage on my own."
His eyes narrowed. " No, if victory is to be mine, I need allies, and I sincerely doubt anyone from my world would be willing to lend me aid. If Fairy Tail is truly the strongest guild in the entire country of Fiore, potentially all of Ishgar, then they are at the moment the best potential option available to me. To lose them to some third rate anarchist who wants to watch the world burn simply won't do."
"It seems to me that you've taken a personal interest in Fairy Tail," Sylphia spoke happily. "I can hardly blame you. Of all the guilds in all of Earth Land, their bonds of comradery are easily the strongest."
"Yes, it's rather easy for me to see why you favor them so much," Aizen said. "However, my interest in them isn't for their strength of character...but rather, their potential."
"Oh?" She asked with curiosity. "Do go on."
"As it stands now, Fairy Tail lacks the power needed to defeat Yhwach...but in time, that could very well change. The vast amount of potential I sense from these mages is truly remarkable. Titania is already on par with most of the captains of the Soul Society, and Salamander is slowly but surely catching up with her. Not to mention all of the other considerable variables I have yet to take into account with the other members of this guild. Once I get a proper read on them while in this body... Who knows what other talents I may discover. Given a few years, their power I have little doubt that eventually they will be capable of surpassing the strength of my strongest Espada. No, if I am to succeed in defeating Yhwach, Fairy Tail's assistance is a necessity that I simply can't afford to lose."
"I think there's more to it than that," Sylphia spoke as she formed a cup of tea in her hand and took a sip. "You felt all of the emotions Jade was going through and you couldn't bare to feel it anymore, now could you? After all...you two do share the same body now." She smirked as she looked at Aizen. "Guilt isn't an emotion that you're used to dealing with. So I cant imagine it's made the last two days very pleasant for you."
Aizen narrowed his eyes but said nothing in response. His silence told Sylphia everything she needed to hear. "In any event, unless you feel it absolutely necessary to intervene, I'd prefer it if you left Jade to her own devices for now on. At least until you two form the contract. I brought her into this world to see if she could become a better person, and I'd rather not have you meddle with the results any more than you have."
"You speak as if it actually matters," Aizen spoke with confidence. "After all in eight years, she'll-"
"That's enough!" Sylphia said as she slightly raised her voice. "You will speak no further on that matter. Is that understood?"
"As you wish," Aizen said with a smirk. At the very least, he managed to get under her skin just as she had done with him. "Is there anything else that you need to discuss?"
"No, I believe I'm done here," Sylphia said as she stood up, the chair that she was sitting on now disappearing into thin air. "But If I find that you're doing anything I find distasteful, then you will feel the extent of my wrath. You may be immortal...but there are some things far worse than death...and I'd presume you would wish to avoid such a fate."
"Indeed."
With that, Aizen vanished from her sight, several seconds passed before the goddess sighed. "He really has changed from the nice young boy he used to be...What happened to you, Sosuke?"
"No...No! NO!" Jade yelled before she found herself opening her eyes. Panting and in a panic, she quickly looked around to discover that she was no longer in the strange land she had found herself in moments ago, but rather the hotel room she and Candice had chosen to stay the night in. Turning over to her right, she saw the Quincy sleeping as if nothing was wrong with the world.
"Just a dream...It was all just a dream," Jade said to herself as she began to catch her breath. "Oh thank god." Jade had many unpleasant dreams in the past, but none of them had ever felt so...real. How on Earth Land had her mind managed to come up with someone like...Sosuke Aizen? Then again, dreams were hardly ever consistent. From finding her mother to making it rich, to even a night with Candice in bed...She shook her head as she blushed. Now really wasn't the time to be remembering that dream.
The realness of the dream wasn't what was truly concerning after all. No, it was what it had done to her mind. She had spent the last two days trying to decide what the right course of action was before she had finally settled on her mother. It was by no means an easy choice, but she had just been so happy to see her again that it was ultimately the choice that won out. But thanks to that man in her dreams, she was beginning to question her decision all over again! The guild or her mother?
That's all there was to it. She just had to pick a side and she could just move on with her life. Hell, she had made her choice. But now, new questions had begun to voice themselves in her head. How much did Emberella love her really? She was positive that Emberella wasn't faking it. The two had shared far too many emotional moments, on both sides, for her to believe that. Too many years of living side by side, of her mother showing her more compassion to her than anyone else ever had. But when Jade thought back on it, her mother did seem to prioritize her mission above many things.
