Broken Fairies Chapter 23- Strangers, a fairy tail fanfic

Chapter 23

Strangers

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's, Energy Magic, and Ideas

.:+:.

"... You don't realize how ironic your name is..." Frea mumbled softly, her eyes watching Talarr as he moved among his mess of a workshop, glass clinking and tools too as he worked away putting together some sort of medicine, or... something.

She'd been sat down at a table that had been (attempted to be) cleaned. What had been sitting atop it in disorganized, crowded fashion had been stacked and instead pushed to the side- allowing a small space for herself as she sat in a chair and leaned over on to the top of it. Her head was in her arms as she crossed them on the table top, her eyes only halfway open and the world still swimming sickeningly... and she was barely awake.

Following that stupid decision to push her Senses out and gather up what she could about Okeal, she'd hit a wall and a Limit she hadn't expected, and shouldn't have hit, if not for what a wreck Edryd's goddamn Sword had made her, and the Collar too... and Adgnei and Okeal's stupid, crazy, complicated, overwhelming Magic and Energy every-fucking-where.

... following that stupid decision to let her Senses wander, she'd ended up passing out, again.

Well, mostly... it was all a bit of a blur. She was sort of in and out and she remembered Talarr saying something she didn't catch, remembered his nervousness, and remembered Seyre popping back into the picture. But somewhere between that and suddenly making it back to Talarr's designated space and workshop and living area all in one- everything in the middle was too blurred and fractured to really recall. So maybe she hadn't technically passed out, but she'd gone right to the edge of it and was just... dazed.

Either way he'd insisted she get back in bed but she'd refused, so he'd simply settled for allowing her to sit at the table and at least... just not stand anymore. And though she wouldn't admit it, she wasn't sure she could stay standing for very long right now if she wanted to. That small excursion out and into the decrepit library had taken a lot of out her, where it really, really shouldn't have.

Considering how dizzy she was and how hard a time she was having on just staying awake, she figured a little bit of sitting and watching him work wasn't a bad idea. Seyre was standing close by, her wolf at her heel and quiet as the Cue Card remained floating in front of Frea, to which there had been a small bit of message from Aisha.

Something along the lines of 'work Talarr around into telling you more about what is going on, and stay still. We're working on getting in to Okeal'

The rest of said Message from Aisha must have been instructions for Seyre, because that bit was all she'd been instructed to do, and though she hated the idea of taking orders from Aisha, she wasn't about to argue.

So she sat there at that table, leaned over and shoulders hunched. After awhile her breathing became less steady even despite the rest, simply because her stomach was throbbing so much, and maybe more than the rest of her body and even her head. She remained watching in silence as he worked away, muttering to himself and writing things down whilst also grinding up herbs and mixing together different liquids, boiling them... The works. Multitasking between his work with the medicine, and recording different things in a journal, about what she'd told him about Energy Magic she was pretty sure... And then multitasking more as he read through the Data in his eyeline from his Scan-Glasses.

Between watching him and looking around the room and finding books and pieces of equipment and objects- things he was building and tinkering with, inventions and bases for things he already knew how to build- or was just trying to modify and improve... Little notes spread here and there with theory and drawings, notes to himself or just questions... Illustrations of Magic Circles and bits of different Rune Languages scattered here and there... Measurements for ingredients, supplies, Lacrima... There was just so much in here, and all of it had to do with making something, researching something, learning, picking it apart.

The amount of things this guy was knowledgeable about was insane... What did Seyre say?

"He's basically a Professor and Expert in all things scientific, and he's the best craftsman and inventor in all of Adgnei. There isn't a Magical Tool in Adgnei he cannot craft, or did not invent himself."

Her sudden comment after a long bout of silence made Talarr nearly jump out of his skin, enough so he fumbled with the glass in hand a bit before managing not to drop it. He turned slightly, his eyes finding her behind his glasses and nervous,

"Aah... I... I'm sorry...?" Talarr mumbled, Frea blinked slowly, her eyes dropping closed as she sighed and pushed herself into sitting up straight.

"... Your name... It's so close to being something that pretty much describes you in a nutshell..." Frea mumbled softly, her hand falling on her stomach gingerly. "... the whole super smart thing... inventor... doctor... you're almost literally Talarrk... one who knows many things... teacher... professor even... scholar..." Frea mused softly, "... you'd be given that Title, if things were like how they were..." She added softly, almost to herself, and Talarr's eyes gleamed in curiosity and question. "... it's odd... that being your name..." Frea hummed, "... coincidental maybe, since you'd not know what 'Talarrk' is in the first place... but still..."

"... 'one who knows many things'..?" Talarr echoed quietly,

"... that's a bit more broad translation..." Frea admitted softly, "... some things have several meanings, instead of one specific one..." His eyes fell to the glass in hand,

"... interesting..." He breathed, musing for a moment before he faltered, his eyes snapping toward her again, before moving away nervously and continuing what he'd been doing... just a bit more slowly now. "... I was... unaware of the coincidence... but it's... fascinating..."

"... Keistae is something too, in the Dragon Language." Frea hummed, Seyre perked this time and Talarr paused. "... though I'm not sure if it was intentional either... roughly speaking 'Keistae' means... master, or maybe 'expert' fits better..."

"... incredible... I have to wonder how much of the Dragon Language persists where we are unaware..." Talarr mumbled, "... did Adgnei have contact with the Dragons in the ancient times...? I can't imagine much... most Dragon activity seems centered in regions near... Fiore... travel of language between trade and commerce with foreigners maybe...? Migration of language and customs from older, less advanced tribe-society that eventually evolved into Adgnei today...? Mingling with what was left behind in what disaster came to Adgnei and wiped out the Energy Mages... mixing of two cultures and picking bits and pieces without knowing the true origins nor meaning...? Written information must have been limited... but maybe more common not long after the destruction... and faded over centuries and centuries until modern day..." He started to mumble to himself as he kept to work with the medicine or whatever he was fixing together, almost forgetting he wasn't alone and unaware of Seyre and Frea's eyes on him.

Does he talk to himself and just... throw around theory like that often...?

"... that does always beg the question why so much information was wiped away after the destruction... written documents and standing structures should have lasted even if the people did not... maybe a complete eradication, or some sort of purge...?" Talarr went on quietly, "... and the only possible living record of the old Adgnei... gone... since Mordren... though him being that old is... unheard of... but so is the Ethernano readings taken..." Frea grimaced, her eyes flashing as she watched Talarr's back as he continued to work away and mutter to himself.

Oh the things she could tell him about the Old Adgnei... about Mordren and what he'd done, what Adgnei had been like before he Fell and after it. She could answer a multitude of questions he had, or at least have some input if she hadn't a definite answer... he'd probably both love hearing it, and have a heart attack at the same time.

Not that she planned to talk about any of it at all, mind you.

... I am supposed to be getting him to talk to me, and figure out what the hell is going on though... That might be easier if he relaxes...

She bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes flashing as she found herself hesitating to say anything else anyway. Talarr was clearly a very nervous person, and it took little to freak him out. Nearly everything she did or said to him seemed to make him jump, and even silence was uneasy with him. Demanding anything from him and being harsh probably wouldn't get her anything, and it would most likely just make him shut up faster and more hesitant to say anything at all. So easy as it would be to snap at him, and be harsh- she was angry and agitated after all- but she had to steer away from letting it spill out... She'd done that already, and enough that he was doubting what was happening... So now she just needed some way to work that guilt and uncertainty she felt from him into action on his part.

Frea let out a small breath, her eyes dropping closed as she grumbled to herself quietly.

... how do I get this guy to tell me what's going on...? I'm clearly not gonna figure anything out by myself, especially not if my head and Senses are all mucked up right now... I feel like I can hardly think straight...

Frea cracked an eye open and glanced upward toward one of those windows so high up on the wall she couldn't see out of it.

... The Guild's here... Huh...? Wonder who they sent... And I hope they're more careful than I was...

Lily bit the inside of his cheek, stiff shouldered and head bowed slightly as he remained sitting with his arms crossed over his chest, and settled on the edge of the bed where Moon was asleep- fitfully and feverish still, but a little better since Porlyusica had given her that 'Cure-All' Potion that Aisha had sent over. A potion of which the Old Lady was tucked away in the back of the room and working on all manner of things in her fiddling with the Cure-All, but Lily payed her little mind and just sat still with his eyes closed and quiet, his tail gently wrapped around Moon's wrist.

Wendy was in a chair beside the bed a little behind him, quiet too and looking frustrated with herself and her lack of her ability to help... but what could she do? Adgnei's Tools were clearly beyond even her Magic- as impossible as that may have seemed- and no amount of trying to Heal Moon or Dispell what Magic latched on to her had done any amount of good. The only thing that had made any sort of difference was something that had come from Adgnei, and even that hadn't fixed things completely.