I was so sure that I was an exception to that... but she didn't even take a moment to consider my ideas on starting over when we met again.
That wasn't even counting how Emberella had left her all alone when her plan to take over the Chicken Fangs had failed. Jade kept on trying to tell herself that it was absolutely necessary. But now, looking back on it, Emberella may have just been too focused on her mission to think about anything else...Including herself or Jade. No, no! Damn it, Jade! You are NOT about to let some stupid dream trick you like this! She loves you! No suave man with damn good tea is going to change my mind on the matter!
But try as she might...she knew now that she was back at square one. Words couldn't begin to describe just how frustrating this all was! Why couldn't she just make up her damn mind!? She groaned as she buried her head in her pillow. No, no, everything was fine. She still had over a month to figure out this mess. She just...really, really had to take everything into account was all. However, as she heard Candice snore for a moment, she frowned. Candi...You took me all the way out here so we could just be with each other...I'm sorry I haven't been honest with you...I still can't be...But until I know what I'm going to do...I'm going to make sure to make the most of the time you and I have together!
When Candice had finally made her way out of bed, it was past 8:20 am. With a yawn, the Quincy made her way to the kitchen before she caught a wonderful scent off of her nose. It smelled sweet.
"I smell blueberries!" Candice said as she walked into the room. Instantly, the green-haired Quincy could see why. Four pancakes, covered in maple syrup were sitting on a plate, with a side of bacon and sunny side up eggs. She could see Jade over to the right, currently making another pancake.
"Oh, good, you're awake!" Jade said before she lifted her pan and tossed it up, flipping the pancake inside. "I made your favorite...Blueberry pancakes are your favorite, right? It's been a while since you told me."
"Damn straight they are!" Candice said as she cut out a piece of her meal and took a bite, letting out a soft moan as she could sense the taste. If there was one thing she missed when she ran away from home all of those years ago, it was her mother's homemade blueberry pancakes. They weren't exactly a common food item she could always get while on the go. "Oh yeah, that hits the spot!"
"I take it to you like them?" Jade asked as she said down with a plate of her own.
"I mean...It's Blueberry pancakes. You would have tried to screw this up," Candice said as she took another bite. "Unless you're a shitty cook."
"That's good. First time I made them."
"I'll take what I can get!" Candice replied before she looked at her friend. "So, you feeling better now?"
Jade chuckled as she began to cut her meal. "Yeah. Sorry for being so distant. I was just so worried about something that might happen that I wasn't focusing on what mattered now...and that's spending time with you."
"Your sad sap side is showing again."
Jade couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Oh screw you."
"That's more like it," Candice said with a smirk. "Anyways, you ready to go kick some ass?"
Jade smirked as she gave Candice her answer. "With you? Anytime."
Surprised? Yes my dear readers, I have managed to bring in none other than the man who would stand atop the heavens, Aizen Sousuke into the mix. Truth be told, his inclusion was always planned for this story since the very beginning. I was just figuring that the final battle of the series would have found a way around his immortality and he would have been a viable choice...but...That didn't happen.
Still, I was always hellbent on trying to think of a way to make this work, and it took me quite a while to think of a way to execute. However, I decided that the character in question didn't necessarily have to die to partake in these events. I could find creative workarounds, and I decided that using Jade was the best way to do it. Her being his "vessel" was planned since I ever had her show up back in chapter 41, though I didn't tell Draconichero about that when he wrote that chapter.
I chose Jade because of 1. It would prevent Aizen from reaching "story breaking" level's of power and her powers were a perfect fit for his. Not to mention I couldn't think of a cannon fairy tail character that I was comfortable doing this with 2. Adding more drama for her and Candice to deal with down the line. The how's and why's of that I'll leave to your imagination for now. I have other reasons but I don't feel like sharing them just yet.
Truth be told, I had originally planned on doing this reveals a bit later...but the matter of how it would have been done would have come across more as a "deus ex machina" if I didn't have some kind of foreshadowing. So I decided it would be best to go about thing's this way instead.
I'll be trying my best to get the next chapter done sometime in November, but it's a very busy month for me at my job, so be aware that it's possible a chapter may not be out again for some time.
However I am very eager to hear what you all think about this chapter, so please, be sure to leave your thoughts in the reviews.