Well, at any rate... Moon didn't seem to be as uncomfortable as she had been. Which was a good thing, and it made the worry in their hearts ease a little, but not enough. They just hadn't any idea what to do or how long it would be before Moon would get better... or at all.

Lily shook his head at himself as the thought crossed his mind, he hated he thought it and hated that it kept nagging. Moon was going to get better, she had to... he had to believe that.

He forced himself a low sigh to try and unwind the knot in his core, and it helped only a little.

He could hear the Guild talking out in the main Hall, but it wasn't the lively drone that the Building was usually accustomed to, and there was no wonder why. Everyone was worried, about Moon, and Chase, Aisha, the Thunder Legion- but mostly, Frea.

She is always in some trouble... But this was so soon after everything that happened. All they wanted was for her to come back, safe and preferably without having come to any harm. Her track record didn't make them hopeful of that last part, and the Guild hated that. And as the hours slowly ticked by everyone was getting more antsy, and more on edge, and he didn't blame them. He wanted things to go back to normal as much as anyone and he wanted to see Frea back too, along with everyone who went to rescue her. But maybe more so he wanted Frea back because he knew Moon was worried about her Partner, and would be worried still even if she wasn't fully conscious at the moment.

He knew how much Moon cared for Frea and he understood it, he felt the same way about Gajeel. He hoped that maybe they'd have all fixed this mess long before Moon woke up again and had more time to worry over the Energy Dragon Slayer...

We'll get her back. Frea can handle herself, she'll be fine... for now we do the best we can, and take what time we need to do things right.

His tail twined a bit wore tightly around Moon's wrist as he sighed, shaking his head at himself as his posture wilted a little.

It's always something in this Guild, isn't it...?

He hoped this time would turn out better than Death Bolt or Mordren combined... anything would be better than what happened with those two events... anything.

"... mmm... Lily...?"

Lily stiffened, his heart jumping and his eyes snapping open at the sound of the soft and weary voice out of nowhere. His head tilted upward as his eyes caught pale blue ones and he felt the knot in his stomach unwind almost instantly, and almost all the way. Wendy behind him snapped to attention too, her eyes gleaming and leaning in quickly as her eyes found the glazed and blurry blue gaze of Moon as the she-cat raised a paw to rub at her eyes drowsily.

"You're awake." Lily breathed, inching closer as his tail gently unwound itself from around her paw and he settled to sit on his knees. Moon's ears twitched in signal she heard him say something, but she didn't look at him as she scrunched her eyes closed and grimaced. There was some incoherent, and halfway mumbled, halfway pained grumble she gave him in return, and his ears dropped slightly as his expression flooded with concern. "... are you alright? How do you feel?"

"...mm... pretty terrible, really..." Moon muttered under her breath, grumbling still and missing the sympathetic look Lily gave her at the answer. Wendy beside him frowned a little at the answer too, and both she and Lily stiffened as Moon started to push herself into sitting up, and hissed with the effort of trying.

"Hold on a moment, take it easy." Lily warned her quickly, his paws landing on her shoulders as he tried to slow her down, but she only persisted. He sighed silently and moved closer so he was next to her, his paws shifting to her back and her shoulder so he could steady her and help her sit up all the way, his stomach twisting with the way she was shaking underneath him.

"You should take it slow, Moon." Wendy told the grey Exceed softly, "You're still pretty sick, and you're gonna be weak for awhile until this Magic wears off all the way." Moon sighed, nodding to Wendy's words and her forehead falling in her paw and she leaned over a little, and Lily kept close.

"... do you know what happened?" Lily asked her slowly,

"I think I can take a guess..." Moon mumbled, "... everything's pretty blurry but... Edryd used his sword on me, right? Aisha said it was Sickness Magic..."

"Yes." Lily replied softly,

"And I can't heal you." Wendy told her quietly, her eyes glittering as Moon cast a glance up at the girl. "I tried to, but it wasn't working... Aisha sent some sort of Potion over from Adgnei that's supposed to have been altered to deal with whatever Magic Edryd uses, but she said it would only lessen the effects of his Magic, and not get rid of it entirely... we'll have to wait it out until his Magic fades on it's own, unless Granny manages to alter the Potion further anyway..."

"I am doing my best." Porlyusica broke in from across the room, her back still turned to the group but apparently aware of Moon waking up. "I swear you will be healthy again in little time, and I swear that that fool of a girl you call a Partner will be in good health too, even despite what trouble she's inevitably to be involved in." She grumbled, Moon's eyes flashed slightly at the words.

"... how long have I been out?" Moon asked next,

"About two hours." Lily replied, Moon noticeably stiffened at the answer.

"Has Aisha sent anything back? Anything about Frea or how they are going to get into Okeal and to her?" Moon asked next, wasting no time at all as Wendy and Lily exchanged quick glances between them.

"They haven't found a way into Okeal yet, right now they are gathering information, last I heard, anyway." Lily murmured, his tail curling around Moon as he sat next to her with his paw on her lower back and the other on her arm. "But she does know that Frea is alright, they have her in Okeal but she's not locked up in a cell or anything. For now she seems in little danger, so we have time to plan a way in... Aisha's working with her people in Adgnei to do that, while she, Chase and the Thunder Legion gather more from the streets in Coriisette."

"And what about why she was taken there in the first place?" Moon asked, he paused.

"There's not really anything definitive on that end." He mumbled, Moon's ears fell slightly. "... Aisha sent over an old tome that Therigist thought was related to the tower in Okeal. But nobody's been able to read it, it's written in a language of Runes none of us are familiar with." Moon's ears pricked slightly at mentioned of Runes, and Lily paused.

He would have rathered she rest, if he was being honest. She wasn't feeling well, and you could tell without her having said so out loud, and any amount of work or strain could be way too much on her at the moment and he didn't want to risk that... but at the same time he knew she wasn't going to sit still, especially not when there was something only she could do.

"... they look similar to Old Telips." Lily murmured, her eyes flashed at the name. "Freed suggested they might be an earlier version of Old Telips, that eventually got altered and changed bit by bit. But Aisha asked if you could take a look at it, if you woke up. Maybe you'll be able to translate a bit of it, even if they aren't the same."

Resolution worked it's way into Moon's face as she nodded stiffly, her blue eyes flashing as she seemed to gain a bit of composure. "I'll give it a look, if there's any chance it'll give us some more answers or some clues, I'll do it." Lily's expression softened slightly as she said the words, and he let out a silent breath at what the answer that was not at all surprising to him.

"Alright, please just don't push yourself too hard, alright?" He asked softly, Moon blinked at him. She sighed, her ears dropping as her eyes fell closed for a moment. She knew he asked because he was worried, and she appreciated that, truly... even if she was more concerned with Frea right now, than she was about herself.

But she also knew he was unafraid of scolding her for being reckless or pushing things too far, and she was sure he'd been worried enough the last two hours since she collapsed... if the way he kept gentle hold on her and the way his tail was wrapped around her waist wasn't an indication of that, she didn't know what was.

Wendy glanced between both Lily and Moon, her eyes glittering and quiet as a small smile spread across her lips. She hummed quietly under her breath at the two Exceeds, the clear worry and care in Lily, and the almost exasperated and yet appreciative look in Moon.

So cute

"... I'll try, Lily..."

"I... I have a message... to be delivered...! Nya...~!"

The Guild as a whole stiffened, their heads snapping up and attentions immediately latching on to the out of breath voice that could be heard just outside the closed front door. For the most part, they'd all been invested in listening to Levy as she looked through the things that Aisha had set out, with some of them doing their own research. Everyone else had just been sitting in silence and fidgeting from the lack of doing anything. There was a stiff silence settled over the Guild only broken by Levy's voice and the spare few other murmurs passed around, but all of that quickly died out at the new voice, and the front door that opened quickly.

In the open doorway floated the panting and out of breath figure of a black and white Exceed, an envelope in paw as he paused in the entrance. He raised the envelope over his head wearily at the same time he bent over and fought to catch his breath again, his free paw moving up and down in habitual motion.

"Nadi...?!" Happy squeaked in surprise, recognizing the former Extalia resident as a few others who had been on Edolas did.

"... Nadi...?" A lot of other people mumbled,

"He's one of those Extalia guys from Edolas." Gray explained quietly,

"What on earth are you doing here?" Carla asked, floating forward toward the new arrival with Happy in tow, and Natsu and Erza not far behind.

"M-Miss Carla...! I... I have... A message... To deliver...!" Nadi panted, straightening up slightly as he took in a deep breath.

"Yes you mentioned, but to whom?" Carla asked, paws on her hips and brow raised. "And whatever for? This is not the best time."

"Y-yes, I know! That's why I'm here! Masters Iki and Uno sent me here with a message for Miss Moon straight away when they found out what was going on! Nya~!" Nadi explained quickly, earning surprised and uneasy looks at the words. "They wanted to make sure Miss Moon was okay, and they had more to tell you all about the plan to rescue Miss Frea from Adgnei! Nya~"

"Wait a minute Nadi, you know Iki and Uno?" Happy asked,

"Yes! I'm a Member of the Twin Cougars Guild~!" Nadi announced, "They're my Guild Masters!"

"Oh, that's right! I sort of forget they run and all Exceed Guild-" Happy murmured,

"But how did they know about Frea and Adgnei?" Erza cut in,

"I don't really know, sorry! They just called me and asked I deliver a Communication Card to Miss Moon right away, nya~!" Nadi replied, waving the envelope a bit in gesture. "Is Miss Moon alright? I know Iki and Uno really wanted to speak with her, they were worried."

The Guild hesitated to reply, just a little, because the only answer they had wasn't an answer at all. They hadn't heard much from Wendy or Porlyusica about Moon and how she was doing for awhile now, other than the Old Lady had given Moon some of that 'Cure-All' Aisha sent. But Porlyusica had pretty much tucked herself away back there and was 'experimenting' with the Cure-All and some other remedies too, trying to see what was in it and how it worked they supposed. As far as they were aware, Moon was still unconscious.

"...mmmm... I'm not 100%, and I've got a headache worse than I've ever had before, but I am awake at least..."

The Guild jumped, their heads snapping around and eyes wide in surprise at the slightly drowsy voice out of nowhere. Everyone in the Hall turned slightly and their surprised eyes locked on the small group of Lily, Wendy and Moon at the bar counter- of which Wendy set Moon down gently on top of it. Lily lighted down on the bar beside the grey she-cat, his paw grabbing Moon's to steady her a little as she sat down with a sigh. Master Makarov glanced sideways down the bar toward the she-cat, he and Laxus having been the first ones to notice her awake and out of the Infirmary though they had said nothing.

"Moon!" Happy trilled, tears in his eyes and grinning like an idiot as he abandoned Nadi and rushed straight across the hall toward the she-cat.

"You're awake...!" Several other people murmured in the next instant, a wash of relief flooding over the hall as Happy slammed to a half-halt in front of Moon and wrapped her up in his arms. Moon grumbled slightly at his clingyness, but she let it go.

"Yeah I'm awake..." Moon mumbled, her eyes dropping closed as Happy pulled back.

"Should you really be up and about?" Mira asked, "You don't look like you're feeling very well." She pointed out softly, and Moon shook her head a bit.

"I'm not... but I am mostly fine." Moon told her quietly, "There's a tome that Aisha sent over, right? I can still read even if I feel terrible, and I might as well try." Mira seemed to sigh silently, but with quick glance at Lily and Wendy, she earned a few shrugs, so she didn't argue.

"Miss Moon, nya~?"

Moon's attention moved from Mira and toward Nadi, who had floated forward toward the bar and passed the Fairy Tailers almost uncertainly. He cast Moon and anxious and nervous look, fidgeting almost as he stopped in air in front of her. And why not? She looked terrible and that caught him off guard, but mostly he was wary of her, since the first and last time they had met or spoken, Moon hadn't been particularly fond of him... Or really had wanted anything to do with him.

Back when he met her with the intention of asking she came back to the clan of Extalia residents that had settled on Earthland, in accordance with trying to find those 100 eggs that had been sent away, she'd been fairly sour toward him, since she disliked Extalia and anything and anyone having to do with it... and she might have threatened to claw his eyes out.

At any rate he didn't expect her outlook on him to have changed since then, and he wasn't excited to meet her ire either.

Nadi glanced from Moon and toward Pantherlily, nodding slightly toward his fellow (former) Extalia resident, before he glanced back at Moon. And she held his gaze steadily, she looked exhausted but she was focused on him and her expression didn't darken, she just seemed calm.

"... Hello, Nadi." Moon murmured softly, he blinked at the greeting and her head tilted at him. "You said you were here with something from Iki and Uno?" He blinked again in surprise, almost as if it caught him off guard she had heard any of that, before he nodded quickly and held out the letter in his paws toward her.

"Yes Miss~! Uno and Iki are currently indisposed in the western territories, so they asked me to bring this to you as quickly as possible, nya~!" He answered, Moon's eyes fell on the letter and her ear twitched at the information. She hadn't talked to either Iki or Uno in a while, and hearing they were away and outside of Fiore was a surprise- but even more so, considering they somehow knew what was going on here with Frea and Adgnei.

It was a wonder why they knew about it at all, but Moon kept from asking Nadi, he'd already told told Guild he didn't know how Iki and Uno knew about it. And if his urgency and theirs about telling him to deliver this letter was any indication, it probably wouldn't do much good to waste time asking questions that Nadi could not answer.

Moon's paw outstretched to take hold of the letter and Nadi handed it off with ease. She drew her claw along the seal and opened it, only to halt when it jerked in her hand and suddenly jumped up from her hold without warning and all of it's own accord. She and the Guild around her watched the letter in fixed silence, and it quickly opened itself wide and unfolded. A Magic Circle appearance across the face of the paper and a see-through screen of Magic projected itself up from the Circle. The screen remained blank for a few seconds as the letter and it hovered in air before Moon and Lily, before it flashed and there suddenly appeared the faces of Iki and Uno looking at them and grim-faced.

"Moon!" Iki and Uno said in unison, their eyes wide and glittering through the screen as they bunched in close to each other. Their searching eyes landed on Moon and they immediately grimaced, worry and shock alighting in their faces as they bristled a little. Behind their figures on the screen was some indistinct mountain-range that no one recognized, not that they really had time to look, mind you.

"Crap, you look terrible! Are you okay?!" Uno snapped quickly, her voice nearly unbearably loud as the cream colored she-cat pushed forward into the view of the screen even further and sight of Iki was temporarily lost.

"Uno, quit blocking the screen!" Iki snapped hotly, his paws coming down on Uno's shoulders roughly and jerking her backward into the place she had previously been in before jumping forward. Uno shot her brother a half-glare but otherwise let it go, and Iki's teal eyes found Moon without giving Uno a second glance. "-She's right though, you look awful Moon. Are you alright? We'd heard that Edryd Tuvral had attacked you and Miss Frea earlier today, but we'd hoped you hadn't gotten hit by the effects of his sword-"

"-if that noble asshole touched you or Miss Frea, I swear he's gonna get his face clawed off!" Uno broke in again, her ears flat against her head and her claws flexing in agitation. "I'll make sure of it, it's gonna be a direct order from me to Shae! Edryd's always sounded like such a prick-!"

"-Uno, calm down a minute." Iki interrupted again, "I'm sure she'll be plenty happy to do the clawing for you, but I'd rather she not go against Edryd if it can be helped-"

"Don't baby her! You know damn well she can kick anybody's ass!" Uno snapped shortly, Iki's ears fell against his head.

Moon, Lily and everyone else in the hall blinked, looking lost and confused, with the exception of Nadi, who simply looked exasperated.

"I'm not babying her, I'm just being cautious! We can't just order her to go head to head with a Vaide! And as it is, we aren't in charge!" Iki snapped back, his tail lashing behind him. "Regardless of what you like, we aren't in control of anything going on in Adgnei! Our power of authority ends with assigning them to the mission! It's up to Miss Aisha and Mr. Therigist now!"

"She'd do anything we tell her, regardless of what those two say!" Uno retorted,

"Her..?" Moon mumbled under her breath, her pale blue eyes flashing as she watched the two Exceeds snap back and forth at each other. Any amount of urgency they had had in getting a message here and to the Guild seemed to be forgotten as the two of them got involved in an argument over someone not a one of the Fairy Tail Guild knew.

"Oh really?! Against the orders of the Master of the Thieves Guild and a Noble?!" Iki snapped, bristling now and lost of all his usual calm and levelheadedness.

"She would if you asked her!" Uno shot back, her anger giving way to a somewhat slight smirk out of nowhere, and Iki visibly stiffened.

"I.. I am n-not about to ask her something like that...!" Iki hissed, his voice suddenly stammering and embarrassed, Uno seemed incredibly pleased with the reaction.

"Both of you, enough!" Moon snapped hotly, her tone icy and sharp and both Iki and Uno jumped at it. "Who is 'her'? And how do you know about any of what's going on in Adgnei?"

"Indeed, you two seem to know quite a bit about everything that's happened." Lily murmured, his paws crossed over his chest. Iki and Uno cleared their throats nervously, looking a bit flustered they had gotten so invested in their argument.

"Right, sorry, we got off track." Iki mumbled,

"So how do you know what's going on?" Erza murmured from her spot next to Moon and Lily, seriousness and focus dawned in the both of Iki and Uno as they straightened up a little, and nodded curtly.

"Mr. Balthan contacted us!" They announced quickly and in unison. The Guild as a whole stiffened at the sudden name out of nowhere, eyes widening.

Balthan? As in Saige Balthan?

The Wizard Saint..?!

"He received word of what happened and immediately began to make arrangements with Therigist, Master of Adgnei's Thieves Guild and Head of his House!" Iki and Uno went on in perfect unison, not pausing for even a second as the shock and question appeared in the Fairy Tailers. "The four of us started pulling our resources and dispatching the best people we have to help you storm Adgnei, it's capital city and the Palace of Okeal in order to rescue Miss Frea! Even if we aren't able to be there to help you ourselves, we won't just sit here and do nothing!"

Both Iki and Uno's hands swung forward, pointing directly at Moon and their eyes flashing as a sudden steeliness appeared in their expressions and postures.

"We've sent our top Infiltrators and Tool-Crafter into the service of Sir Therigist and Saint Balthan!" They announced firmly, their tails lashing behind them as their eyes glittered. "All three of them are native Adgneins and they are prepared to do everything they can in order to make this Mission a success!" They smirked, just slightly as they pulled their hands back and they bumped their fists together between them, the bells on Iki's wrist and Uno's collar chiming softly.

"You've got the Twin Cougars at your back, and you'll be damn sure Agdnei and the God-King don't stand a chance!"

"-Aisha, we think there may be a problem..!"

"What?"

"I think we're being followed. There was a blockade of Kullui and we backtracked, but they seem to be searching for someone... and I think they may be looking for us."

"Yeah and there's this guy ordering them around too, and he does not look friendly."

"We can find a place to hide-"

"Who is heading the Kullui? Activate the Image-Sight link, now!"

"Johle."

Aisha and Chase stood in utter stillness as their sight got washed across by dirty, packed streets and the image of ranks of Kullui stalking through the crowd and moving in and out of homes, searching, hunting... all the way at the end of the street from where the Thunder Legion was standing, peering around a corner.

A tall, bulky man with deep russet hair and tattoos drawn across his skin and over his lips in thin lines was ordering the Kullui this way and that, his green gaze searching the streets and piercing- a deep purple Dyann flecked across by black wrapped around his waist, his fingers covered in rings and blades tucked into straps along his arms.

Chase flinched a little when he felt the panic rise from Aisha and ram into him in the next second, his heart sinking just as hers did when the eyes of that man swept across the street- and locked with Freed's, and subsequently- all of them watching the same thing.

"Run, now!" Aisha snapped quickly, "Do not try and hide and do not try and fight back, get away from him and away from the Kullui! They are hunting you, and you will not be taken prisoner- that is Nirav! He is a Vaide and he will kill you!"

Chase sucked in a sharp breath of air, his ears ringing with the name and instantly understanding why she was so panicked- that man had killed Ranath, and now he-

"Run!"

The Thunder Legion heard the absolute fear in Aisha's voice where they had never heard it before, and their blood ran cold as they were ordered to go. They caught the stone cold eyes of Nirav and they faltered, before they did as they were told and whipped about- ready to sprint up the street and get as far away from him and that part of the city as they could.

There was a flash of light that came from their right, followed by the sound of something cutting through air at breakneck speed. Evergreen stumbled to stop and pulled back, ramming into Freed and Bixlow behind her as something metal struck hard into the stone of the building beside them, barely missing Evergreen by half a centimeter.

The Thunder Legion stiffened, seeing the metal was actually a Collar not very much unlike the one that Moon had had placed on her. Their eyes snapped right and to where it came from, only to see a multitude of Kullui advancing, and fast.

S-Shit...!

Freed's hand fell to his sword, popping it out of it's sheathe and eyes narrowed. Aisha said run, but there was no use not being prepared for a fight, and his two compatriots were of the same mind, they prepared themselves to lash back even as the trio darted down a side alley and ran, hard.

"Chase and I are coming to you! Keep running, we-!" Aisha's voice cut out abruptly and the Body-Link Emblem shone an ugly red on their arms.

"They must be disrupting the Magic." Freed hissed lowly, his eyes casting back toward the group of Kullui at their heels.

"They can do that?" Bixlow growled,

"Would you be surprised if they could?!" Evergreen snapped irritably, before letting out a none-too flattering yelp as she ducked passed another Nullification Collar that flew over her head and snapped against the wall.

Freed barely leaned out of the way of another and swept his sword up toward the next- a metallic ring sounding as he sliced through it and the Lacrima embedded into the frame shattered against the cobble. Bixlow nimbly jumped out of the way of another by using his Tiki Dolls for footholds, and spun around a bit to look at their pursuers- and the small black objects coming on fast and nearly on top of them.

"Those things look like those Gravity Well things they used on Frea to you...?" He started, his eyes flashing under his visor as they circled their group and the Thunder God Tribe stopped near dead.

Insurmountable weight suddenly fell down upon their shoulders, making it impossible to lift their feet anymore to continue running, let alone barely stay on their feet. Their hearts dropped, panic running anew through their veins as they heard the footfalls of the Kullui getting quickly closer to where they were now pinned.

"Shit...!" Evergreen snapped,

"This is bad..!" Bixlow huffed, pulling with all his might to just move. His Tiki Dolls slammed against the ground hard enough to splinter the wood, and the tip of Freed's sword bounced against the stone as he did his best to keep it in hand, his muscles straining just as everyone else's were. They heard the whistle on air of the Collars snapping out toward them and they couldn't even begin to think about moving to avoid them.

The Collars snapped down on their necks and cut off their Magic in an instant, the Lacrima embedded into the metal giving off a pale blue glow that spread around the runes etched into the sides.

In the three minutes Aisha had ordered them run for fear they would get killed by Nirav- a Vaide, one of those elite warriors they had been warned of- and the three minutes they had only managed to get so far as a few streets over with the Kullui hot on their trail, they were stopped and Collared and they hadn't any way out.

Trapped

In no time at all Nirav would appear in the back street they had dodged into, hunting them as they stood there helpless and the Kullui advanced to take firm hold of them- stepping into the confines of the Gravity Wells and feeling none of the effects. They couldn't see the eyes of the Kullui or their faces under the hoods they wore, and they said absolutely nothing as they pulled up metal cuffs engraved in runework and started forward toward the Thunder Legion, who all struggled harder against the unbearable weight pulling down on them.

They'd been warned several times before now how efficient and dangerous the Kullui were, and they'd taken it to heart. Hell, they'd seen how quickly Frea got subdued and taken by some of these people, but they'd only been in conflict for three minutes! They hadn't even retaliated, they'd run, and already they were trapped.

It didn't really hit how dangerous this place was until that moment- and now they had no way out.

After all of that, saying they were gonna get Frea back, how useless were they-?!

"Look alive Fairies!"

The Thunder God Tribe stiffened, eyes widening at the sudden and strange voice out of nowhere.

Who-?!

There was a blur of blue to their left and the sudden glint of light off something metallic, and they tried to turn their heads around toward it but they could scarcely move under the effects of the Gravity Wells. There were a series of clicks that sounded as something made contact with the Gravity Wells around them, and the Kullui stopped their advance on the Fairy Tailers in the same instant the air filled with the sound of juttering electricity- to which was suddenly sparking off the Gravity Wells with an odd blue-green color.

"Get ready to move!" The strange voice ordered again, and still they could not see the source, and it nearly got drowned out entirely as a series of short, loud booms shook the air and the Gravity Wells imploded all in the same instant.

The Thunder God Tribe stumbled, suddenly free of the weight pulling them down and staggering as they barely managed to stay on their feet, but still reeling.

"Who the hell is that...?!" Evergreen hissed, whipping around in search for the source while Freed and Bixlow quickly did the same. The Kullui's momentary halt ended in the next instant though, and they pulled out lengths of chains between them, their faceless figures turning toward the Thunder Legion. The Fairy Tailers stiffened, recoiling and immediately on the defensive again as their confusion gave way to the fact that they were still not out of danger yet, not even with the unexpected development. They tensed, immediately on the defensive again and ready to give it all they had even with those Collars still snapped around their necks.

"I'll give ya props for your nerve, but right now is not the time to try and take out some Kullui with no Magic~!" The strange voice kept on, and the Thunder Legion grimaced.

Bixlow jumped, a sudden weight falling on his shoulder out of nowhere and sending him stumbling off balance as the distinct feeling of someone's foot suddenly slammed down onto him and pushed off with rapid-fire speed. He caught little but a blur of brown and blue as his head snapped around in the direction of whoever the hell it was,

"H-hey!" He hissed, adjusting slightly so he could stay on his feet and growling as his eyes flashed under his visor. He stiffened, his anger dissipating as he saw a hand flash back in his direction in a small wave for just a split second.

"No time for arguing! All of you turn tail to the end of the alley and make a dash for it!" The voice went on, the Thunder Legion blinked, time slowing down for a split second as their eyes finally managed to catch better sight of the owner of that voice, and they stared.

Their eyes met bright orange ones for half a second, some blurred figure of a small dark-skinned girl with a toothy grin, her person surrounded by a haze of blue-green similar to the electricity that had sparked off the Gravity Wells... but she was moving so fast they hardly saw anything else of her before she looked away.

"Run, now!"

The harshness of the order made them jump, their eyes flashing as they hesitated for a single second more- and then they did as they were told, turned, and took off with all the speed they could muster. No, they hadn't a clue who that was, or what even really was going on so suddenly, but they were in between a serious rock and a hard place, and it seemed more likely this new arrival was the best way to go... what choice did they have?

That being said, they turned around in unison and started up the street the way they had been headed before the Kullui caught up, and there was nothing that way. Nothing but a wall at the end of the alley and another way for them to be trapped where they were, and yet they still ran.

The alley behind them got swallowed up in a bright flash of blue-green, and they heard the chains the Kullui held between them strike hard into the ground and wall at their heels. They spared a quick glance over their shoulders to see the Kullui being thrown backward by that same blur of blue and brown going at a speed so, so fast.

"There is nowhere to go!" Evergreen snapped hotly as they got within a few feet of the wall,

"This is bad..." Freed grumbled lowly, Bixlow grimaced as his Tiki Dolls trailed along behind them and formed a sort of protective line between the Thunder Legion and the other end of the alley.

"But shit... whoever that chick is, she's fast, huh~?" Bixlow mumbled, smiling wryly as he watched that same blur move between the Kullui after having knocked them back, and then narrowly miss the Chains they sent her way.

"Now is not the time to admire her speed, idiot!" Evergreen snapped at the Seith Mage, but the woman got cut off.

"Run into the wall!" Came the call from the girl, and the Fairy Tailers jumped.

"What?!" Evergreen snapped, looking none too pleased with the ridiculous order.

"You're kidding, yeah?" Bixlow asked,

"Not kidding, just do it!" Was the exasperated, and almost breathless reply from the still moving blur.

There was an audible and painful thud as one of the Kullui swung out their chains and it made contact with the blur. They heard the girl let out a pained yelp and she got thrown back toward them, flipping in air and landed in a crouch on all fours as she slid back across the cobble on her hands and bare feet. Her movement came to a halt and she huffed, her back still to them and light glinting from a ring and chain combo piercing in her left ear.

This time they got a better look at her, and more notably at the pale blue Dyann wrapped around her torso and her waist in two separate sections before attaching to a ring over the right side of her stomach. Underneath of which she wore little but a pair of short shorts, a grey-blue skirt cut up both sides with white pattern along the edges, and her chest wrapped in white bandages. Her dark skin was traced across by dark tattoos on her upper left arm, and right ankle.

Her head tilted up as her attention skipped passed the Kullui further up the alley from them and toward the new figure that rounded the corner behind them- the grim-faced and very deadly Vaide that had had Aisha sounding terrified.

Nirav...!

"... not good..." the girl grumbled under her breath, daring to cast a glance backward at the still standing still Fairy Tailers, her orange eyes flashing. "We have got no time, move now or get killed!" She snapped hotly, her earlier almost calm and carefree tone gone now and they jumped, looking uncertain.

They recoiled at the sound of the air whistling, their eyes snapping toward the split second glint of light that flashed off three blades that were suddenly whisking through the air at a speed nearly triple what that girl seemed to have been moving at.

And they were headed straight toward the hesitating trio of Fairy Tailers.

The girl stiffened, before she launched herself upward and off the ground in the next instant, putting herself directly in the blades path without any semblance of hesitation. Her right arm swept forward in front of her, pale white light flashing from the small bracelet on her wrist as a Magic Circle suddenly flared to life. The blades struck hard against the sheer icy-white wall the Magic Circle seemed to form, and with so much force the girl grunted as the momentum pushed her back through the air.

Her orange eyes flashed as the blades started to flicker with jagged crimson red light, her teeth gritting as panic washed across her expression. Her other hand moved toward the bracelet letting the shield live, blue-green sparks flickering from her fingers and off her shoulders.

"Gods damn i-!"

Her voice got drowned out again by the deafening boom that shook the whole of their world, a burst of red-hot and unbridled force detonating from the blades and washing everything out in blinding orange-white. Blistering hot wind rammed into the Thunder Legion, the scope of the explosion tripling in radius in the matter of a few seconds as the fire washed up the sides of the alley and burst passed the limits of the tops of the buildings boxing them in. What portions of the explosion that didn't go up washed forward toward where the Kullui and Nirav were, the street being torn up in it's quake and the buildings groaning against the abuse.

The Thunder Legion braced themselves against the backlash, their arms moving up to shield themselves and being pushed back by the sheer force of the wind. Their eyes watered against it and the bright light, and they lost all sight of that girl, the Kullui, and Nirav.

How the hell could three little blades cause such a large explosion...?!

Bixlow's Tiki Dolls failed to steady themselves against the wind and they flew backwards, straight toward the dead end... but there came no sound of the wood smacking against the stone-?

They hadn't time to wonder on it, their attention was taken by a sudden blur of blue-green that shone faintly through the blinding light of the detonation, the Thunder Legion tensed against it before all three of them suddenly felt themselves sent sliding backwards toward the by one sharp, quick push each. They hissed, the wind knocked from them instantly as they slammed straight into the wall at the end of the alley, and yet their bodies never hit anything- let alone the solid stone it appeared to be.

The alley and the cloud of explosive power was ripped from their sight as they passed through the apparently formless wall, and what was replaced in front of their eyes was a different wall, with an arch carved into the dark stone and outlined by no small amount of faintly glowing white runework. And the alley itself was replaced not only with the wall and it's runed arch, they were now in a large, barren and circular room made of cool, damp stone with spherical Lacrima hanging around the edges of the wall to provide light.

Freed, Evergreen and Bixlow hit the cold floor with painful thuds, the breath driven from them for a second time and hissing. They skidded backward a bit, winded still and eyes narrowed against the heat and bits of rock and debris being thrown through the rune archway despite being entirely unable to see the explosion it was all coming from any longer.

They blinked, attention immediately snapping toward the figure of that same girl they had lost sight of as soon as the explosion let loose.

She stumbled slightly through the archway, the stone wavering as she passed through it. She hissed, orange eyes glittering and huffing as she took one step passed the confines of the faux-wall and twisted sharply on her heel, spinning around and her hands slamming against the suddenly solid wall. The same glare of blue-green surrounded her body, and jagged pieces of it like electricity hissed and buzzed against the wall, striking out across the whole archway and striking grooves into the runework, making their white glow sputter out and turn an ugly shade of red. The wind blowing in the through the archway stopped, completely.

And suddenly everything was utterly quiet, outside her panting and the Thunder Legions. All of what just happened, being hunted by the Kullui and Nirav, driven into a corner, trapped and collared and with no way out- and then suddenly between this stranger and and explosion and an invisible entrance- all of that, done and over with and the danger and rush slamming to a halt. And all of it must have only happened within the span of ten minutes.

The Fairy Tailers sat on the floor, wide-eyed and puffing as their minds struggled to come to terms with all the fast-paced insanity that just occurred. They still hadn't a clue what just happened, or who that girl was, or if the danger was even averted- how could it be in so little time...?!

And even more than that, how did that girl manage to get away from the brunt of that explosion and look fine?!

Said girl stepped back from the wall, the odd glow of green-blue around her and her hands fading as she withdrew them from the wall. She let out an audible sigh, her back to them and backing up a few paces before promptly taking a quick seat on the floor, bent over and with her hands on her knees.

The Thunder Legion's eyes narrowed as they took notice of a white symbol plastered against her skin on her shoulder blade for the first time, and it seemed... Familiar...?

"... Ahh... Alright, so this Gateway is probably pretty mucked up now..." She muttered lowly, sounding exasperated as she shook her head a bit, one hand moving up as she brushed tendrils of her short brown hair from her face. "... Plus side though, we aren't dead and we got away pretty easy. So all in all, not much of a bad start..." She hummed, tilting her head back so her orange eyes locked with the Fairy Tailers behind her, smirking toothily and not seemingly at all bothered with what near-death situation they had just been in. She peered at them from her upside down angle, chuckling.

"Ya good there, Fairies? Looks like I dropped in on ya at just the right time, huh~? It's not everyday you can avoid the Kullui like that, let alone the Kullui and a Vaide~! This whole escape thing went real well~!" she told them brightly, they all blinked in unison at the words. "Bit of a bummer that ya got Collared, but a few Skeleton Keys will fix that soon enough~" she added, her eyes flicking across the Collars that were still clamped tightly around their necks.

The trio exchanged quick glances between themselves, their hands instinctively reaching for the Collars and grimacing when they were reminded of them. Freed cleared his throat a little, glancing toward the girl and looking a little wary still, but more calm now.

"I think we are alright." He murmured, "We certainly underestimated how quickly things could turn against our favor... It is lucky you came when you did. Thank you for your help." He murmured, she nodded a bit.

"Yeah, thanks." Bixlow smirked slightly, Evergeen nodded.

"Of course, can't be having Lord Nirav get a hold of and kill ya, Sir Therigist would have my head~" she chuckled, shifting from her sitting position and turning toward them, crouched on the balls of her feet and her hands on her knees.

"You work for Therigist then?" Freed asked, though it was mostly rhetorical. She was clearly from Adgnei, if her appearance and her use of titles for different Caste didn't indicate that- her blue Dyann and tattoos were a giveaway. Though it was a little surprising to see she was from the Middle Caste, the same as Therigist, they'd assumed most of the people they would meet under Therigist's command were all Lower Caste or maybe even Barren.

She paused though at the question, her head tilting this way and that as if she was musing. "Ahh... Off and on really, but currently- yeah." She hummed, earning questioning looks from the three of them. She just smiled toothily, "I'm sort of a part-time member of the Thieves Guild. I come and do jobs when I'm needed, but Sir Therigist isn't my Guild Master. I belong to a different Guild entirely~" she smiled, her eyes glittering as she shrugged. "Speaking of though, introductions are in order yeah? Might as well, since I'm gonna be running point with you Fairies for this whole 'Rescue the Energess' thing~"

She stood up straight and walked forward a few paces toward the Thunder Legion, taller than them now, what with them still sitting on the floor- but not by much. She was short, and probably didn't reach either Freed or Bixlow's shoulders normally. She stopped in front of them, smiling still and her hands landing on her hips, before suddenly her person was engulfed in bright white and she... Shrank...?!

The Thunder Legion stared, their jaws dropping and quite taken aback as their strange rescuer came back into view and only at about two feet tall, and not at all human anymore.

Her orange eyes glittered in amusement, her ears twitching and dressed as she was- only now with brown fur and lighter brown around her eyes and running stripes through her tail. Her whiskers twitched as she lift a paw toward them, and the two silver bracelets hanging from her tail jingled as she moved, the same way the metal pendants from the collar around her neck did.

"... Y.. You're an Exceed...?!" Evergreen, Freed and Bixlow all stammered, she nodded.

"Yep~!" She purred, "Name's Shae~! And don't worry about 'Miss' or 'Madame' or any of the Caste based title stuff~ This might be Adgnei and I might be Middle Caste, but for you, I'm just Shae." she chuckled, "All well and good, yeah? Since you're used to Fiore and how it's Wizards Guilds work, might as well just greet each other as fellow Guild Mages, hmm?" Their expression twisted more in surprise and question and she seemed not at all bothered by it.

"... You're part of a Wizards Guild?" Freed murmured,

"... From Fiore...?" Evergreen and Bixlow asked in unison, Shae nodded once more.

"Yeah~! You're looking at a member of the Twin Cougars Guild~!" Shae announced with the utmost ease, their eyes grew wider at the familiar name. "Iki and Uno sent me and two other Members of ours here to help you get your Energess back, and a good thing too~! You're gonna have a much easier time breaking into Okeal with us around." She smiled, "Never tried breaking into the Palace before, never thought I would. I'm a bit edgy about breaking that specific rule, and possibly going against the God-King, but hey- probably warranted after what Sir Therigist told us..." She mused, before her smile faded altogether and her ears fell as she frowned. Her paws crossed over her chest as her tail lashed once in sudden agitation, "... I'm totally okay with storming Okeal if the God-King was willing to order a Forbidden Tool be used on an Energess, and I think the Gods will forgive me in the end." She muttered lowly, venom creeping into her voice at the thought of it and the Thunder Legion stiffened themselves.

What had Therigist said before? That there might actually be a war if the people of Adgnei knew how Frea was being treated?

If Adgnei's citizens were as angry as Shae seemed to be so suddenly, then Therigist hadn't been downplaying the reaction Adgnei's citizens would have.

"Hmph... Anyway, we probably ought to get back to Banore." Shae mumbled, redirecting as she seemed to try and cast off her anger. She waved a paw in air like she was shooing away a fly, and sighed. "Corr is gonna kill me for blowing up that Guard though... Eh, we're probably gonna blow up a couple dozen more by the end of this..." She hummed softly, nearly all to herself as she started walking forward. She moved passed the Thunder Legion, who were all still sitting on the floor. Her tail flicked as she hummed, casting them a glance over her shoulder.

"Coming? I'd offer to get those Collars off now, but I might just blow them up too, on accident of course." She smirked, "But them being around your necks and all- well, it wouldn't do to behead any of you~!" She laughed, they swallowed, their eyes twitching. Shae laughed some more and she continued to head away up the hallway attached to the room they were in, her paws on her hips and looking ahead.

The Thunder Legion exchanged quick glances between themselves, before quickly getting to their feet you follow the Exceed.

"Never got your names, by the way~" Shae called back to them as they quickly caught up with her.

"Ah, apologies..." Freed mumbled, "I am Freed."

"Evergreen." Evergreen mumbled lowly,

"And I'm Bixlow~!" The last of their trip chirped, his Tiki Dolls flaying ahead and circling over the Exceed's head a bit.

"Pleasure to meet you three." Shae hummed,

"Say, you're pretty fast, huh~? And what's with that weird electricity thing you were doin'?" Bixlow asked, speeding up a little to be at the Exceed's shoulder. Her ear twitched in his direction, and she smirked slightly.

"Ooh yeah~!" She hummed a bit cheekily, "And that 'weird electricity thing' is my signature move~! I'll be plenty happy to give ya a lesson on it, but in a bit." She chuckled, her orange eyes glittering. "Pretty sure Lady Celene is probably losing her mind right now, so we oughta pick up the pace, huh?" She hummed, the Thunder Legion stiffened.

"Oh, right..." They mumbled, their eyes flicking down toward the still glowing red and nonfunctional Body-Link mark connected to the ChatterBox.

"... how is it the Kullui managed to disrupt the ChatterBox?" Freed asked softly, "Aisha made it seem like it would be resilient against such things." Shae stiffened a little at the question, hesitating for a small second almost, before smiling slightly.

"Eh, your guess is as good as mine." She shrugged rather nonchalantly, "I mean it usually would be, but bets are the King's Ilean whipped up some sort of new and improved jamming thing when he was tinkering around with all those new Tools of his. Like that Cloak thing that everyone mentioned..." The Thunder Legion nodded slightly, looking thoughtful as their small group continued down the dim and damp hallway leading to... who knows where.

Shae glanced ahead again, shrugging her shoulders. "... that's probably gonna be low on the list of surprises in all of this though..."

"... Chase and I are coming to you! Keep running, we'll find you and get back to Banore!" Aisha's voice was low and frantic, her breathing elevated as Chase's was, both of them running full speed ahead down this sidestreet and then that. Both of them panicked, and afraid. Chase could feel the sheer terror sparking off of Aisha in waves, and much more than he had nearly ever felt before now, and he shot her a glance as they ran along together, grimacing.

This was so bad-

"Just keep running-!" Aisha snapped, before cutting herself off abruptly as the Body-Link Emblem shone an ugly red on both of their arms. Aisha looked down at it, her running faltered for the briefest of seconds, the terror in her expression deepening.

"What in the hell-?" Chase started, she let out a growl.

"Something is disrupting the Chatterbox... shit!" Aisha snapped hotly, spinning on her heel and in nearly a 90 degree angle around a corner as her hand shot up and through a Magic Circle appearing in air before her hand. Her hand snapped around something inside her Requip and she jerked her hand back out, holding tight to a spherical Lacrima that was instantly recognizable to one of the Magic Beans. She tensed, ready to swipe her hand forward and send the Bean to shatter against the cobble ground- only for both of her and Chase to suddenly struggle to a dead-halt in their sprinting when someone appeared directly in front of them, and with no warning.

Both Aisha and Chase stuttered to a stop, struggling to keep their balance as their feet skid across the stone and Aisha's free hand shot up and grabbed tight hold of Chase's arm to steady herself before she inevitably rammed into the silent, motionless, and utterly grim-faced girl standing in their path.

Chase's eyes glittered, grimacing as his hands found Aisha's arm and shoulder, both of them huffing now as they stared, their eyes raking up and down the familiar figure and yet... near stranger all at once...?!

"...J-Jynx...?" He stammered, almost breathlessly as his face pulled in shock and confusion. Aisha stiffened, her eyes narrowing to slits as her grip on his arm got a little tighter, both of them reeling at the appearance out of nowhere, and she looked... she didn't look like she was supposed to...!?

In these last three years of knowing Jynx, she had always been constant. She never changed, she was the same as she had been since that every first day both of them had met her, like she was frozen in time and in the instant her life ended- and they all expected it would stay that way. The same plain black dress trimmed in red, the same long black hair left to fall in a wavy river down her back, the same crescent moon tattoo stamped over her eye, the same dull red stare... the same 13 year old girl who lost her life so, so long ago and the same mystery and enigma she had always been.

But that girl that stood before them was different. She looked taller- older even, by at least a few years- and her entire appearance had altered with no rhyme nor reason they knew, nor understood. That plain dress was less so, her upper arms adorned by bands of ruffled red and bracelets about her wrists. Around her waist was tied a red sash to which a small banner of a moon was stitched into, the outsides of it adorned with silver bead work. Her long, ebony black hair was pulled forward and woven together in the front, wrapped up in silver ribbon that glittered in the slowly deepening orange light as day drew closer to night. And what was even more surprising was the sheer calm, pulsing power that both Energy and MoonLight Mage alike could feel from her... much more power than they ever expected, or associated with Jynx, ever.

The change was so unprecedented, neither Aisha nor Chase really knew what to make of it or her sudden appearance out of hours of being... well, nowhere to be seen.

She was almost like an entirely different person...! But how...?!

Jynx's red eyes moved up slowly from the ground and toward them, her expression neutral and yet grim, and they swallowed a little, immediately able to sense the heavy weight between them.

The air shook with the distant, yet clear sound of something detonating, and Aisha and Chase's eyes dared to break away from the ghost and toward the faraway burn of fire bursting from the tops of a set of closely compacted buildings lower down the valley from them, and in a different section of the city entirely. Aisha and Chase felt their hearts drop into the pits of their stomachs, eyes wide and beads of chilly sweat falling down their spines.

"S-shit..." Aisha hissed under her breath, both she and Chase knowing immediately that the sudden explosion had to be where the Thunder Legion were.

Jynx on the other hand didn't even spare a glance toward the far-off commotion, her eyes remained locked on her two Guild-mates in front of her, quiet, patient, and tense. Her eyes found the way Aisha's hand tightened around the Magic Bean, and she shook her head softly, her head tilting slightly toward whispers of something only she could hear... hundreds and thousands and millions of them, a sea of the unseen and a sea that called to her.

"... They are fine." Jynx murmured softly, earning Chase and Aisha's eyes in an instant. "All of them, and they currently out of immediate danger. One of the Twin Cougar's Members arrived on time to get them away from Nirav." Jynx explained quietly, they blinked. "... though I fear they have been Collared, I am sure once they reach Banore that can be dealt with." She added softly,

"Wait, Twin Cougars..?" Chase mumbled,

"How do you know?" Aisha asked next, her tone low. "And where in the hell have you been?"

"Yeah, and why do you look so different...?" Chase mumbled, Jynx seemed to let out a silent sigh, her eyes dropping from them again and to the ground.

"... Moon is awake." Jynx murmured, not answering any question asked and surprising them with the sudden announcement. "Currently, she is attempting to decipher that Tome you were given by the Thief Master... but only now after having received word from her siblings, Iki and Uno." Jynx explained softly, "The Twin Cougars are assisting here in Adgnei by sending three of their Members, all of which have skills that will prove useful in what is to come in rescuing Energy Dragon... they have been working to help since shortly after all of this began, under instruction from Saint Balthan." Their eyes went wide at the name, shock passing over their expressions and confusion too.

"Saint Balthan...?" Both Chase and Aisha echoed, Jynx nodded just slightly.

"Saint Balthan and I have agreed that it best to leave Moon to deciphering the Tome, instead of placing that responsibility with him. Moon is capable enough in Telips that it will make little difference who does the deciphering, and in the meantime he may turn his mind elsewhere... and continue preparations for this Mission alongside you, your Thieves Guild, and all those assisting here." Jynx went on softly, her eyes ever trained to the stone underfoot. "... we will continue to prepare for invading the Palace of Okeal, and what war is brewing... and will more than likely break soon... perhaps by tonight."

They felt their blood run cold, but Jynx didn't seemed fazed at all... she was almost... too calm.

"... we will continue to work, and to prepare... we will give everything we have and be patient for what is to come... even as I am slowly beginning to be certain what it is the God-King intends tonight." Jynx murmured softly, her voice so low they almost did not hear her, but they did and they stiffened. "... even as we become certain that tonight... we will be unable to stop any of these events from happening... and we can only wait to see what outcome we will have to live with afterward... good or bad..." her voice died away and her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and Chase felt a sharp, sudden flash of fear come from the ghost, and it struck through him, hard.

What is she...?

"... I cannot enter Okeal, not at current." Jynx murmured softly, "And being here, in Adgnei... and in this city... it is difficult to travel without getting... sidetracked." She mumbled, and rather vaguely at that- all of this was vague!

"I will remain and watch... and wait." Jynx told them, "I will do what I can, and I am sorry for how little I can give you... but my hands are tied. I cannot give you what answers you're looking for, and I am not sure I can explain to you what has changed... or why I have changed so suddenly."

"... what do you think Drennios is planning?" Aisha growled, cutting into the ghost's talking and her gaze steely as Jynx paused a moment, still not looking at them. "Tch... quit with the secrets and the riddles!" The MoonLight Mage snapped, and Jynx finally spared a glance at her, her expression unreadable as she held Aisha's purple eyes for a few long moments, before her eyes trailed slowly to Chase.

"This is another in a current of events that we cannot avoid." Jynx murmured softly, he blinked. "Like that of DeathBolt, and of Mordren... what will happen is inevitable, and no amount of resisting it will divert it altogether. And in many ways... it must happen, regardless of the consequences." Her eyes dropped closed now and her head tilted back and toward the sky, "... you may not see it, but this place... this city and this country... they are wasting away, and have been for a very long time. Everything is wrong... everything is out of balance and it has to be mended. In some way or another, what Carla sees in her Visions... it has to come to that, and it will. How many lives are lost, and how much is destroyed in the process however... that is not certain."

Aisha and Chase stared, their eyes narrowed to slits and stiff in their spots as Jynx fell quiet again for a few long moments, and they were still so confused.

"... the God-King will get what he wants... Energy Dragon will do as he wishes of her, willingly or not... there is nothing to be done that will change that." Jynx mumbled, sighing slightly. "... what comes after... I don't know... I hope that... we did not make the wrong choice..." Jynx whispered, her expression twisting in pain and uncertainty.

... allowing her to live... I hope that we did not bring such doom upon ourselves... I...

"... I can promise, and say...Energy Dragon... she will not take her last breaths today. Whatever happens, she will leave this place." Jynx murmured softly, Aisha and Chase blinked at the certainty in her voice.

Jynx's eyes cracked open to look at the sky turning orange, and then slowly crimson. A sudden, stiff and cold wind blew through the whole of Adgnei and around them, shifting their clothes and their hair, and washing against their faces.

... but we must hope... the Frea that leaves Adgnei behind is not...

Jynx grimaced to herself at the thought, biting back the fear in her heart that she knew all too well that Chase could feel... her hands were tied, more than he, or Aisha, or Frea or anyone could ever know. Years upon years of feeling things, and knowing that tragedy and evil would come... knowing that things were beyond her control and knowing all manner of things she shouldn't know, and yet always never had all the answers to herself... years upon years of vague notions and words and warnings at the hand of a Power and something she never understood... years and years of never understanding any of it...

... for the first time, in so very long a time... she was starting to understand so much more. Only in this case, and all cases involving her, and Frea, and any of those others they were so deeply connected to... knowing was not better. It was a true and utter torment, because even if she knew... she also knew she had no control over what must happen, and that was worse than anything... that helplessness.

Whatever Force or Power or whatever that had made it a certainty that any of those in Fairy Tail would join that Guild, or be there for what trouble befall it- or what certainty that had made sure anyone here would be there for any terrible, awful, massive event that had ever unfolded... whatever had made it a certainty, and the same sort of certainty that Frea would face the Energy God Slayer in the end- that was happening once more. And the certainty that tied with this old, powerful, ancient city that housed so much power?

Frea would end up here, no matter what way, or what occurred before this time... the minute the choice had been made and the path taken where the Energy Dragon Slayer would not perish at the hands of Mordren, this certainty had been laid before all of them. She would enter Adgnei and play as large a part in it's future as Mordren did, so very long ago. And in that certainty, there was another... Frea was not the only one fated to be here now, no.

It seemed the events fated for Adgnei now, were tied with both the world's Malurey... and it's Seleyn.

Jynx let out a soft breath, her head tilting back down toward Chase and Aisha and so very calm, and they didn't understand how she could be.

"Go back to Banore. Send word to your workers, prepare what you must, warn who you can." Jynx instructed quietly, her red eyes flashing as Chase and Aisha swallowed slightly.

"There is little time left before we must act, and we will have no choice but to enter this war that will overtake the whole of Adgnei."

"... Here, please drink this."

Talarr's soft and wary voice broke Frea from her thoughts again, and she blinked her eyes open after having let them drop some time ago. Her silver eyes found him, and then the glass he held in hand between them, before slowly setting it down on the table in front of her as if he was afraid of the idea of handing it off directly.

She glanced at the silvery colored liquid and bit the inside of her cheek, swallowing back at the nauseous sensation that slammed into her the minute she even thought about drinking it.

"... what is it?" She asked lowly, pulling the glass toward her as she tentatively sniffed at it. It smelled like herbs, and flowers... and a bit bitter, though not in a floral way, but more like the faint sour and bitter scent she'd associate with a Lacrima that had been broken. "... you said none of your Magical-Medical stuff would work against Edryd's Magic Sword effects till they had worn off on their own, so what's with this?"

Talarr's hands wrung together in front of him a bit as he let out a small, quiet breath. "... ah... that is correct. This will not make any difference to you or your health until Pestilence's Magic fades, but it will come into affect once that happens." Talarr explained softly, "It's meant to help strengthen your Immune System, and settle the lingering effects the minute the actual Magic fades all the way. I, ah... I apologize it will do little make you feel better at the moment, but it will help later on..." Frea grimaced a bit, her eyes tracing over the liquid as she tilted it this way and that, but didn't go to drink it right off.

She wasn't worried it would harm her or anything, she just didn't feel like drinking anything, let alone that. She felt like she would throw it up the minute she tried with how much her stomach flipped upon simply looking at it.

Seyre smiled sympathetically at the Energess, her hand lifting to place itself reassuringly on her shoulder, but she never got that far.

BOOM

Frea jumped, her breath catching in her throat and her attention snapped away from the drink and the room in the matter of a single second. Talarr and Seyre jumped too, though mostly because Frea had. What was deafening on the Energess' ears was little but a low rumble on theirs.

Frea was up and on her feet before either of the two Adgneins could say anything, the glass filled with Talarr's creation abandoned on the table top as Frea immediately moved to find a way to see outside. All of the windows in Talarr's workshop were too high to see out of from the ground, but there was a section of crumbling wall and foundation tucked away in a corner of the room behind the massive piles of everything. A literal hole in the wall, and big enough it was more a window now than anything else- and that was where her feet took her in seconds as Talarr, Seyre and her wolf followed more slowly.

Frea hissed under her breath, her hands finding the edge of the hole and using it for support as her eyes scanned the Valley below nearly washed out on the deepening orange of the sun behind it. But not even that was enough to keep her eyes from snapping toward the wash of fire rising up from the city far, far below, the flames clawing at the sky.

She swallowed, a bead of sweat falling down her cheek and riveted as she felt both Talarr and Seyre move in slowly on either side of her, their eyes finding what hers had, and looking just as stricken.

"Gods..." Talarr mumbled breathlessly, his hands clasped together tightly in front of him as he scanned the scene. "... what is going on down there...? Have things already...?"

Frea stiffened, her silver eyes shifting sideways toward the man though her head didn't turn in the slightest. Her expression fell, her eyes narrowing to slits as she watched Talarr look out into that Valley and she began to feel fear, franticness and apprehension begin to spark from him anew.

Have things already what?

She grimaced, her eyes flashing as she shivered slightly at the feel of his fear and his tenseness getting steadily stronger in accordance with that feeling of dread she had felt since the start. She swallowed back at the chilly weight in her stomach, still searching him and his expression as he seemed fixed on the Lower Valley and whatever it was that was going on down there they hadn't a clue. She could take a guess though, and guesses were it had something to do with whoever it was that had been sent into Adgnei after her... she hoped they were fine, and would have tried to make sure of that, but seeing what had happened the last time she had stretched her Senses out that far, she wasn't going to attempt it.

But I do need to understand what it happening here... what the hell they want with me, and why Talarr is so afraid of it. Whatever it is... It's going to be bad... she knew that in her heart, and she swallowed at it again.

She froze though, her heart skipping a beat as something moved on Talarr's side out of nowhere- something that had definitely not been there a second before- and she caught sight of... of pale purple hair...?

She couldn't move, and she didn't dare breathe either, she just stared as the world seemed to shudder into a slow-motion state, reality and life all around her dragging by like sludge as all that bleeding color everywhere seemed to drain into agonizing monochrome. All of it faded out, white-washed, greyscale... Talarr, the walls, the junk everywhere, the sky... and yet there remained a single, silent beacon of color that was a stark contrast to everything else, and she couldn't look away.

There... there was someone there. A stranger, standing so close to Talarr their shoulders must have been brushing against one another, yet Talarr gave no indication he noticed it at all, and she didn't expect him too. The way the world slowed down, the color draining, all of it- this stranger in her eye line, pale purple hair and golden eyes locked straight ahead, silent, unmoving... he looked like a ghost.

This... is this real...?

Shivers ran down her spine as those golden eyes slowly shift, looking straight passed the unseeing Talarr, and locked with her gaze. The color wasn't the only thing that faded from around them, noise did too, it was so quiet... and yet in the back of her mind, she could feel the low, distant rumble and rush of water, or wind or... something. She felt power she didn't recognize suddenly invade her Senses, pulsing, pulling, swirling around her in a river invisible to the eye.

She... she was paralyzed.

Who the hell... is that...? What is this...?

He was expressionless as their eyes met, he didn't turn his head and he didn't move even the slightest bit, he just stood there, they both just stood there, staring.

And then the Stranger glanced away from her again, his golden eyes falling closed as he let out a single, silent sigh- and she blinked, and he was gone, and the world sped up to it's normal pace again as color and sound came crashing back. All sense of throbbing, indistinguishable Power all around her was gone as quickly as it came, and for it she felt like a part of the world had been ripped away and a heavy weight she hadn't known was there came off her shoulders and lungs.

W-what the fuck...?!

She bit the inside of both cheeks, her head finally turning just a little bit in that direction and shivering again as she searched the space the man had been, and still found nothing.

What was that? A bit of bleeding memory overlaying her reality from Mordren's past? But she didn't recognize that man, not from any of it... and how the world seemed to almost draw to a halt? The color all lost, except for him?

Or... or am I... seeing things...?

She swallowed, hard, shivering again and feeling the slightest bit lightheaded out of nowhere as her thoughts whirled and struggled (and failed) to come up with any rational explanation for what all of that was. She didn't know that man, she didn't know if he was real or a ghost or some fantasy her feverish mind had cooked up for her- but what she did know? Without any of that or what she'd seen or even what had been described in Carla's Vision?

Something is wrong here... really wrong.

I... I don't think...

Talarr's attention on the city below them failed when he caught sight of the Energess looking his way, and he blinked when he found her slightly stricken and searching eyes fixed on some place... passed him?

He glanced to his left and found nothing, which he thought odd, before he glanced back toward the Energess, his expression pulling in confusion. "... Ah... Energess?" He murmured softly, and her silver eyes snapped toward him abruptly. His head tilted slightly, reading through what information was in his eyeline courtesy of his Scan-Glasses, and finding that her heartrate had elevated, quite a bit.

But... why?

"... are you... alright...?"

Hello everyone~!

You should be happy to know this story is not dead! QwQ I am Alive! I am still writing! I am just slow (as always...) !

You should also be happy to know that the next chapter will be coming super quick! I have most of it written already! I am going on a cruise next week, so there will be at least a week in between this and the next update- so look for it!

Adgnei's plans are starting to go into full swing, and trouble is brewing! And LOTS OF IT!

**I have also updated Jynx's Guild Card with how she looks, following this Chapter and the Adgnei Arc. Check it out on my Deviantart page, I have the same Username!

Anyway, thank you all for sticking with me and continuing to read!

Please, Follow, Fav and Review if ya can! Thanks!